The MEDAIA project developed innovation platforms and methods for the media industry in Helsinki and Tampere, two of Finland’s largest cities.
- 29 August 2017
MEDAIA’s experiments brought various actors together in order to advance the sharing of information and ideas within a network-setting, thus breaking down the silos that can originate from existing power-structures.
With the goal of facilitating sustainable urban development in Finland’s six largest cities, the “6aika” The Six City Strategy – Open and Smart Services project has funded a range of innovative projects across the country. One of those was MEDAIA, a collection of 13 rapid, small-scale experiments based on open innovation.
With the belief that the media can create urban services and sustainable urban development, the project successfully demonstrated new collaboration models and innovation methods for creating media-orientated product and service concepts.
Towards a service industry
In Finland, the media industry was severely impacted by the trend towards digitalisation, with many companies founded on producing products now struggling to redefine themselves as a service company. To help the local media industry successfully navigate this transition, the MEDAIA project facilitated the development of new media experiences via the use of open innovation platforms and networking.
To accomplish this goal, the project developed innovation platforms and methods from which various small-scale experiments could be performed. Although these experiments varied in topics, methods and partners, they all relied on rapid methods like lean innovation. Another commonality was their focus on cooperation and forming partnerships between universities, students, small businesses and the public sector.
Immersive fan experience
One of these experiments involved the popular Finnish TV series Uusi Päivä (UP). The objective of this experiment was to better understand how virtual reality (VR) can be utilised to enhance the viewer experience. Fans of the show were provided with 360° video VR viewing glasses. Using these glasses, they watched a specially filmed scene that allowed them to interact and converse with the actors in real-time, along with several other exclusive content features.
Following the viewing, MEDAIA researchers surveyed the viewers about their experience. Specifically, they wanted to know whether the viewer experienced a different sense of presence in the VR scene as compared to a traditional television scene and how it felt to be involved in the conversations. What they found was that they enjoyed the experience, particularly the feeling of being ‘part of the action’.
Based on this research, the project published their findings so that other media and content players can better develop their VR offerings. The project has also succeeded at improving the competencies of staff and cross-sectoral networks within the field of virtual reality and new media. Throughout the project, new cooperation models between students and companies were tested and various micro-campaigns launched.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “6AIKA: MEDAIA - Media's open innovation platforms (Median avoimet innovaatioalustat), Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Oy” is EUR 327.938, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 163.969 through the “Sustainable growth and jobs 2014-2020” Structural Funds Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Jobs, Growth and Investment”.