The initiative Science + Technology + Arts = STARTS in the European Commission's research funding programme Horizon 2020 is based on the conviction that Science, Technology and the Arts can jointly foster innovation in industry and society. The Arts can act as a catalyst for an efficient conversion of S&T knowledge into novel products, services, and processes while stimulating the involvement of citizens in innovation.
Commissioner Günther Oettinger, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society, suggested to reflect on "STARTS lighthouse projects" in concrete application areas where collaborations of technologists and industrialists with artists could trigger novel and alternative uses for technology and possibly even radically new technologies. Such projects could pave the way for a stronger collaboration of art and technology across all of Horizon 2020.
These projects should propose specific forms of collaboration between arts and industry/technology on novel solutions to address:
- Industrial problems - for instance in the automotive sector, additive manufacturing, media or creative industries;
- Pressing societal challenges - for instance urbanisation or social inclusion.
They might also include artistic exploration and reflections on novel uses of e.g. Internet of things, sensors, robotics, or (social) media.
The (provisional) deadline for giving input to this consultation is 18 August 2016.