DTI and ICL team up to think about the future

The DTI has announced a collaborative venture with IT services company ICL to create an 'envisioning centre' at DTI HQ in London. Set to open in the spring, its purpose is to stimulate innovative thinking in both industry and government.

ICL future scenario planner Gill Ringland explained the context: "Whilst the challenge is to keep ahead of the competition, it's often difficult to conceptualise how technology may change the way we do things.Words, slides and traditional multi-media often fail as communication methods."

The planned 'FutureFocus@dti' will incorporate:

• a 14-seat virtual reality theatre
• interactive exhibitions to help visitors test out emerging ideas
• a 'creativity lab' for meetings, complete with trained facilitators on hand, and
• a reference area with books, videos, multi-media packages and online resources.

ICL already runs its own Future Focus centre in Reading, specialising in particular in retail applications.

Elliott Chase