24/06/2009
"This experiment is designed to show how social media such as Twitter and Facebook can be used to connect the city’s disparate and diverse communities and networks."
De Montfort University (DMU) is calling for people to join an experimental project which will boost business and communities by using digital networks to encourage disparate groups to share bright ideas and expertise.
Professor of New Media at DMU's city centre campus, Sue Thomas, is launching the research project which will link diverse communities within the city in order to explore how pooling their unique knowledge and experiences can be used to catalyse innovation.
"The project is called Amplified Leicester and we'll be exploring diversity and innovation by building a network across diverse communities. We think it's the first project of its kind in the world and we hope it's the beginning of a really exciting era which might see whole communities working together in an entirely new way across social media like Twitter and Facebook," said Professor Thomas.
The city-wide experiment has received funding of £116,000 from the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts (NESTA).
Roland Harwood, Director of NESTA's Connect programme, said: "This experiment is designed to show how social media such as Twitter and Facebook can be used to connect the city's disparate and diverse communities and networks. We're aiming to make Leicester the most connected city in the UK and use these networks to grow the innovation capacity of Leicester for both social and commercial benefit."
The project is also supported by DMU's pioneering Institute for Creative Technologies (IOCT), and will be based at Phoenix Square, the new digital media centre in Leicester which opens later this year.
Professor Thomas said: "We're looking for people who are open-minded, enthusiastic and curious. Participants should be interested in working and sharing ideas with other people and willing to try new activities and technologies.
"The project starts in October 2009. We'd like any individuals, companies, small businesses or community organisations interested in finding out about participating in the project, free of charge, to contact us by texting AMPLEIC to 0777 176 0900 or, e-mailing Shani Lee at slee@dmu.ac.uk, or visiting the website at www.amplifiedleicester.com."
For further information please contact De Montfort University Press Office on 0116 2577021 or news@dmu.ac.uk.
The Institute of Creative Technologies (IOCT) is a unique research environment which sits at the intersection of science, technology, humanities and the arts. It comprises a network of Research Centres and Groups embedded in the Faculties of De Montfort University, and benefits from a collection of showcase facilities and a laboratory hub. Since its launch in September 2006 it has initiated over 100 interdisciplinary and collaborative projects, carried out by more than 90 researchers. These projects have already attracted more than £1 million in external funding.
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. Its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. NESTA Investments has the largest portfolios of early-stage businesses in the country and is a leading authority on how to grow new ideas. It has strict investment criteria, and works with companies that have high potential for growth, are at seed or start-up stage, and have the potential to attract syndicated support. NESTA also stimulates imaginative solutions to pressing social issues and shapes policy to help the UK meet its national innovation challenges.
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