Empowering European Digital Content: eContent Programme for Global Networks

1. eContent European Digital Content on the Global Networks Krister Olson European CommissionDirectorate General Information Society Content, Multimedia Tools & Markets

2. The political context, eEurope • eEurope initiative (December ‘99) • Helsinki summit 10-11 December • Lisbon special summit 23-24 March 2000 • eEurope action plan • Feira summit 19-20 June 2000 • Progress report to Stockholm European Council (23-24 March 2001) Setting ambitious targets

3. Context and Background economic importance of content political background • eEurope Action Plan • A cheaper, faster, secure Internet • Investing in people and skills • Stimulate the use of the Internet • Sheer size • 4 million employees • 412 b€ - 5% of the EU GNP • Growth rate • Up to 20% per year • Job creation engine: up to 1 million new jobs by 2005 “ Content industries create added value by exploiting and networking European cultural diversity.” • content plays a key role

4. Rationale • Political imperative: Improve Europe’s presence on the internet– more, better and more diverse content • Economic imperative: Enhance competitiveness and export • Facilitate design and production of “global” (localisable) products; reduce cost & shorten time-to-market • Enable provision of services tailored to national and linguistic communities • Enable implementation of ‘think global, act local’ strategies

5. Rationale Rich content base Long publishing tradition Europe has Technical strengths World ranking players Lagging in e-publishing and content-bound commerce ...but it is

6. CONCLUSIONS • Digital content is a key enabler of the Information Society • Cultural diversity in Europe merits special attention • Mobile telephony opens new challenges for content providers and technology companies

7. eContent Programme • Adopted by the Council on 22/12/2000 • Published in the O.J. on 18/1/2001 • 100 M€ over 4 years • 3 Action lines

8. The eContent Programme • Objectives • Improve Europe’s content presence on the global networks • Increase information supply • Use of public sector information • Support start-ups and innovative SME • Enhance competitiveness and export • Enable the implementation of “think global, act local” strategies • Enable provision of services tailored to national and linguistic communities • Reduce cost and shorten time-to-market • Time frame: Jan 2001 - Jan 2005 • Budget: 100 MEURO

9. A market oriented programme Stimulating the development and use of European digital content on the global networks and promoting the linguistic diversity in the Information Society

10. A market oriented programme • develop solutions based on available technology • focus on market implementation of the content potential • experiment with new business models and partnerships • focus on a structural outcome, e.g. increasing awareness of and access to available capital markets for entrepreneurs. • focus on partnerships and mechanisms for adding value and innovative and cost effective customization strategies, wider market penetration and exploitation prospects, • dissemination activities

11. Content Defined through its function and context; information, interactive, transaction, education, entertainment and lifelong learning ... • Digital content • Information published on any • internet platform, from the web • to wireless devices, to internet • appliances and broadband • Television Working definitions

12. Intended scope • Target groups • private- and public-sector content providers • content aggregators and distributors • network operators and IT vendors • suppliers of internet translation/localisation services • providers of e-commerce and globalisation solutions • business angels and incubators, associations … • Online content, interactive services • web, mobile and broadband (video) content • “global” design, localisation, personalisation • business and revenue models, quality vs. cost

13. Main thrust • Stimulate business innovation, search for new business models, sharing of good practice • Build transnational and cross-sectoral partnerships • Foster technology take-up insofar as it helps enhance business capabilities • Improve awareness and lower barriers to the entry of new players

14. eContent Programme 1. Preparatory Actions 29 feasibility projects totalling 9 MEuro dueto start Jan 2001 2. Upcoming Calls 2001 : call for cost-shared projects call for accompanying and prospective actions

15. Preparatory actions : objectives • Prepare the grounds for the eContent programme • Mobilise or expand target groups • Use results for the definition of further actions • Establish best practices; sharing of experience • Emphasis on dissemination activities

16. The workprogramme 2001 - 2002 • Two year workprogramme defining the priorities for the action lines • Typology of supported projects and actions • Definition phase • Demonstration projects • Accompanying measures • Grants • Service Contracts • Schedule & logic of calls until the end of 2002 Linking policy & experimentation

17. The first call • Priorities: • Establish a solid project portofolio • Kick start the two major action lines • Find adequate support & accompanying measures for: • The projects • The dissemination of the results • Test and understand market directions 23 MEURO available

18. Flexible implementation • Demonstration projects Fixed deadline calls • eg 4-5 partners, 20-30 months, up to 1-2 mEuro • Definition-phase projects Open scheme (continuous submission) • eg 3 partners, 9-12 months, up to 0.25 mEuro • Accompanying measures and Grants Open scheme • Procurement actions (eg studies) via calls for tenders

19. eContent WorkProgramme

20. 3 intertwined action lines • AL 1 : Improving access to and expanding the use of public sector information (40% - 45%) • AL 2 : Enhancing content production in a multilingual and multicultural environment (40% - 45%) • AL 3 : Increasing dynamism of the digital content market (10% - 15%)

21. Action lines • AL1 sublines: • Promote private-public partnerships • Establish European PSI data collections • AL2 sublines: • Foster new partnerships and strategies • Strengthen infrastructure (skills, tools and data) • AL3 sublines: • Bridge the gap between content industries and capital markets • Stimulate online, cross-border trading of multimedia rights

22. Action Line 1A broad Overview

23. AL 1 - Context The market barriers • Public Sector Information is hardly exploited in the EU • No common legal framework for re-using the information • No experience of public-private collaboration • No common principles for storing the information • No common meta-data • Strong competitive disadvantages vis-à-vis the US • Public sector information: important basis for the American digital industries • A clear and comprehensive policy on access and exploitation

24. Important for citizens and business Important for citizens: • Bringing citizens closer to administrations • Important in the democratic process Important forbusiness: • Essential to make business strategies • Crucial for taking advantage of the internal market rights And in particular for the content industries: • Source for new information products (aggregation) PIRA study (sept. 2000) confirms the importance

25. Action Line 1: Public Sector Information • Increase the supply of EU content on the net • Encourage partnerships between the public and private sector • Support early experimentation • Experimental projects • Pan - European Data Collections • Strong link with the political actions • eGovernment Expanding the information supply

26. AL1 main scopeExpanding the information supply • Encourage partnerships between the public and private sector • Support early experimentation • Experimental projects - expand INFO2000 early trial and preparatory actions • Pan - European Data Collections • Strong link with the political actions Attention for new Member States and mobile applications

27. Action line 1, overview Concrete examples of public/private partnerships and digital data collections The infrastructure: Meta-data and‘data-sniffer’ tools The basis: Policy actions The basis: Policy actions

28. AL1.1 - Experimental projects • Key: Public private partnerships, segments amongst others • legal/administrative data, • financial/economic data, • culture, archives, entertainment information material, • geographic data (including land and property, traffic information, environmental data, meteo, and oceanographic data), • services at the local level (education, health etc.), • scientific and technical information • Players • content creators, packagers, aggregators • public sector organisations holding the information • Implementation means first call • definition-phase projects • accompanying measures

29. Action line 1.2 Pan - European Data Collections • Segments and type of activities • Segments as in 1.1 (open approach) • Establishing common agreed meta-data in key public sector information areas. • Setting up “data sniffer” tools • Providing pilot examples of European digital data collections • Players • content creators, packagers, aggregators • public sector organisations holding the information • Implementation means first call • Demonstration projects • Definition-phase projects • Accompanying measures

30. Action Line 2A broad Overview

31. AL2 context “ web users stay twice as long and are three times as likely to buy from sites presented in their native language” ( Gartner sept. 2000 ) a market of 370 million customers - different languages - different consumers habits. How to bring access ? • A multilingual and multicultural strategy can make the difference !

32. AL2: Main Scope • Fostering new partnerships between the content and language industries • Design, production, distribution of high quality content • in a multilingual and multicultural environment • Stimulate business innovation and disseminate best practice A process and best-practice orientated programme

33. AL2 - Building innovative partnerships • Segments • commercial’ web (portals, vertical/consumer) • corporate’ web (marketing/retailing/customer care) • mobile services (WAP through GPRS etc) AL2 - Market enabling actions • Segments • industry best practice(case studies, publications, events ) • actions aiming atnew entrants • guidelines for linguistic and cultural customisation • industry-owned web portal(resources, surveys, data tools…) • awards for multilingual / multicultural information and transaction services • broad market survey

34. AL2 - Building innovative partnerships • Segments • commercial’ web (portals, vertical/consumer) • corporate’ web (marketing/retailing/customer care) • mobile services (WAP through GPRS to UMTS) • streaming media, broadband video … • Players • content creators, packagers and distributors • providers of language services and solutions • suppliers of internet and globalisation services • Implementation means • demonstration projects • definition-phase projects

35. AL2 - Tailoring the Language Infrastructure to the market needs customisation tools • Segments • IT Tools • Softwares tools (workflow, versioning ...) • cross-lingual content search/gathering/gisting • Players • suppliers of language and localisation services (including subtitling and dubbing) • IT developers and integrators providing multilingual technology • Providers of IT solutions and tools for workflow automation and quality control management • Implementation means • Demonstration projects

36. AL2 - Tailoring the Language Infrastructure to the market needs the skills gap – trained professionals • Segments • Training actions, stages, self-training packages in : • Multimedia , management, engineering • Players • Internet translation and localisation companies • training centres • business schools • Implementation means • demonstration projects • accompanying measures

37. Language coverage • Official EU and EFTA-EEA languages • Languages of accession (C&EE) countries • funding of non-EU partners conditional on national participation in the programme • Non-EU languages where justified by Community interest and export potential • funding limited to EU partners • Other European languages on a project-by-project basis • nationally recognised languages • upcoming dedicated programme (ARCHIPEL) for regional and minority languages

38. Action Line 3A broad Overview

39. The problem • Gap between venture capitalists and content firms • High-tech investments in the EU less than in the US • Non-mature risk culture - but capital abundant • EU wide IPR trading still a major issue • Market transparency lacking • Competitive disadvantages vis-à-vis the US

40. AL3 -Increasing dynamism of the digital content market Action: enabling the market to function • Bridging the gap between digital content industries and capital markets • Rights trading between digital content market players • Developing and sharing a common vision • Support actions • Dissemination, web, conferences, showcasing, strategic studies • Overall 10 - 15% of the budget

41. AL3 - Increasing dynamism of the digital content market Bridging the gap between digital content industries and capital markets • Two types of actions: • 3.1.1. Awareness of available business tools Support experiments with preparation of business plans (2nd call) • 3.1.2 Networks, partnerships and services Network players to increase fund brokerage of digital content (3rd call) • Accompanying measures 3.1.3 • Conferences, workshops, showcasing (Continuous submission) • Dissemination and results

42. AL3 -Increasing dynamism of the digital content market Bridging the gap between digital content industries and capital markets • Dissemination • Increase awareness • Promote exchanges • encourage exchange of information and best practice • support dissemination of expertise • new ways to bring together ideas and funds • examine and address market obstacles • build on / complement existing initiatives 3.1.3 Accompanying measures

43. AL3 - Increasing dynamism of the digital content market AL 3.1.3 Accompanying measures • Players e-content related • Information companies and Internet companies particularly SMEs, entrepreneurs, starts-ups, • professional and industrial associations, networks, market analysts and management consultants, • partnerships forums, associations for business angels, venture capital etc; incubator-type organisations, • regional development centres, universities, business schools and research institutes, • magazines, newspapers etc.

44. AL3 - Increasing dynamism of the digital content market 3.3 Developing and sharing a common vision • Two main lines: • 3.3.1 Digital Content Observatory Preparatory study in 2001 • 3.3.2 Strategic studies Every two years Mobile Multimedia in 2001

45. AL3 - Increasing dynamism of the digital content market AL 3.4 Dissemination of Results AL 3.4.1 Accompanying measures • Players e-content related • Information and Internet companies, entrepreneurs, starts-ups, business angels, venture capitalists and incubators, • public authorities, private associations, networks, market analysts and management consultants, • regional development centres, universities, schools research institutes etc.

46. eContent Road Map

47. Calls Timetable 2001 - 2002 • First Call • March 15 Publication • June 15 Call closure • September 20 Evaluation • November Negotiation • January, 2002 Contract • Second call • October 15 Publication • January 15 Call closure • February 3 Evaluation • April Negotiation • June Contract

48. Who can participate ? • Countries • 15 EU Member States • EFTA : Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway • Third countries : in accordance with corresponding agreements • Organisations • Public • Private • Non-profit...

49. Consortia • Convergent interests • Complementary skills • Active and balanced involvement • as well as ... • ability and commitment to exploit results • market responsiveness • user base and orientedness  viability beyond EU-funded activities

50. Key features of a EU project • Multi-nation, multi-party “consortium” • 3 - 8 partners (contractors) from 2-6 countries • lead partner liaises with and reports to EC • third parties allowed as sub-contractors • Cost sharing (EC contribution 50-100 %) and risk sharing (projects can fail) • Results belong to the consortium members • IPR agreed between partners • Dissemination of non-proprietary information