MEGS-KT: SOCIAL NETWORKING AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE FOR THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SME COMMUNITY IN THE MIDLANDS, UK

European Policy debates about the importance of Open Access to Resources in Higher Education Institutions have fueled the need for Institutions to create innovative partnerships. Together with the imperative for a sustainable and robust energy infrastructure in the UK, which will require a level of investment, and the necessity for a reduction of energy demand; training needs for the renewable energy industry are emerging. Anticipating the prerequisite for business growth and associated training needs, MEGS-KT, a Jisc Funded Business Community Engagement and Open Access to Resources project, has developed a demonstrator for the co-development of educational resources and the delivery of tailored industry-driven open access and for-credit courses for the renewable energy sector. Through the establishment of a community around an inspirational lecture series, the identification of fellows from within the community – adopting the role of “catalytic individuals” – an analysis of business needs using ethnographic methods, questionnaire and interview, and a series of collaborative workshops based on Service Design principles; the project provided a pilot virtual platform – “the demonstrator”. The platform is collaborative in terms of resources by collecting relevant documents, websites, twitter feeds, blogs and other resources from members of the community, (academic, researchers, SME community and local residents). However, it differs from a simple organized aggregate of these resources in that it aims to deliver tailored and specific resources in a simple and desirable manner. Building the community and the role of social networking has been a core approach of the project and this paper will chart the methods adopted and illustrate the benefits of the project through narratives from both workshops and from online engagement.