Future of Media and Communications

Research Group at Finland Futures Research Centre FFRC

University of Turku

Professor Sirkka HeinonenResearcher Sofi Kurki

Future of Media and Communications FMC

Modified from a presentation at the 4th European Futurists Conference Lucerne, October 26-28, 2008

I Social Media in the Crossroads of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds (SOMED research project)

II Future 3.0 – Social Media in Building Sustainable Futures(research proposal)

III Global Innovation Journalism (GINJO research project)

IV New Innovation Mindset (workshop results)

Structure of Presentation

I Social Media in the Crossroads

of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds(SOMED research project)

• The project on Social Media in the Crossroads of Physical, Digital and Virtual Worlds (SOMED) was conducted out at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

• The foresight part of the project was carried out in co-operation with Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC)

• The SOMED project was launched in autumn 2006 and concluded in autumn 2008.

Where and When?

The aim is to support• the development of user-friendly and • value-adding applications that are needed in • the digital everyday of technology-mediated communities.

A foresight approach was integrated to the SOMED project right from its beginning. It meant probing future perspectives of social media from • technical, • societal and • business points of view. Co-operation with participating companies. Collaborative workshops, seminars and papers.

Why and How?

1The first task was to identify weak signals of future digital user cultures

The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process

Reported in Ahlqvist, T., Halonen, M. and Heinonen, S. (2007). Weak Signals in Social Media. Report on Two Workshop Experiments in Futures Monitoring. SOMED Foresight Report 1. VTT Research report Nro VTT-R-03466-07. Espoo 2007.

Weak Signals in Social MediaSOMED Foresight Report 1

2The second task was to analyse the phenomenon and core elements of social media by means of expert interviews

The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process

Reported in Heinonen & Halonen (eds) (2007). Making Sense of Social Media. Interviews and Narratives. Research Report VTT-R-04539-07. Espoo, 76 p. http://owela.vtt.fi

Heinonen, Sirkka and Halonen, Minna (2007). Making Sense of Social Media. Interviews and Narratives. Presentation at Speakers' Corner, Lucerne. 22nd November, 2007. 15 ppt slides + text 3 p.

Making Sense of Social MediaSOMED Foresight Report 2

3The third task was to construct roadmaps of the anticipated developments of social media in the future digital world.

The Foresight of Social Media as a threefold process

Reported in Ahlqvist, T., Bäck, A., Halonen, M. & Heinonen, S. (2008). Social Media Roadmaps – exploring the futures triggered by social media. VTT Research Notes 2454 http:www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/tiedotteet/2008/T2454.pdf

Three volumes in a series of SOMED Foresight Reports, building up a continuum on the basis of the each previous foresight report.

Some further results

Heinonen, Sirkka (2007). User-Inspired Innovation in Experience-Oriented Knowledge Society. Commentary in the Session on User-Inspired Innovation in the Seminar "New Innovation Challenges for Europe and Asia", organised jointly by IISS and Sitra, Hanasaari, Helsinki 2.5.2007. 2 slides and 3 p. text. http://webcast.digital-one.fi/sitra/2007/iiss/

Ahlqvist, Toni, Halonen, Minna & Heinonen, Sirkka (2007). Social Media Applications for Innovative Working Environments. 9th International Conference of Finland Futures Research Centre and Finland Futures Academy "Culture as Innovation – The Search for Creative Power in Economies and Societies", Session on Social Media and Technology I, 6–8 June 2007, Turku, Finland.

II Future 3.0 – Social Media

in Building Sustainable Futures

(research proposal)

Research proposal

• To be carried out at Finland Futures Research Centre 2011-2012

• In co-operation with interested parties in Finland and other countries

• Looking for funding

Aim1: To identify and analyse the logics, dynamics, and possibilities of new business models based on social media

Aim2: To study the future of media and communications

Aim3: To analyse and foresee the changing profession of journalists

Aim4: To highlight and debate the role of social media in building sustainable futures

III Global Innovation Journalism

(GINJO research project)

Innovation journalism is a new concept that targets at identifying and reporting on issues relevant to the innovation ecosystems.

Topics of interest include:

- emerging concepts, - science and technology trends, - business models, - politics, - cultural trends, - social impacts of innovation

InJo can be seen either as a new, horizontal newsbeat or as a mindset within traditional newsbeats.

One of the main aims is to introduce methods and tools from the futures studies for news media.

Other aims include analysing innovation journalism in selected countries, and gathering experiences from the actors involved in the formation of the innovation journalism project by expert interviews.

Case studies´ topics are climate change and eldercare innovations

Aims of the GINJO project

The duration of the project is from September 1st 2008 to December 31st 2010

The project is funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) The research is conducted as a joint collaboration project between Department of Mass Communication / University of Tampere, Department of Communication / University of Jyväskylä, and Finland Futures Research Centre / University of Turku.

IV New Innovation Mindset

(workshop results)

Grasping the Future 08 ConferenceA Challenge for Future Learning and InnovationHelsinki 1-3 October 2008

Scientific Track 1, October 1, 2008

Chair: Sirkka Heinonen, Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), Turku School of Economics

Participants: 40

Speakers: • Juha Saukkonen, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences• Antti Ainamo, IASM, University of Turku• Raija Leskinen, Helsinki School of Economics• Martin Rhisiart, University of Glamorgan Center for Research in Futures and Innovation

• In the new innovation paradigm we should concentrate on what is the core of innovation: real actors and how to use learning commutes as a tool for innovation platform.

• System of Value Creation

• Participation and Democracy

• It is not that much about learning new things, it is about learning away from “old thinking”

• Organizational Culture Renewal

• Intuition, Imagination, Emotion

Results from a collaborative exercise at Scientific Track 1

Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 1/4

• Understanding of Value/importance of innovation -> Courage to think outside the box to try different ways -> among managers, decision-makers, financers, experts

• New actors in the system/new roles

• Iterative and valid modes of continuous dissemination and feedback <- reinforcing over time and geography

• Innovation theory needs to deal with power issues involved in the process

Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1

Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 2/4

•Thinking about innovation - however scientific it would be - must have some practical outcomes or ways of utilization as it is supposed to be the base of economy development. The more applied the approach of researches and scientists, the better.

• Organizational view of innovation & Learning organization for better business?

Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1

Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 3/4

• Systemic thinking

• Learning in an active way

• Collaborative action

Results from a collaborative exercice at Scientific Track 1

Key Ideas for a New Innovation Mindset? 4/4

Professor Sirkka Heinonensirkka.heinonen@tse.fi

Researcher Sofi Kurki sofi.kurki@tse.fi

Contact

Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku

Helsinki officeKorkeavuorenkatu 25 A 2, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland