Introduction
Narrative Laboratory (NLab) works with small businesses to respond to the opportunities and challenges of new media. NLab is experimental, piloting and testing new ideas and collaborating with small businesses to generate increased wealth for the East Midlands. NLab leaflet
Creativity and innovation
Creativity and innovation are critical to the success and sustainability of all small businesses wishing to exploit their intellectual property and create new goods and services. Wider forms of innovation include the introduction of new means of production and distribution, new business models and new forms of organisation.
http://www.ted.com Education guru Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. Sir Ken Robinson is author of "Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative" and a leading expert on innovation in education and business. Recorded February, 2006 in Monterey, CA.
Social networks
New media create the opportunity for wider and enhanced social networking, increasing the social capital and other resources available to small businesses and providing low cost, easily accessible means of collaborating, creating and innovating. NLab provides a way for small businesses to build their social networking capacity, and through that to increase their potential to generate wealth.
Partnerships
Our thriving local partnerships ensure that NLab has a focused small business approach. In addition, NLab works closely with business support agencies and business associations to reach small businesses throughout the region.
De Montfort University
Based at De Montfort University, Leicester, NLab and CreativeCoffee Club provide a place where small businesses can access other University resources and services; and where there are increased opportunities for cross-fertilisation of ideas.
Research and publishing
NLab brings the benefits of global contacts, research and new developments by taking part in international conferences such as LIFT in Geneva and ETech in San Jose, and also publishes research which increases understanding about small businesses and new media.
CreativeCoffee Club
NLab looks after CreativeCoffee Club Leicester, a network of entrepreneurs, creative and small business people exploring the challenges and potential of new media. We meet fortnightly at Phoenix Square.
NLab Network
NLab draws on a network of contacts, built over the lifetime of the project, to engage in an ongoing conversation about new media and small businesses. Since 2005, members have participated in seminars, conferences and research projects. You can take part in the conversation through our blog and by following us on Twitter.
Funding
NLab is supported by funding to De Montfort University from the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), designed to support and develop a broad range of knowledge transfer activities which result in economic and social benefit to the UK.
NLab aims to build relationships in:
* Cooperation in Business
* Academia and Business
* Customer and B2B relationship improvements
* Ethics and communications
and to support innovation in:
* Creative communications for innovation
* Blogging for Business
* Opportunities of Web 2.0 and the Long Tail
NLab is based in the Faculty of Humanities and affiliated to the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University.
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