During the last project year, we selected 19 teams for the START phase, 13 teams for the BUILD phase and the 3 winning teams of OC3.
The acceleration program supported 27 SmA and 24 SfC projects. Coaching and pitch training were organized to get the teams ready to advance to the BUILD phase.
The residency programme supported 15 artistic residencies and 27 collaborations between artists and startups. All teams in the BUILD phase successfully graduated and projects got sustainable overtime thanks to our dissemination network.
The training programme was modified to better inform participants of expectations, and to improve and update mandatory training. 2 completely new modules in data visualisation and dashboard best practices were also offered. This 2nd training module was opened to participants in EUHubs4Data to share learning with other programmes.
The consortium was active in supporting experiments. 23 generative AI datasets were made available this year. 2 workshops were held on the use of data in innovation projects, and 9 teams were given further mentoring beyond the formal support programme. The Data Innovation Toolkit was launched and this was followed throughout the year by further development based on inputs from the programme participants. User journeys based on real life use to improve navigation and interaction were created. 2 academic research papers were authored. The first, on AI Art and Misinformation, was presented at AI Ethics and Society in Montreal in August 2023. The second, on the use of data in the MediaFutures programme, is being submitted to the journal Big Data and Society.
MediaFutures established a strong ecosystem around the project, in particular having been part of the S+T+ARTS network and activities and through a close collaboration with the Big Data Value Association as well as related projects and initiatives,e.g. EIT Culture & Creativity Knowledge and Innovation Community.
The consortium was very active in spreading information and sharing contents to the interesting community of the project, such as artists, startups and SMEs, both for creating interest in participating in the Open Calls and for sharing project outcomes.The active participation in and organization of events contributed to the fact that the target audiences were informed about the project and its results regularly. The results remain available through the project website. As one of the key results of the project, over 50 SMEs and startups & over 40 artists in 3 cohorts were acquired.
The impact assessment methodology was applied to the 2nd and 3rd cohorts. A dedicated impact assessment report was developed for each of them describing the social, economic, policy-related and technological impact of the supported projects, on the engaged citizens as well as on other project stakeholders.
MediaFutures established its framework, governance, roles, planning and monitoring guidelines, collaborative infrastructure, procedures and quality mechanisms for timely delivery of high quality project results.
During the last project year, ongoing support was provided to ensure compliance with legal frameworks like GDPR, offering training to the teams and providing personalised coaching. The Joint Controller Agreement was finalized and signed.
The project consistently emphasised the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression. Participants engaged in discussions on disinformation and misinformation, featuring key stakeholders and experts. Our focus remained on using data for innovation to combat disinformation and media challenges.
