Advantage West Midlands (AWM), one of the largest Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) for England, is commissioned by the UK Government for the development and implementation of a regeneration strategy of the Westmidlands economy. AWM’s main instruments for regional development (“delivery vehicles), organised under the four ‘pillars’ of the Westmidlanfd Economic Strategy, are: Regeneration Zones, High Technology Corridors and Business Cluster. The latter include the two clusters participating in the project, the Screen, Image & Sound and the ICT cluster.
AWM has extensive involvement with EU funding initiatives including the EU structural funding programmes ERDF and ESF, with AWM having responsibility for the day-to-day strategic management and delivery of ERDF from 2007. In addition it has or is participating in a number of other programmes such as, ERIL, ICN, REGINA, RKM Net, EURODITE, EMERIPA and ERRIN with AWM being the lead on one of the projects in the latter programme.
Screen Image and Sound Cluster
This cluster includes all screen media - TV, Film, video, animation, interactive games, e-learning -music, radio and digital imaging. It assembles more than 4000 participating SMEs. The cluster’s focus is on the creation of innovative digital content for education and entertainment. Cluster industries in the West Midlands are supported by internationally respected academic expertise in Game and Artificial Intelligence technologies applied development, virtual reality and 3D imaging, based at Universities in Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick. The region has nationally recognised Centres of Excellence in media skills and music training.
ICT Cluster
Since 2000 AWM has been investing in the growth of the regional ICT industry. Under direction of the Cluster Opportunity Group (COG), it represents more than 4000 ICT companies large and small, academic institutions and IT departments. The ICT COG’s vision is for the West Midlands to become “the digital foundry of the world” through leading information and communications technology. Up to March 2005 AWM has invested £12m in ICT Cluster projects. Its activities are aimed at building up skills, knowledge, best practice and also to particularly encourage innovation, networking and partnering on regional and crossregional levels.
Main tasks in the project:
Advantage West Midlands takes the regional project management in West Midlands region. It conducts an in-depth regional analysis in West Midlands region regarding ICTuptake an innovation potential in creative industries clusters and is responsible for the development and dissemination of a tool-kit, synthesizing the main findings of the Project and providing practical support for strategic cluster development. Advantage West Midlands organizes the second consortium meeting (September 2009) in Birmingham to discuss the two background papers and the template for regional analysis as well as the preparation of the regional analysis phase.
For more information: www.advantagewm.co.uk
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