MediaFutures

A European data-driven innovation hub to reshape the media value chain.

The MediaFutures project sets up a virtual European data innovation hub that includes funding, mentoring and support for entrepreneurial and creative projects with the aim to reshape the media value chain through responsible and innovative uses of data.

The objectives of the project are:

• To explore the critical factors that impact how people engage with bottom-up quality journalism, science education and digital citizenship.
• To define a participatory, inclusive innovation program, leveraging impulses from multiple disciplines, as well as synergies between entrepreneurs and creatives.
• Organise a competition addressing pressing technical, economic and societal challenges in the media value chain to identify promising digital entrepreneurs, creatives and data-empowered solutions.
• To provide data and experimentation facilities for the winners of this competition to test and nurture their ideas.
• To support 51 businesses and 43 artists by solving common concerns around funding and access to mentoring in technical, legal, business, media and sustainability matters.
• To create toolkits and best practices for innovators, creatives, and other stakeholders to achieve greater traction for their citizen-centric initiatives, and empower them to communicate through data in inspiring, informative and engaging ways.

Within the framework of the project, a first open call for funding is organised and opened until January 28th. This Open Call, which is addressed to emerging companies, SMEs and artists, offers up to € 40,000 of free financing to artists and up to € 80,000 to companies. The Open Call presents 3 different programs:

• Artists for Media: six-month residency program aimed at artists to explore data and technology and their impact on people and society.
• Startups for Citizens: six-month acceleration program for startups that want to create a product or service focused on fostering new and meaningful ways of interacting with media content.
• Startup Meet Artist: six-month mixed residency and acceleration program for startup teams and artists with the aim of collaboratively developing new ideas around data technology and the arts.

Eurecat participates in the project through its Big Data & Data Science Unit which provides participants with mentoring in advanced data mining capabilities.

MediaFutures consortium will establish a Europe-wide, virtual data-driven innovation ecosystem, supported, and promoted by an international network of 28 organisations.