This pre study will examine how university, government, business and cultural organizations can work together to create the first visualization cluster in Mid Sweden. Previous investigations of these groups have shown a great interest in visualization technologies and a need of a venue for cooperation in the field.

Background

In 2012 a workshop was organized by Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall Kommun and County Council. The workshop was a first step to create a venue for visualization. Businesses, cultural institutions, researchers, students, politicians and creative businesses were invited to learn more about what visualization is and can be. This marked the first step to realize the idea of a regional visualization cluster, the first in the North.

The workshop revealed a broad interest in visualization technologies and found great commercial potentials. A general plan was developed to create a venue for visualization in collaboration between academia, government, industry and creative businesses that connect to something that is unique to the region. This preliminary study is a first step in the realization of this plan.

Objectives

This pre study will investigate the possibility of designing a project which creates a distributed activity around visualization in Mid Sweden. The work will be based on how existing organizations and projects can interact to increase the knowledge about, and application of, the visualization among regional actors. And how to provide a foundation for economic growth through cross-border cooperation between research, education, business and creative businesses.

The overall objective of the pre study are:

• To disseminate knowledge about the process of a meeting place for visualization of the region's research groups, educational institutions, government, businesses, and creative businesses.
• Formulating starting points for creating a regional work on visualization in the form of a project where research, education, business and culture are the foundations for a meeting place with the exchange of experience and knowledge, development and application of new technologies, pooling resources in laboratory, as well as a cultural arena that is based on creative forms of visualization.