2. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
What I’m going to talk about:
Introduce to myself & BBC R&D
Share some examples of innovation
Questions?
3. 2004
1994
2014
2009
1999
2019
1989
PhD –Animatronics & Jim Henson’s
Games Company – mo’cap / 3D animation
Travel the globe
Motion Capture expert – Film, Games
BT Millennium Dome – Avatars – project mgmt
BBC Imagineering – multi-project mgmt. (games,
animation)
BBC Innovation – Consultant (web, iTV, mobile)
FXT – Group Head
Participate – UKTI collab project lead
MediaCity Lab Build – operations mgmt
UX research – research lead
Connected Studio - Innovation Head
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-important-inventions-
30 years…
Internet
Machine Learning / AI 2014
WWW
DigitalTV
Photoshop
HapticsQuantum Computing
Cloud computing
Robots
AR
VR
GPS
Cloning
Email/ texting
Speech software / smart speakers
eReaders 2007
Self driving cars 2012
Bitcoin
iPhone 2007
Digital cameras
Drones
Hybrid cars 1997Google search 1997
YouTube 2005
Facebook 2004
DVD 1998ISS 1998
MP3 players
Google maps
iTunes
Flat screens
XBOX360 / PS3 / Wii 2005
Mobile broadband
Streaming video
Netflix 1997
Paypal
iMac
4.
5. “I want us to reinvent public service
broadcasting for a new generation.”
Tony Hall, January 2016
6. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
OUR ROLE
Drive Innovation in
support of BBC
strategy and public
purposes
Horizon scan,
acting as early
warning radar in the
face of technical
change
Provide a
standing army to
solve problems or
maximise
opportunities
Add tangible value
to the wider media
industry
Maintain BBC
partnerships, and
with them, primary
position in the wider
ecosystem
7. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Our framework for technology led innovation at the BBC
Three categories for technology led innovation
INCREMENTAL
INNOVATION
involves modest changes to existing products and services to
remain up-to-date.
SUSTAINING
INNOVATION
refers to advances that deliver distinctive new experiences that
propels an existing product ahead of competitors.
DISCONTINUOUS
INNOVATION
brings users a very different product, service than had previously
been available..
60%30%10%
8. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Voice
OUR RECENT SUCCESSES
BBC 4.1 Civilisations ARUHD World Cup and
Royal Wedding
AI in Production
Speech to Text
Object Based Media
IP-based Wales Centre
Spatial audio
BBC BOX
Data Services
19. Our focus
Testing
innovation in
the real world
Helping find
new routes to
market
Collaborating
with the digital
industry
Trials &
events
R&D
technology
transfer
Stimulate
the creative
economy
Build
communities
of practice
Facilitating the
uptake of new
innovation
20. Collaborate with the BBC, partners and industry to
shape a joint vision of the future.
Facilitate in the shaping of ideas, formats and
technologies for the future BBC.
Test new technologies and ideas from R&D, the
BBC and beyond with trials and events.
Use data-rich audience feedback to create
insights that will inform the BBC of future
opportunities.
Build communities of practice, and insight formats
that seamlessly transfer ideas and tech out of R&D.
Develop
Learn
Test
Engage
Transfer
How got from there to here…
Timeline… my moments and big tech moments…
A lot of things happen in 30 years…
Internet
World wide web
Photoshop
GPS
Cloning
Email / text messaging
Drones
Google search
Mobile broadband
Hybrid cars
International Space station
DVD
Flat screens
MP3 players
Apple Mac
YouTube
Google maps
Facebook
Paypal
Streaming video
Digital cameras
iPhone
Speech software / CUI
Touch screens
Machine Learning / AI
Robots
eReaders
Cloud computing
Quantum Computing
Haptics
Lots of
Build a new lab, new location, new ethos,
Mediacity image
What bbc has achieved
What I did
What happened
Clause 65 of the Charter
ExCo 2011 definition
Currently formal contracts with
- 22 universities – 15 in UK and 7 in Europe
- dozens of other industrial partners, globally
Benchmarking suggests a best practice split of 60/30/10 across the three categories. Using this:
Incremental innovations involve modest changes to existing products and services.
These are enhancements that keep a business up-to-date and competitive, such as new product features and service improvements.
For example, autoplay on iPlayer.
Sustaining innovation refers to large advances that provide users (be they audience members or internal users) with distinctive new experiences that propels an existing product or service ahead of competitors.
For example, BBC Live’s integration of live text, video and audio in a single experience.
Discontinuous innovation brings users a very different product, service or way of working than had previously been available.
This sort of innovation can transform markets or create new markets and ways of working.
For example, the launch of BBC News Online in 1997 transformed the market for news media, bringing audiences a totally new way of consuming news content.
All 2018 or 2019
BBC4.1 – Algo-made TV programme on BBC Four
Civilisation – BBC’s biggest AR app to date, made with Culture UK and museums
UHD World Cup/Royal Wedding – Sky used our software to distribute pictures around the world
STT Auto speech recognition – transferred into BAU
AI in Production - IBC main award winner
The Unfortunates – complex voice-first format with Radio 3: 1.3trillion versions
Solving latency – challenging IP industry to solve one of biggest problems
BBC Scotland launch – replica –find space in existing capacity – saved ££
IP Based Cardiff BH – SMPTE 2110 standards at hear of IP way of working
Spatial audio – 130 progs TX + Academy course + Standards
Big Engineering –
4K - HDR
IP STUDIO,
Broadcast
3D piero
HCI – user centred
VR, AR, interactive video
Discovery
Voice
Multi-screen, smart wallpaper,
audio
Production tools
4 the future….
Eckersley video…
Mission / vision
5 big problems / opportunities we think will have impact
Cloud
5G
BIDI
REB
Sustainability
Of the internet
Of distribution
Of communication
AI
In media
In discovery
in
REB
Small bits
Box
Living room of the future
Data economy
Value – what is it?
toolkit
Introduce Connected Studio – three and a half years ago. Grown in size and output, including key programmes of work (FoC, BoC, World Service Africa) and individual team-specific projects (Radio 1, Radio 3, NHU)
Short-term innovation projects (less than a year), from conception to pilot delivery
Connected Studio briefs are driven by audience needs and insight, and proposals and pilots are tested on this throughout planning and development – never losing sight of our audience (who are “at the heart of everything we do”)
Strong base of external creative and technical agencies that regularly attend workshops and programmes of events to get involved with new innovation opportunities