De COVID-19-pandemie heeft grote impact gehad op het praktijkgericht onderzoek van Saxion. Allereerst vanwege de tijdelijke sluiting van laboratoria, verandering van empirische dataverzameling, acute acties zoals het produceren van mondkapjes en het ondersteunen van mkb’s met andere businessmodellen. Op de langere termijn leidt het tot verandering in thematisering, zoals capaciteit in de zorg; menselijke interactie met technologie; bezettingsgraad van gebouwen, openbaar vervoer, stadions en openbare ruimten; en impact van een anderhalvemetersamenleving. Dit alles in een periode van enorme dynamiek en stroomversnelling in het onderzoekslandschap. Saxion wordt erkend als een serieuze partner in grote ontwikkelingen in de Nederlandse en Europese kennisinfrastructuur. Denk hierbij aan topsectoren, de Kennis & Innovatie Agenda’s, het Nationaal groeifonds, NWA, Regio Deals, de derde cyclus aan hogescholen, alsook de European Research Area, Horizon Europe en de Green Deals. Ter illustratie: Saxion participeert in Grozzerdam Deventer; in de regionale Groeifonds-hubs voor Artificial Intelligence en MedTech; in TOPFIT; in het Regiodeal lab Texplus voor kledingrecycling; in SPRONG-aanvragen; in de EU-RRF investeringsagenda; in de KIA governancestructuren; etc. Om onze rol en ambities in deze grote en complexe kenniscoalities waar te kunnen maken professionaliseert Saxion het praktijkgericht onderzoek. Saxion investeert in extra onderzoeksvolume en ondersteuningsinfrastructuur om snel in te kunnen spelen op actuele vraagstukken en behoeften van het bedrijfsleven, overheden en instellingen in de regio, zowel nationaal als internationaal. Saxion gaat de Impuls 2020-regeling dan ook inzetten om de eigen investeringsagenda te versnellen via vier strategische instrumenten: 1. Versterking van de capaciteit voor ondersteuning en projectmanagement 2. Acquisitievouchers voor het schrijven van grote complexe onderzoekaanvragen 3. Versterking van het Saxion-portfolio van Centres of Expertise 4. Ontwikkeling van pilots in de derde cyclus (Professional Doctorate)
GAMING HORIZONS is a multidisciplinary project that aims to expand the research and innovation agenda on serious gaming and gamification. The project is particularly interested in the use of games for learning and cultural development. Gamification - and gaming more broadly – are very important from a socio-economic point of view, but over the past few years they have been at the centre of critical and challenging debates, which highlighted issues such as gender and minority representation, and exploitative game mechanics. Our project’s key contention is that it is important for the European ICT community to engage with design trends and social themes that have affected profoundly the mainstream and ‘independent’ game development cultures over the past few years, especially because the boundaries between leisure and serious games are increasingly blurred. GAMING HORIZONS is a direct response to the official recognition by the H2020 programme of work that multidisciplinary research can help to advance the integration between Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and the Social Sciences and the Humanities (SSH). The project’s objective is to enable a higher uptake of socially responsible ICT-related research in relation to gaming. This objective will be achieved through a research-based exchange between communities of developers, policy makers, users and researchers. The methodology will involve innovative data collection activities and consultations with a range of stakeholders over a period of 14 months. We will interrogate the official ‘H2020 discourse’ on gamification – with a particular focus on ‘gamified learning’ - whilst engaging with experts, developers and critical commentators through interviews, events, workshops and systematic dialogue with an Advisory Board. Ultimately, GAMING HORIZONS will help identify future directions at the intersection of ethics, social research, and both the digital entertainment and serious games industries.EU FundingThe 14-month research project 'Gaming Horizons' was funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Green Bubbles is an EU-funded project dedicated to recreational SCUBA diving, an activity engaging millions of people worldwide. Green Bubbles will maximise the benefits associated with diving while minimising its negative impacts, thus achieving the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the system. Funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement, Green Bubbles is run by a consortium of nine entities, including universities, research organisations, educational organisations and SMEs from Italy, the Netherlands, Malta, Turkey, South Africa and the United States. Breda University main responsibilities are the development of a communication and media plan as well as a Virtual Reality diving experience to make people aware of how to dive in a more sustainable way.Partners: Polytechnic University of Marche, Studio Associato Gaia. Communication, UBICA, Innovasub, DAN Europe, North-West University, College of Exploration., DAN South
