AsianScientist (May 7, 2018) – Good communication isn’t just about conveying the hard facts. For STEM organizations, convincing people to care about their missions—which may revolve around complex concepts like machine learning, supercomputing and big data—requires a diverse set of skills: a healthy dose of editorial and design flair, a nose for interesting stories and angles, as well as creativity and curiosity in abundance, among others.
Covering all these bases—and more—was the eclectic crowd of entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors, media professionals, academics and creatives present at the May 4 official launch of Singapore-based Wildtype Media Group, Asia’s leading STEM-focused media company.
Given that the launch coincided with Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), several in whom the geek cred was strong arrived in costume; a 7,500-piece LEGO Millennium Falcon also made a pit stop at the party.
Wildtype Media Group began life in 2011 as Asian Scientist Magazine, founded by editor in chief Dr. Juliana Chan with the mission of highlighting good science from Asia to the world. As the publishing startup added more magazine titles, books, events and a full suite of custom publishing and marketing services to its portfolio, it was clear that it was fast outgrowing its name.
In 2017, Wildtype Media Group was founded to consolidate these diverse offerings, and now spans digital, print, custom publishing and events, serving clients in industry, academia and government. The company’s name is a play on the biological term ‘wild type,’ which refers to something original and natural.
While Asia is home to a vibrant STEM research scene in both academia and industry, science communication in the region still lags behind. Based in the research and economic hub of Singapore, and true to its roots in science journalism, Wildtype Media Group is well placed to help organizations communicate their work and mission to a wider audience.
“We now serve virtually all the government agencies and academic institutions in Singapore, and are setting our sights on Asia-wide expansion,” said Chan, now also CEO of Wildtype Media Group. “All this is part of our long-term vision of serving Asia’s growing science and technology community.”
“Asia is now undeniably an innovator, not an imitator; exactly the right place for an upstart media company like ourselves to be.”
Amid the food, conversation and photo-taking at the launch party, guests found time to offer congratulatory messages.
“I’m so happy to see the progress from Asian Scientist Magazine to Wildtype Media Group, and also to hear about your new services like events, competitions and even book projects. Congratulations and all the best!” said Ms. Tricia Huang, executive director of the National Medical Research Council, Singapore.
“Congratulations to Juliana and the Wildtype Media Group for doing such a great job bringing science communication to the masses in Singapore and Asia. We at EmTech Asia are very proud to be working with such an awesome publishing group,” said Ms. Daria La Valle, regional manager at Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, organizers of EmTech Asia.
“Congratulations Wildtype! We have come a long way since 2014 when we conceived the idea of Supercomputing Asia. We finally pulled it off and we hope to go to the next lap,” said Dr. Tan Tin Wee, chief executive of the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore and associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
Wildtype Media Group offers something unique in a media climate of short attention spans, shallow coverage and clickbait headlines: savvy communication tempered with technical rigor, depth and accuracy.
“We’re excited about the shifting center of gravity as Asia takes a leading role in science, tech and R&D; we’re also excited about how the entire media industry is going through massive upheavals, and we sense many opportunities to do things differently,” said Chan.
Stay tuned for more as the wild ride begins!
Click here for photos from the Wildtype Media Group launch party.
For more information, please visit www.wildtype.media
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
