Outside >In / Inside >Out for Greater Manchester’s immersive technologies pioneers

Oxford Innovation Space and MediaCity Immersive Technologies Hub Announce New Challenge from Olympia for "Unlock the Future" Accelerator Programme.

MediaCity, Greater Manchester, 31 July 2024 – Oxford Innovation Space, in collaboration with MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, is thrilled to announce the addition of new cocreation opportunities to the "Unlock the Future" accelerator programme. The challenge, originating from London’s Olympia, the iconic 138-year-old exhibitions and event venue  undergoing a £1.3 billion regeneration to become the capital’s newest destination for culture and creativity, is designed to propel advancements in immersive technologies, with a focus on bridging the physical and virtual worlds through innovative solutions.

Introducing Outside->In / Inside->Out

The newly launched challenge streams, titled "Outside->In / Inside->Out," aim to enable immersive experiences that seamlessly integrate inside events with outside interactions, and vice versa. The goal is to create cutting-edge solutions that allow individuals outside a venue to experience immersive content and events happening inside, while enabling potential sponsors and visitors to preview the content experiences across multiple screens of varying sizes and shapes within the venue.

These challenges go hand-in-hand with Olympia's ambitious transformation, which will see the historical site welcome a new 4,000-capacity live music venue, London’s largest new purpose-built theatre in almost 50 years, two lifestyle hotels, 30 + restaurants and bars, a new co-educational senior school, state-of-the-art offices as well as over two acres of public realm.

Detailing why Olympia chose to partner with Unlock the Future and work with Greater Manchester businesses and academics, Lloyd Lee, Managing Director of Yoo Capital, the developer behind the destination said: “When Olympia was first built, the world was still in the midst of the second Industrial Revolution. Almost 140 years later, we are now in the fourth Industrial Revolution, described by the World Economic Forum as “cyber physical”, and this blurring of boundaries is what we aspire to deliver at Olympia. We experience the world like never before, and we want our guests and visitors at the transformed Olympia to be able to enjoy it both in the physical world, but also through the devices that have now become part-and-parcel of our daily lives.

Our aspiration for Olympia is for the new destination to become a British icon, so who better to partner with than Manchester’s best and brightest? We are thrilled to be able to provide a platform for some of the country’s best innovators.

Jo Stevens, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Space, said: "We are excited to see the innovative solutions that will arise from this new partnership, especially given Olympia's exciting transformation. By fostering collaborations between SMEs, industry, and academia, we aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in immersive technology and support the growth of the next generation of Manchester’s tech pioneers."

Anthony Hatton, Innovation Programme Director at MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub, added: "These challenges, inspired by Olympia’s dynamic regeneration, are designed to unlock new opportunities and drive investment in the immersive technology sector. We are excited to see how the brightest minds in Greater Manchester will tackle these challenges and shape the future of immersive experiences."

The challenge is split between two streams, technical and creative content, designed to provide Greater Manchester innovators with numerous ways to showcase and further develop their technologies to solve a real life, commercial challenge being faced by one of the UK’s premier creative destinations.

Technical Stream components:

1. Multi-Screen Synchronisation: Develop a system that can synchronise content playback across multiple screens of different shapes, sizes, and resolutions, ensuring a seamless and cohesive experience. This includes both physical and virtual screens within simulated environments.
2. Remote Content Delivery: Implement a robust and secure method for delivering immersive content remotely, enabling real-time streaming or previewing of events and activities from outside the physical space.
3. Live Content Stream Delivery: Integrate live event or performance streaming to complement static or scheduled content delivery.
4. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensure compatibility with various devices and platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and VR headsets, catering to a wide range of users.
5. Scalability and Flexibility: Design a scalable and flexible system that can adapt to different venue sizes, screen configurations, and content requirements, ensuring a consistent and high-quality experience.

Creative Stream components:

1. Dynamic Content Creation: Utilise leading-edge technologies for content creation that lower production costs and open immersive experiences to a broader audience
2. Immersive Storytelling: Explore innovative ways to create captivating and engaging immersive storytelling experiences that blend physical and virtual elements seamlessly.
3. Interactive Experiences: Incorporate interactive elements that allow potential sponsors and visitors to actively participate and explore the content, fostering a deeper connection and understanding.
4. Multisensory Engagement: Investigate the integration of multisensory elements, such as sound, haptics, and environmental effects, to enhance the immersive experience.
5. Branding and Sponsorship Integration: Develop creative strategies for integrating branding and sponsorship opportunities within the immersive experience, providing value to sponsors while maintaining a cohesive user experience.

‍Evaluation Criteria: Proposed solutions will be evaluated based on innovation, user experience, scalability and flexibility, technical feasibility, and the effectiveness of branding and sponsorship integration. The programme will culminate in a Demo Day in November, where participants will showcase their solutions to industry leaders and investors.

Call for Participants: The accelerator is now accepting applications from SMEs in Greater Manchester ready to tackle these challenges. Interested parties can visit the Application Form here for details. Deadline for applications is: 30th August 2024

For more information, visit the challenge brief or contact unlockthefuture@oxin.co.uk.

‍About MediaCity Immersive Technologies Hub

The MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub is both a community and an innovation programme supporting local creative businesses to develop the next generation of future-facing products and services.

The Greater Manchester Innovation Accelerator Programme

The MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub is funded by the Greater Manchester Innovation Accelerator programme. Led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, the pilot Innovation Accelerators programme is investing £100m in 26 transformative R&D projects to accelerate the growth of three high-potential innovation clusters – Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands. Supporting the Government’s levelling-up agenda, this is a new model of R&D decision making that empowers local leaders to harness innovation in support of regional economic growth and help attract private R&D investment and develop future technologies.

About Olympia

Developed by Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International, and co-designed by Heatherwick Studio an SPPARC, Olympia is one of London’s most ambitious regeneration projects. The transformed destination will include a new 4,000-capacity live music hall managed by AEG Presents; London’s largest purpose-built theatre in almost 50 years, managed by Trafalgar Entertainment Group; two hotels operated by Hyatt Regency and citizenM Hotels; 30+ restaurants and bars; Wetherby Pembridge School, a new co-educational senior school; 550,000 sq ft of offices boasting the largest terraces in west London, and 2.5 acres of new public space. Opening in 2025, the £1.3 billion transformation will turn Olympia into a showcase for the remarkable and the extraordinary. Stay tuned for future announcements at www.olympia.london

For media enquiries, please contact:

Oxford Innovation Space

Name: Toni Harrison

Email: tharrison@oxin.co.uk / unlockthefuture@oxin.co.uk

Phone: 07469 662 902

FAQ for Olympia's "Outside->In / Inside->Out" Challenge

1. What is the "Outside->In / Inside->Out" challenge?

The "Outside->In / Inside->Out" challenge is an initiative designed to develop innovative solutions that bridge the gap between the physical and virtual worlds. The goal is to enable immersive experiences that allow people outside a venue to experience events and content happening inside, and to provide potential sponsors and visitors with a preview of these experiences across multiple screens of varying sizes and shapes within the venue.

2. Who can participate in this challenge?

The challenge is open to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Greater Manchester that are involved in the development of immersive technologies. Interested participants should demonstrate readiness and capability to tackle both the technical and creative aspects of the challenge.

3. What are the key components of the challenge?

The challenge consists of both technical and creative streams:

• Technical Stream: Focuses on multi-screen synchronisation, remote content delivery, live content streaming, cross-platform compatibility, and scalability and flexibility.
• Creative Stream: Emphasises dynamic content creation, immersive storytelling, interactive experiences, multisensory engagement, and branding and sponsorship integration.

4. What are the evaluation criteria for proposed solutions?

Solutions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Innovation
• User Experience
• Scalability and Flexibility
• Technical Feasibility
• Branding and Sponsorship Integration

5. What kind of support will participants receive?

Participants will receive mentorship, access to resources, workshops, and direct collaboration opportunities with leading industry partners and technologists. The programme aims to provide a robust support framework to help SMEs develop their solutions into market-ready products.

6. How will the solutions be showcased?

The 3-month innovation programme will conclude with a Demo Day in November. During this event, participants will present their solutions to industry leaders and investors, showcasing the potential real-world applications of their technologies.

7. What is the significance of Olympia's involvement in this challenge?

Olympia is undergoing a £1.3 billion regeneration to become London’s newest creative district. This transformation will create a destination for culture, education, entertainment, exhibitions, offices, eateries, and over two acres of public realm. The challenges originate from Olympia's vision to integrate cutting-edge immersive technologies into this dynamic new environment, making it an exciting and innovative space.

8. How do I apply to participate in the challenge?

Interested SMEs can apply by visiting the Application Form here for application details and submission deadlines.

9. What kind of content can we expect to work with for the challenge?

Participants will work on creating and synchronising immersive content across multiple screens of different shapes and sizes. This includes both live and static content, with the potential for real-time streaming and interactive elements to enhance user engagement.

10. How can we ensure our solution is compatible with various devices and platforms?

Participants should design their solutions with cross-platform compatibility in mind, ensuring that the immersive experiences can be accessed on smartphones, tablets, VR headsets, and other devices. Testing and validation across these platforms will be crucial for successful implementation.

11. What are the opportunities for branding and sponsorship within this challenge?

Participants are encouraged to develop creative strategies for integrating branding and sponsorship opportunities within the immersive experiences. This can include personalised content scheduling, interactive brand elements, and seamless incorporation of sponsor messaging to provide value while maintaining user engagement.

12. Who can we contact for more information about the challenge?

For more information, please contact unlockthefuture@oxin.co.uk. You can also refer to the challenge brief for additional details.

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