National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 5th February 2009

A meeting for those involved in research in the Digital Economy to meet and discover synergies and opportunities to collaborate across Wales.

The open space meeting will bring researchers working in areas relevant to the Digital Economy in Wales, together with key policy and decision-makers across government, funders of research and users of the research. The Digital Economy is a cross cutting theme for the Research Councils and a priority area for Wales.

What is Digital Economy? Digital Economy is sometimes described as the novel design or use of information and communication technologies to help transform the lives of individuals, society or business. Research will help understand these technologies and why change is needed, what the impacts will be and who will benefit. In this cross-research council area, research can be driven by economic, social or technical need. Examples include:
• Improving the treatment of patients with heart disease by using personalised computer models which can accept real-time data (eg, electrical patterns and blood pressure).
•  Developing a computer tool incorporating GPS and barcode scanners to help children who cannot speak to create a story about their day at school.
• Creating an integrated transport system, connecting travellers, vehicles and services to provide personalised information that will help influence travel behaviour.

The event itself will be open space in format. Open Space is designed to help groups process complex issues. It allows participants to take responsibility for their experience and it supports lively and engaging conversation. Any participant will be able to propose a conversation on a topic that interests, excites or concerns them so that a free flowing exchange of ideas will be possible. The aim of the event is to get researchers in this multidisciplinary area talking to each other and generating ideas for future collaborations. We also hope a network will form which will continue on after the day is over.

Details on how to get to the Museum can be found at: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/cardiff/visit/

The Museum car park will be available for use on the day.
Please contact email me Louise.Bright@Wales.GSI.gov.uk  if you require any further information

Agenda

0930-1000 Registration  Tea/Coffee
1000-1030 Setting the context
1030-1200 Open Space
1200-1300 Lunch
1300-1430 Open Space
1430-1500 Tea/Coffee
1500-1600 Insights, learning and way forward

For more information about the Digital Economy Programme please see http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/ResearchFunding/Programmes/DE/default.htm