Press Release 26/8/2009 14:00
A large-scale research programme, Next Media, will be started in Finland. The programme develops future concepts and business models for media. In addition to research institutes and universities, also all major Finnish media companies take part in the programme financed by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
Sanoma leads and co-ordinates the Next Media research programme. Chief of R&D Eskoensio Pipatti from the Sanoma Group's electronic media division Sanoma Entertainment has been appointed Focus Area Director of the programme.
Next Media aims at implementing a business originated research programme that gathers media researchers to jointly increase the common knowledge capital and competence, and that leads to internationally significant business.
The preparation of the Next Media programme was initiated at the turn of the year by the Federation of The Finnish Media Industry. After the strategic research agenda has been completed, the research organisations and companies have collaborated on the actual research programme in order to find the keys to success of the media sector. The target is to finish the first project plan in September. The final targets are set for year 2015.
"Media companies have always participated in research projects, but as research has focused on technology, they often have been merely bystanders. Now media sector has its own research programme, which goes into basic questions of media undergoing digital migration. Attention can be drawn to people as recipients of the content and users of technology. Media is studied on its own terms," Eskoensio Pipatti says.
The Next Media research programme is managed by the Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in the Field of ICT, which is one of the centres of strategic excellence initiated by the Finnish Government.
Additional information: Chief of R&D Eskoensio Pipatti, Sanoma Entertainment, tel. +358 10 707 7035, eskoensio.pipatti@sanomaentertainment.com
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