CreaTech Frontiers

A regional collaboration powering creative technology innovation in the West Midlands

CreaTech Frontiers is a five-year project with £7.2 million in funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. It aims to boost research and development, business innovation and skills within the creative industries across the West Midlands.

Led by Birmingham City University in collaboration with Coventry University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick and the Royal Shakespeare Company, the initiative is establishing a network of four interconnected research and development labs:

Virtual Production (Coventry University)
Immersive Audio and Video Technologies (Birmingham City University)
Applied Artificial Intelligence in CreaTech (University of Birmingham)
Gaming, Esports and Animation (University of Warwick)

£7.2m programme to boost creative technology innovation in the West Midlands

Coventry University has joined forces with Birmingham City University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick and the Royal Shakespeare Company to develop and grow creative technologies.

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Opportunities for creative businesses

We’re supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across the West Midlands to innovate, grow and connect through their use of creative technology within and beyond the creative sector.

Delivering collaborative research and development and integrated support, we are helping creative businesses to:

Try out immersive technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to bring their ideas to life
Create and test new products, services and concepts to stay ahead in the industry
Experiment with AI to make content creation and production faster and more creative
Adopt sustainable practices that make innovation responsible and eco-friendly
Protect their innovations and bring them to market

Funding

Grants of up to £10,000 will soon be available for businesses and freelancers in the West Midlands to develop and accelerate creative technologies.

Successful applicants will receive funding and access to academic expertise, specialist labs and facilities provided by Coventry University and its regional partners. The grants will support innovation in areas such as immersive experiences, gaming, live performance, enabling technologies, visual and digital arts and creative technology research.

From left to right: Chris Bilton, James Green, Annie Mahtani, Ian Williams, Lamberto Coccioli, Rachel Davis, Nick Henry, Laura Veart, Jamie Wright, Sarah Ellis.

New funding announced for creative businesses and freelancers across the West Midlands

Grants will be available for businesses in the West Midlands to develop and accelerate creative technologies in areas such as immersive experiences, gaming and live performance.

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