The government backed Technology Strategy Board, set up to promote innovation in technology, is asking music businesses to visit: innovateuk.org to share their thoughts on how to maximise the impact of future funding programmes to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of digital innovation in the creative sector.
With the support of key influencers in the sector, the Technology Strategy Board recently published The Creative Industries Strategy 09, which identifies key areas of where emerging technologies and business models will have the most significant impact and outlines how funding might be spent.
The Board is now hoping many more from the industry will come forward to help influence the direction of funding programmes and collaborative working to make the Strategy's priority areas a reality.
Those who wish to find out more about the strategy are also invited to attend a live online seminar on 2 November at 11am called Digital Horizons: Commercialising Innovation.
Key industry figures from the creative sector, including Rory Sutherland (Ogilvy Advertising and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) and Fred Bolza (Sony Music) will be on the panel for an interactive debate on the future of digital innovation in the creative industries. Participants will be able to submit live questions to the panel following a short registration process.
Jeremy Silver, the Technology Strategy Board's lead specialist in creative industries and chair for the panel debate, said, "We've worked with around 100 key organisations and industry leaders from the creative sector to write the report and identify which areas we should focus on for the highest returns to the UK creative economy. Now we want to hear from those working in the music sector on how best we can work towards meeting these priorities, which will have a direct impact on where future funding goes to achieve the biggest impact.
"With the creative sector contributing a Gross Value Added figure of 6.4 per cent to the UK economy and direct employment to around 1.15m people, it is important we really make the most of this opportunity to ensure protect and grow the future profitability and competiveness of the industry.
"The strategy aims to get the creative industries working more closely together to fully exploit new commercial opportunities and, by getting involved in shaping its delivery, music professionals have a great opportunity to influence funding programmes they stand to directly benefit from."
The next application period for funding is expected to open in spring and funds will be awarded through a series of peer-judged competitions, based on the priority areas identified in the strategy. Applicants will need to show the commercial applications of their ideas by submitting formal business plans and will be expected to co-fund any resulting projects to ensure their success.
It is anticipated the funding will lead to significant advances in areas such as Metadata, which opens up many new business models for the creative sector, and interoperability, encouraging the exchange of data between diverse technology platforms, systems and organisations.
(Jim Evans)
