A DeuS challenge addressing the lack of collaborative tools in the creative economy

How do we connect, engage, teach, learn and network as creatives? We are looking for innovative ways of connecting the creative ecosystem online. If you have the answer, keep reading.

What are we looking for?

The cultural and creative sector is a dynamic but heterogenous economic sector with typically small or micro-companies. Therefore, it is crucial to network with each other. Cultural infrastructure and creative open spaces have the potential to engage the community and act as a catalyst for individual and collective creativity.

However, their absence or the lack of access to such spaces is often cited as a barrier to collaboration which stresses the importance of networking and physical contact for business development and growth.

We are looking for innovative technological solutions (products or services) that provide new ways and platforms to work and collaborate, more specifically to co-create, upskill and network.

The proposed solutions will need to explore the latest forms of experience technology and dig into the potential of new and unknown types of experiences as a means of engaging the creative community. If you have the answer, then we are looking for you!

What are the selection criteria?

• The winner has to create innovation through new types of technology or new ways to use existing technology.
• The winner has to actively involve guests or participants through the use of technology.
• The technologies used have to give the users a new type of experience or strengthen the existing experiences when it comes to networking.
• The winner has to be cross-sectoral by nature and have the potential to be transferred from one sector to another and be scalable.
• The winner has to be easy to use and/or have a friendly interface.

The prize

The winner will receive free access to Open Design School infrastructures and co-working space (facilities), online mentoring on project development and management (expertise) and an online talk on Open Design School Facebook page to present their team and their business idea (visibility). The second and third best finalists will be granted access to online mentoring on project development and management and an online talk on Open Design School Facebook page.

How do I participate?

You do that by clicking here.

The link takes you directly to our submission system where you can upload your business concept. Don’t worry, you can create an account now, look at the questions and return later to fill out the submission form. This way, you have time to think about your answers thoroughly before submitting.
The deadline for submission is Friday 2 October 2020, 17h00 (CEST).