Deadline: 21-Oct-21
The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals for the Innovation for Media, including eXtended Reality (IA) to support media industry recovery, has three areas: Recovery, transformation, and enabling and empowerment. Transformation foresees innovation actions to support transformation of media industry, and the creation of a European Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) Industrial Coalition.
Two key ingredients of such transformation are, among others, on the one hand, data know-how and innovation in modular open-source media components, and on the other hand, the development of immersive technologies. Both entertainment and news media have great opportunities for ground-breaking innovations and inventive business models building on the potential of new technologies, including XR.
Priorities
Prototyping of advanced solutions for the creation, distribution and consumption of new immersive and innovative products for media. Support innovation in media, including XR innovation, through interdisciplinary cooperation, involving various professional groups (including artists, designers, journalists and media professionals, filmmakers, game designers, programmers or academic researchers). The two priorities are:
- Foster the development of advanced solutions for the creation, distribution and consumption of new media products, including eXtended Reality.
- Foster the creation of a European VR MediaLab.
Type of Innovation
Two types of innovation proposals are expected:
- The development of new modular tools, components and/or services addressing technical, organisational, commercial and legal aspects of data management and usage for new media applications. The innovative solutions should be proven useful for the creation and distribution of new formats, in particular of formats that use XR technologies and that could be expandable or applicable, in addition to news media, to the media industry at large and have a potential to be consumed in new environments (e.g. self-driving cars, intermodal transport and tourism). To this end, cooperation within the media sector and across different industrial sectors will be beneficial for the creation of synergies based on the use of data applications.
- The launch of a dedicated VR Media Lab to foster innovation and new solutions in the field of VR/AR Media. The Lab will develop and prototype advanced solutions for the creation, distribution and consumption of new immersive VR/AR media products and foster innovation by exploring a range of uses for VR/AR technologies, and bring together skills from a variety of disciplines, including technology and the creative sector, to develop new solutions for consumers, business and society.
Funding Information
- At least 1 proposal will be funded for the innovation type i (Max Contribution of EUR 9 million).
- One proposal will be funded for type ii (Max Contribution of EUR 8 million).
- The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
- eligible non-EU countries:
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- ow- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3iTLGrg
