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South East Digital Industry Boost
18 October 2006
South East Media Network (SEMN) is ensuring the booming digital content industry in the South East takes a growing share of this global sector by launching the South East Digital Content Knowledge network. The Knowledge Network will be formally launched at Pinewood Studios on October 31st and is backed by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) through its support for SEMN.
SEMN's Chief Executive, Gina Fegan, underlines the importance of this project: "Innovation is vital and we know that both large and small players in the market can gain significant benefits by working together to drive the boundaries of innovation forward; in particular, it's crucially important that we do all we can to help to commercialise the Intellectual Property being developed in the region's universities. This network will focus on supporting the community of people who are active in digital content research and business development."
Already worth £8.7 billion to the regional economy, the digital content industry, which covers computer games, e-learning, e-publishing, software, web services, music, television, film, advertising and mobile content, has 22,000 companies which employ 170,000 people. The value of the sector is expected to grow by 25% by 2011. Mark Smith, the Network Director, says: "A growing international market is there to be won by UK businesses able to innovate. This is a highly competitive market in a very dynamic environment; that's why we want to put together partners in the region via the Network and perhaps internationally to develop advanced new products."
This process is already moving fast in the region. Companies are working on projects such as Internet Protocol TV, which is being explored for government and healthcare use, or Wi-Max which may be the solution for next generation wireless Broadband, suitable for communications in rural areas and developing countries where wired infrastructure does not exist. Another development is in digital marketing where, for example, brand names can be inserted into a national TV programme or film to carry a localised advertising message.
Universities in the region will also be a key part of the process, as their research work will provide much of the innovation drive. Dr Paul Young, a c onsultant for UniSdirect at the University of Surrey, says: "Knowledge technology is needed in developing digital products and has great potential for commercialisation; so this Network will be invaluable in getting us together with businesses who can take advantage of the work we do."
Presenting at the Conference will be Blast Theory, a creative workshop of actors who have pioneered cross media games. Now based in Brighton, they will be talking about their part in a pan European project run by the Institute of Pervasive Gaming to create an interactive experience in both physical and virtual spaces where the participants have to work using mobiles, laptops and augmented reality systems. The whole aim is to make the experience more alive and could have applications not just as a fun exercise but for team and community building.
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