Last week saw Media Innovation Studio researcher and Journalism lecturer John Mills present a ten-year retrospective of digital innovation action research projects at the Medientage Munchen conference.

Welcoming over 7,000 visitors and hosting over 400 speakers to Munich, Medientage Munchen brings together representatives from the media and journalism to discuss key issues and innovations.

John’s keynote closed the second day of the R U Ready Summit track, which showcases, discusses and dissects innovations that are shaping the industry. Providing a ten-year retrospective of action research projects, he presented key learnings from industrial and academic frames – centring on how these findings could be used by newsrooms and innovators in the future.

Projects featured included explorations into wearable technologies with newsrooms across the UK, Porto Alegre in Brazil and the Sahara, exploring how co-design methods and conductive inks can be used to radically rethink the future of print and more recent research into the internet of things and how new products and services could emerge to service users and publishers.

Key lessons shared included the importance of innovation champions and catalysts, to open up innovation processes to other disciplines and thinking, and working with industry to provide ‘safe spaces’ for experimentation.

Current projects under the Media Innovation Studio research group include the

• SenseMaker, which is working with the Manchester Evening News and other partners to co-create sensor packs for news
• Innovate UK-funded Canvas and AHRC-funded Edge sister projects, which, working together with MOSTYN gallery in Wales, to use user-centred design methods to innovate engagement activities and digital experiences
• ValueMyNews – funded by Google and working with Cardiff University, this project will develop a range of digital tools and systems to allow hyperlocal publishers to capture revenues in conjunction with the Independent Community News Network
• AERIAL UPTAKE – Working with UCLan’s Engineering Innovation Centre, the Studio team is working with Preston City council partners throughout Europe to remove barriers to drone technology update

More information about our current range of projects and work can be found at http://mediainnovationstudio.org/