NEM working group: Covid 19 & Creative industries in Europe

Creative industries in Europe undergo fundamental change because of the current COVID-19 crisis. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and imagine a crisis like this without the Internet and web tools and platforms. With access to the Internet, employees can work from home, governments and others are able to disseminate vital health information, families can keep in touch, students are able to keep their education going. In this crisis, for those who have, the access to Internet is not a luxury, it is a lifeline. COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize how the problem of those who are not connected is a tragic problem: they can no longer work, study, communicate.

The working group addresses problems connected with the changes. It collects data and tries to develop strategies. A first initiative was directed at the development of communication measures.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Malte Behrmann; info([at])game-farm.de

Action 1:

Most communications go through digital platforms and most of these platforms do not vest from Europe. Many use systems like Google Meet, MS Teams, Skype, Zoom, WebEx etc. Digital dependency from non-European providers has been deepened significantly; most of us do not use European systems. These Communication platforms are here to stay and will play a large role also when the crisis will be over.

These platforms do not follow the European Single Digital Market ethos, and moreover fail in EU recently passed EU legislation, are not accessible for all and do not reflect the diverse language situation in Europe. The interpersonal experience is reduced and changed. The European cultural identity is at stake. Post-COVID-19 Europe requires to face old and new challenges with new approaches, political courage, action and even breaking from the approaches of the past, reshaping economic models, and making European digital space “a place of democracy, empowering and rights”.

We propose to address this issue in a dedicated call responding to these changing requirements in the ICT context including in depth evaluation of the situation, but also concrete projects enabling European activities, such as education, training, and remote working, in a different perspective. These calls can include, but are not limited to, the following subjects:

• Developing plug ins for alternative communication, i.e., interpretation in different languages, machine translation, sign language while presenting a PPT, easy to read, etc.
• Reduction of annoyance and optimization of speech intelligibility through Virtual Audio Environments (VAE), (noise cancellation, room simulator, spatialized audio).
• All interactions in different languages
• Gamification elements including VR/AR.
• Machine Translation (MT)subtitles in all EU languages, which will make more robust existing language models and engines.
• Standardization issues and API’s, including standards for European video conference providers to allow European SME’s to develop API based tools and additional OTT services.
• Strategic activities aiming at general education including schools and universities to allow European and open tools to become general standard here.
• AI driven tools, towards a common user profile.
• A safe “minimal system” in cooperation with EU-based telecoms preventing spying and data breaches for private and public entities in vital communication based on principles of data protection and transparency.
• A large qualitative survey to understand tomorrow’s differences in the CCI sectors,lessons learned from the COVID-19 19 crisis and future needs.
• Survey in the field of education and training: new practices and upcoming needs and requested solutions.
• Set up a think tank around post COVID-19 effects and needs to reinvent the CCI and education.

New digital media opportunities

[New Working Group, launched in 2020]

The NEM WG on New Digital Media will explore the potential of new digital media and new transdisciplinary approaches relevant for NEM. The focus areas will build on some of NEMs previous Position papers in the area:

• AI in the media and creative industries
• Immersivity

The objective New Digital Media WG is:

1. Producing a position/White paper
2. Contact relevant EC Units to present the white paper in order to position NEM
3. Produce some dissemination material defining NEMs contributions to the problem
4. Positioning NEM towards a potential partner in a possible KIC on CCI
5. Connecting NEM to the STARTS community
6. Including art and technology in NEM strategy and vision
7. Select Horizon Europe and Digital Europe topics relevant to art and technology immersive and XR technologies

Some of WGs potential focus areas are; Digital storytelling as a basis for CCI (Cultural and creative industry), Explore IDNs (Interactive Digital Narratives) for new delivery platforms such as media for 5G and others, XR technologies, Artificial Intelligence to empower media and creative industries and Immersive and interactive environments and immersive communications.

NGI

The objective of this WG is to provide a paper giving the NEM recommendations regarding the Next generation Internet initiative. Today Media and content is not partially in the NGI program, our ambition is to provide a consistent description of the contribution of media, content and creative industry in this NGI ambition.

Several support action project are working on the definition of the NGI, the position paper from this working group has been provided to these projects in order to influence the FP9 / Horizon Europe objectives. Several research topics from the NEM strategic and Innovation agenda should be part of the NGI. At the end, this position paper represents one of the input for the FP9 paper developed in the other NEM Working Groups.

Download the position paper.

Currently, this WG is not active, but will be reactivated in in the context of further NGI strategy development for the  Horizon Europe program, ensuring reflection of research topics sand priorities from the NEM community.

DEI/DIH

The objective  DEI/DEH WG is to prepare a white paper describing what are recommendations, strategies, best practices…. to develop hubs and innovation ecosystems in terms of Media, content and creative industry. NEM is a cluster of clusters and most of these clusters should be considered as Digital Innovation Hubs.

The main role of DIH is to help the local industry to use ICT technologies in their process. It is obvious that Media, content are used in the designing phase but also in dissemination activities. The NEM ETP should take the umbrella role of animating the Media DIH and try to catch funding in the WP2020 and further in FP9.

Outcomes of the WG are sumarized in the paper available here.

Currently, this WG is not active, but will be reactivated in in the context of the  Horizon Europe program.

5G PPP media pilot

The objective of 5G PPP Media pilot is to propose a set of pilots that could be developed in the ICT19 call (Advanced 5G validation trials across multiple vertical industries). Media has been identified as one of these verticals and will be able to help validation of the 5G KPIs such has bandwidth, latency or security/privacy.

The provided paper collects a number of potential use cases/pilots that could be developed and for each of them there will be a description of the KPIs that they will be able to validate.

This working group is a joined working group between NEM and Networld2020.

Outcomes of the WG are sumarized in the paper available here.

This WG will continue its activities by Smart Network Services media pilot and slice definition update in the context of 6G communications networks.

NEM Vision / Strategy

This Working Group is contineously producing strategic documents as main publications of the NEM Initiative covering all issues relevant to the goals of the NEM Initiative, evolving from interests of its members in respect to definition of a common NEM mission and related priorities, and address a large variety of the relevant topics from different perspectives and scopes, such as:

• Technological and business
• Societal, policy, and regulatory
• Sustainable economic growth
• Global (world-wide) environment

Recently, the provided a vision for Media, content and creative R&I topics that should have a place in the Horizon Europe program. The WG is also responsible for creating the NEM Strategic and Innovation Agenda.

The published Vision and SRIA documents are available for download and further distibution (please, follow the links).