An overview of activities related to the Future of Media and Communications Research Group

1. Research Group at Finland Futures Research Centre FFRC University of Turku Professor Sirkka Heinonen Researcher Sofi Kurki Future of Media and Communications FMC Modified from a presentation at the 4th European Futurists Conference Lucerne, October 26-28, 2008

2. 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

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

6. 1 The 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.

7. Weak Signals in Social Media SOMED Foresight Report 1

8. 2 The 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.

9. Making Sense of Social Media SOMED Foresight Report 2

11. 3 The 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.

12. 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.

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

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

17. Aim2 : To study the future of media and communications

18. Aim3: To analyse and foresee the changing profession of journalists

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

21. III Global Innovation Journalism (GINJO research project)

22. 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.

23. 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

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

26. IV New Innovation Mindset (workshop results)

27. Grasping the Future 08 Conference A Challenge for Future Learning and Innovation Helsinki 1-3 October 2008 Scientific Track 1, October 1, 2008 Chair: Sirkka Heinonen, Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), Turku School of Economics Participants: 40

34. Professor Sirkka Heinonen [email_address] Researcher Sofi Kurki [email_address] Contact Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku Helsinki office Korkeavuorenkatu 25 A 2, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland