Alcatel-Lucent Innovation award 2007 / IBBT iLab-O inauguration

1. Research by SMIT
Studies on Media, Information and
Telecommunication

2. IBBT-SMIT - Overview
SMIT, Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication, is a
Vrije Universiteit Brussel research institute from the Communication
Science dept.
 Founded in 1990 by Prof. Dr Jean Claude Burgelman
 In 2000, Prof. Dr Caroline Pauwels became director
 In 2004, SMIT was one of the 14 original research institutes of
IBBT
SMIT is a multidisciplinary centre employing communication scientists,
sociologists, economists and other social scientists, focussing on 4
main research areas
 Media and communication
 ICT Policy and citizenship
 E- Health and wellbeing
 E- Culture and leisure
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3. IBBT-SMIT - Facts & Figures
35 FTE employees in 2007
 3 Permanent VUB staff (ZAP)
 7 PhD (FWO / IWT) student - researchers
 21 Contract researchers
 2 Supporting staff
30 Research Projects in 2007
 18 IBBT projects (13 GBO - 2 ISBO - 3 O&O)
 3 EU IP projects
 9 O&O or Governmental Projects (IWT, viWTA, CJSM, ...)
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4. IBBT-SMIT - Competence
SMIT research
combines user,
policy and business
analysis with
qualitative and
quantitative research
methodologies.
 A continuing
interaction between
theory and empirical
research is one of the
centre’s high-level
objectives.
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5. IBBT-SMIT - How we do it - 1
 User Analysis
 process of ‘mutual shaping’ between society and technology is
at the core of the research approach
 different techniques, with a focus on qualitative methods,
completed with quantitative methods
 setting-up and conducting living lab research is one of SMIT’s
core expertise domains
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6. IBBT-SMIT - How we do it - 2
 Policy Analysis
 Analysis based on political economy point of view - how different
stakeholders influence policy, how different layers of policy
formulation interact and what the consequences are
 Evaluative approaches, both formal—assessing outcomes and
impacts against formal objectives and goals—and
normative—assessing outcomes and impacts against theoretical
and moral frameworks
 Foresight studies making use of qualitative research methods
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7. SMIT - How we do it - 3
 Business Modelling
 A “business model” is a description of the business architecture
between different stakeholders to create and capture value with
a product or service
 SMIT helps private and public actors to increase the value of ICT
innovations through:
 Analysis and benchmarking of existing business models
 Scenario construction and development of new business
models
 Analysis of viability and potential implications of future
business models
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8. IBBT-SMIT - Clusters
 Digital Media Policy: Prof. dr. Caroline Pauwels
Prof.dr. Leo Van Audenhove
 Media Market & Innovation: Pieter Ballon
 Digital Media Use: Prof.dr. Jo Pierson
 Culture in the Network Society: Gert Nulens
 Health care & well-being: Dr. An Jacobs
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9. IBBT-SMIT - iLab.o
 iLab.o is the lab and expert center for open innovation in
ICT
 It sets up multi-stakeholder test and experimentation
platforms and performs Living Lab research
 It makes use of the Urbizone WiFi mesh pilot network in
the heart of Brussels, and of interactive tools aimed at
users, business representatives and policy makers
 Selected as member of first wave of European Network of
Living Labs (ENoLL)
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10. IBBT-SMIT - contacts
Vrije Universiteit Brussel - IBBT
SMIT
Studies on Media, Information and
Telecommunication
Pleinlaan 9 - 1050 Brussels
www.smit.vub.ac.be - www.ibbt.be
IBBT-SMIT Contact:
Hans.De.Canck@vub.ac.be
+32 2 629 16 28
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