Other FIRM contributors

University of Cambridge / Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In addition to the core partnership, FIRM works closely with key academics at the University of Cambridge (Dr David Good) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Senior Lecturer Michael Joroff), who through their investigation into New Century Cities across the world have highlighted distinctive shared features to be considered as possible enablers of forward movement for FIRM and MediaCityUK. These are: narrative-making; co-creating; launching and learning through rehearsal; heavy integration; and understanding success as situtated and provisional. With this overview, Good and Joroff work jointly to provide reflective analysis of FIRM's ongoing activity, adding advice and direction as appropriate.

Focus Innovation

During the early stages of the partnership, a rehearsal project 'Port to Portal' was devised to aid collaboration on a joint issue highlighted by the BBC - the industry need for optimized workflows for multi-segment programme production. This venture was project managed by Focus Innovation, an SME selected by the BBC, and the investigation evolved into the ONE project, as led by Lancaster University. Focus Innovation have since been instrumental in supporting stakeholder workshops, carried out to map and better understand the innovation ecosystem and inform activity going forward, focusing the FIRM offer to SMEs and adding direction to engagement activities.