The IPA has been approached by Research Councils UK, as part of the Digital Economy Programme and on behalf of the creative industries, to help guide the direction of digital technology research that will impact on the future of advertising.
At a networking session held at the IPA yesterday, 30th June, 20 IPA agencies including: Phd, i-Level, CHI & Partners, Play and BMB, among others, met leading academics to discuss ideas, strategies and potential partnerships. Hear their feedback here.
The IPA also held a Digital Economy showcase following the networking session where a collection of leading academics from science, ICT, technology, social science and design, presented some of their groundbreaking projects. These included: wearable bio-sensing technologies, real virtuality, ways to address digital exclusion, the future internet and how digital interfaces can influence consumer behaviour.
Says IPA President Rory Sutherland, whose presidential agenda outlines the need for further involvement in research and development, “As agencies, we always love to believe that all the value we add comes from our own innate talent. And mostly that's true. But, frankly, a huge amount of the value we bring to clients is external - not from who we are but from whom we know. Behind every great reel there's a great Rolodex. In the digital age, that means not only knowing who the best directors are and who the best (and the best upcoming) photographers and typographers are; it also means knowing far better than your clients what the best current and upcoming technologies are. The idea behind the IPA's Digital Economy Programme is to give our members this very advantage.”
Says John Hand, Head of RCUK Digital Economy Programme: “By sharing our networks with one another and by working together from the outset, industry can contribute to forming the research agenda within UK universities. This will not only allow the valuable transfer of ideas, people and knowledge, but will also ensure its relevance to business and its benefit to the UK. This is an exciting meeting point for technology and creative business.”
The Digital Economy Programme
Around £120 million is to be invested in research over the next three years via a network of university-based research, including 'Hubs' and Centres for Doctoral Training.Its purpose is to realise the transformational impact of information communication technology (ICT) for all aspects of business, society and government. This is a Research Councils UK programme led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.