Government backs collaboration research project

Activities should attract investors to UK, says Science and Innovation Minister

The government has given financial backing to a research project that aims to show how new technologies can help people participate in creating and sharing digital content.

BT is leading a consortium of industry and academic experts who will undertake the £3m Participateproject, which has received grant funding from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

The consortium, which includes the BBC, Microsoft Research Cambridge, and the Universities of Bath and Nottingham among others, will examine the convergence of pervasive, online and broadcast media with a view to creating new kinds of mass-participatory events where the public will contributes to, and access, content from various locations.

Science and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury, believes the project will identify the UK as a world leader in collaboration, which will prove attractive to investors.

'This initiative provides a real opportunity to harness the world class expertise that we possess in the UK and direct it towards the task of wealth creation,' he said. 'By providing a focus for collaboration and delivery, this partnership should establish British industry as the world leader in this area and be an attractive proposition for investors.'

Participate has conducted its first collaboration exercise with two schools in the Bath area and examined how mobile phone technology and sensors can be used to explore environmental issues.

Children were issued with prototype mobile phones fitted with sound sensors and data loggers to monitor carbon monoxide and noise pollution levels on their journey to and from school.

Participate plans a second trial in September looking at gaming and the community that will form the basis of a national project planned for 2007/2008.

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