Digital Catapult, the authority on advanced digital technology in the UK, has teamed up with NVIDIA to expedite the development of cutting-edge tools and technology, aiming to enable next-generation content and experiences. This collaboration is part of the “Catalysts and Connectors: Tools for the Creative Industries” Challenge, which falls under the MyWorld initiative. MyWorld is a unique collaboration of organisations within the West of England region’s creative and technology industries, led by the University of Bristol and funded by UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund.
The partnership between Digital Catapult and NVIDIA kicked off by engaging local businesses in exploring how technological advancements can unlock new opportunities for creating, delivering, and evaluating experiences. The focus areas include new forms of reality capture, real-time collaboration and creation, and multi-platform delivery of experiences and content. Participating companies stand to receive up to £50,000 of funding from MyWorld to aid the development of a proof-of-concept prototype or innovation to expand upon existing projects or products.
The evolution of simulation and digital twins has paved the way for interconnected virtual worlds that are set to revolutionise various sectors. NVIDIA is at the forefront of developing many of the novel technologies and developer tools underlying these advancements. Notably, NVIDIA’s Omniverse is a Universal Scene Description (USD)-based development platform for creating and operating industrial metaverse applications. Additionally, NVIDIA conducts ongoing research in domains like Neural Radiance Fields.
A cohort of small businesses from the West of England region, including both promising newcomers and award-winning companies, will participate in the NVIDIA Challenge and Open Challenge program. Over the course of 16 weeks during the summer, these companies will collaborate with Digital Catapult and NVIDIA to develop and deliver cutting-edge work with a global impact on the region and the wider UK creative industries.
Dr. Jeremy Silver, CEO of Digital Catapult, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “The UK’s creative industries lead the world, and the South West has some of the best creative minds in the country. We’re thrilled to be working alongside NVIDIA, strengthening our existing relationship by introducing them to the region’s top talent – and working together to achieve an innovative future for media. The combination of NVIDIA and their toolset in collaboration with these exciting businesses is going to produce some super-intriguing new experiences.”
Jamie Allan, Media, Entertainment & Broadcast Industry Lead EMEA at NVIDIA, emphasised the company’s commitment to fostering innovation across industries worldwide. Allan highlighted the importance of connectivity and collaboration in the creative sector and emphasised how NVIDIA technologies enable the cohort to approach challenges in unique ways.
The program will include nine selected companies. Lux Aeterna, Black Laboratory, Force of Habit, and Meaning Machine, all based in Bristol, will collaborate with NVIDIA, while Motion Impossible from South Gloucestershire will also join forces. Furthermore, Zubr and Uninvited Guests (Bristol), GroundWaves (Bristol), Anagram (Bristol), and Larkhall (Bath) will participate in the Open Challenge.
Further information about all the organizations involved in the Catalysts and Connectors Challenge program can be found at www.myworld-creates.com. To learn more about Digital Catapult’s acceleration programs, visit www.futurescope.digicatapult.com.
