How-Do is delighted to announce that as part of the Beyond Digital conference (Wednesday, 13 July 2011), the ASTRAEA programme will, on the day, be launching a challenge to the Digital and Creative Industries, to develop an innovative piece of digital and creative media which can be used to improve the public perception of autonomous UAVs. A contract award of up to £5,000 will subsequently be made available to develop the best proposal received by 1st August.

As a visitor to the ASTRAEA website, you are eligible to receive a significant discount on the registration fee. When registering, enter the discount code: BDPARTNER

Digital media businesses embrace disruptive technologies. That's what they do well and they have already transformed the world of marketing services, advertising, entertainment and news and content delivery beyond recognition in recent years. Now, Beyond Digital - a full day conference on Wednesday 13 July - will address the increasing spill over of Digital and Creative Industries' innovation to other industrial, commercial and service sectors. An outstanding panel of regional, national and international business leaders, practitioners and academics will address the conference. 

Beyond Digital is supported by Manchester Metropolitan University and Crowe Clark Whitehill and the conference partners include NESTA, Technology Strategy Board (through the Creative Industries and Aerospace, Aviation and Defence KTNs), The Manufacturing Institute, Manchester Digital, Vision+Media and Pro.Manchester.   

Confirmed speakers include:

Gus Desbarat, Chairman of British Design Innovation, Darren Ansell, BAE Systems Military Air and Information, Maria Stukoff and Graeme Ankers, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Ian Finch, Mando, Carla Ross, Programme Lead, The Lab, NESTA, Ben Davies, the Neighbourhood, Natalie Gross, Amaze, Don Marinelli, Executive Producer of Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, David Smith, Northwest Fund 4 Digital & Creative, Tony Foggett, Code Computerlove, Dr Adrian Woolard, Project Lead (R&D North Lab), BBC Research & Development. John Cass, Director of the Creative Industries KTN and Nick Rhind, CTI Digital.

Case study and workshop themes will include:

Visualisation, Design and Manufacturing, Future Markets and New Business Models, CRM and Mobile Communications, Autonomous Systems, Social Media, Agile Methodologies and Cross Sector Innovation with specific sector examples drawn from aerospace and defence, automotive, nuclear and energy, health and public services, FMCG and entertainment and leisure. 

Who should attend? 

Any business with plans to invest in R&D that will involve use of digital technology, companies seeking to reduce their supply chain costs and/or enhance profitability of existing product offers or explore ways of creating new revenue streams, cluster organisations, supply chain and innovation advisors and academics, investors and funders and service providers with an interest in digital and commercial exploitation

Conference detail and ticket information

Venue: MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry), Manchester.

Timing: 9am to 5pm, Wednesday 13 July 2011

Tickets: Full day tickets including lunch are £100 + VAT (for a significant reduction, enter the discount code: BDPARTNER)