“Digital content is a diverse and constantly evolving sector which includes content software, electronic games, e-learning, electronic publishing, film, mobile content, music, television and radio programming, and web applications. It spans the whole range of companies that use a combination of information technology hardware, software platforms, telecommunications networks, and digital display and sound systems to bring the content and services to market.” “SEEDA's Knowledge Network Programme brings businesses and the knowledge base together, to exploit research opportunities and catalyse collaboration. The key driver for the Programme is to turn knowledge into commercially successful products and services. This is achieved through Knowledge Networks which focus on a specific technology or group of technologies” www.southeastknp.co.uk

It is worth noting that at this stage SEMN is looking to keep the definition of “Digital Content and enabling technologies” as broad as possible. For example, information security and identity management is an enabling technology for Digital Content as it has a significant role to play in protecting intellectual property. In terms of digital content, a broad definition includes anything that is or could be delivered using a Web interface and any web technology is an enabling technology.

The scoping project, which OxIT has been asked to lead, has 3 key aims

• To identify which commercial and research organizations in the South East are interested in potentially working together to develop innovative and commercially successful products and services.

• To bring the interested parties together at a workshop in early May to develop a consensus on what the objectives of a Digital Content Knowledge Network might be and how they might be delivered.

• Develop a proposal to SEEDA for funding to establish the Knowledge Network.

I am delivering the project through a series of telephone interviews, in the main, and the workshop in May.

If this is something that you and your organization might be interested in, or you’d like to know more, please email Jeremy Renwick, Jeremy@kubernetes.co.uk or call him on 07905 188447.