Andrew Bullen

European Creative Industries@PICNIC

Vision, Strategic Agenda, Work

IIP CREATE, the innovation platform of the Dutch ICT/Media Creative Industries, is grasping the opportunity of this year’s international PICNIC event to invite leading European IT/Media Creative Industry representatives to present the strategic agenda and vision of their respective countries, and look forward towards the potential of international collaboration in this sector. As a complement to the European vision and strategic agenda, media labs and other leading creative organizations from the participating countries have been invited to present and showcase their innovative work.

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Format

The event will start with a short presentation of vision and strategic agenda from leading representatives from the European IT/Media Creative Industries. Emile Aarts (Director Philips Research) will welcome the participants on behalf of IIP CREATE and moderator Andrew Bullen will provide an introduction to European collaboration issues. The list of speakers includes Irina Blomquist (Program Director, DIGIBUSINESS, Finland and Business Director of Culminatum, Helsinki Region Centre of Expertise), Patrick Cocquet, (Director of Cap Digital Paris), Lucy Hooberman (Innovation Executive, BBC Future Media and Technology) and Arnold Smeulders (University of Amsterdam and Board member of IIP CREATE).

After an ensuing discussion over common definitions, aims and objectives, as also individual stengths of the respective countries, creative organisations and institutes from the various countries will present some of their latest innovative work. Presenters include Sandbox, UK, Forum Virium, Finland, and Waag Society, Amsterdam. The University of Ulster will also introduce their international Delphi Study on defining issues within the European Digital Content and Creative Industries.

Agenda / Schedule

Part 1. European Media/IT Creative Industries: Vision and Strategic Agenda

Moderator: Andrew Bullen

9:00 Welcome: Emile Aarts
9:10 Introduction: Andrew Bullen
9:20 Irina Blomqvist (Director, Digibusiness , Finland)
9:40 Patrick Cocquet (Director, Cap Digital, Paris Region, France)
10:00 Lucy Hooberman (Innovation Executive, BBC Future Media & Technology)
10:20 Arnold Smeulders (IIP CREATE, University of Amsterdam)
10:40 Sharon Sloane, Isobel Cunningham (University of Ulster) “The European Creative Industries Delphi Study”

11:00 Short Break

Part 2. European Media/IT Creative Industries: Innovative projects for the European Future / Best practices

11:20 Esa Blomberg (Forum Virium, Helsinki): “Helsinki as a Living Lab”
11:40 Anne-Lucie Grange (Project Coordinator, Cap Digital, Paris) THD Platform
12:00 Simon Robertshaw (Sandbox, UK) “Cultural Mapping for the City of the Future”
12:20 Frank Kresin (Waag Society): Sensor Networks
12:40 Irina Blomqvist: The European Digital Content Think Tank
12:50 Closing Discussion

13:00 Close of the Event

Background

During the ICT Delta Congress in May, IIP CREATE, the innovation platform of the Dutch ICT/Media Creative Industries launched its Strategic Research Agenda. This event coincided with the launch of other such strategic agendas and vision papers in other European countries such as Finland, France and the UK.

In order to maintain the momentum initiated by these publications, PICNIC 2008 offers a perfect opportunity to present and discuss these strategic agendas from a European perspective.

IIP Create will invite national representatives from the European Digital Content Think Tank to present the strategic vision and agenda for the Creative Industries in Finland, UK, Netherlands and France.

The national agendas will be related to the overall agenda and vision, which is being developed in close collaboration between European partners within the Think Tank.

The European Digital Content Think Tank

The European Digital Content Think Tank is a co-operation project launched by several European ICT/Media Creative Industries organizations. The member organizations share a common view on the development of digital communications technologies, services and markets; further they share the idea that in today’s world national-level co-operation is not enough. Members of the Think Tank represent Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and UK. In addition to these markets, the network also pays attention to other countries and market areas.

The strategic goal is to enhance each member’s capability to serve the Creative Industries in their respective countries by sharing knowledge and best practices and by co-operating in applying for international funding. The scope in sharing knowledge covers digital business and content creation in general, digital technologies and funding opportunities. In developing a common strategic agenda, the Think Tank focuses on areas such as industry trends and weak signals, news ways of working, and case studies and best practices.

Recently, strategic agendas for the ICT/Media Creative Agendas have been published in the Netherlands, Finland, and France and UK. In most cases, the country members of the Think Tank played an instrumental role in these publications. In the coming months, the Think Tank will work towards a joint strategic agenda, based on common aims and visions with the various country agendas. This common vision will also incorporate the results of an extensive Delphi study on the Creative Industries which was commissioned by the Think Tank. On this basis, common research and development goals will be pursued by the Think Tank country members.

As the Delphi Study, which was commissioned by the Think Tank on the defining features of the European Creative Industries is nearing completion, it is also an excellent opportunity to present and discuss the results.