Partner Article

BBC looking for North East digital media

The BBC is heading to the North East next month to help the region’s businesses win contracts with the corporation.

In partnership with centre of digital excellence Codeworks, the BBC is extending its ‘Innovation Labs’ programme for 2006/7 across England and Scotland. The Innovation Labs bring together BBC commissioners with regional digital media companies to develop and commission innovative new products and services for the BBC.

New media companies in four UK regions – Scotland, Northern England, Southern England and London – will be invited to pitch ideas in response to a series of briefs from commissioners across the BBC. Ten companies in each region will then be invited to a week-long residential Innovation Lab, working with BBC developers and other industry experts to develop their ideas into concept prototypes.

The North East launch of Innovation Labs, organised by the BBC in partnership with Codeworks, will take place on Tuesday 14 November at the Centre for Life in Newcastle at 12 noon. Places for the event are strictly limited and priority will be given to members of digital trade association Codeworks Connect.

The BBC’s head of innovation Matt Locke said: “Innovation Labs is a way for us to get to know the range of talented independent companies across the UK, and to share with them our strategies and innovation requirements. The pilots in 2005/6 were a great success, generating over 170 ideas, with 29 companies attending the week-long Labs, and 13 projects being selected for further development beyond the Labs.”

Anyone wishing to register for the BBC Innovation Labs launch event should visit www.codeworks.net/register or call Vikki Carr at Codeworks at vikki.carr@codeworks.net

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .