Describe your collaborative partnership
Following a journalistic research on advanced dementia care I started to cooperate with one of Europe's most advanced places for modern robot techology: the Danish Technological Institute's (DTI) Center for Robotteteknologi in Odense. It applies e.g. robots in the welfare sector for the sake of elderly people. Lone Gaedt an her colleagues developped an outstanding qualifying workshop and do a research study on therapeutical effects of an Emotional robot on care home residents.
Being a well-known German journalist for Public Broadasters and quality newspapers on scientifical issues I started to report on DTI's engagement to face one of the world's biggest challenges at the moment: to grant a decent life to the growing number of elderly people living with Alzheimer's disease by the help of a cuddling robot. awa crossmedia produced a rewarded scientific documentary and a Digital Learning Platform for Web 3.0 for the French/German Public Broadcaster arte based on DTI's expertise.

Provide evidence of your success

The crossmedia project www.squeezeme.de, consisting of 5 analog and digital media formats, does inform a European Audience on Pros and Cons of robots and Assistive Technologies in care homes. DTI's knowledge and Annette Wagner's innovative presentation of the subject  in TV, Web 3.0 and public scientific conferences broadened the perspective of understanding a) technolgy and b) the emotional needs of elderly people suffering from dementia. It c) improved dementia therapy. The German Social Ministry and several European Alzheimer's Initiatives approved this by reporting on the project. awa crossmedia produktionen was able to employ 2 more people due to the rewarded prototype for quality crossmedia journalism. DTI was able to spread the Paro technology wider in Germany and elsewhere after Wagner's coverage. DTI got important feedback how to improve workshop and technology via user-generated content on awa's interactive platforms www.facebook.com/parobremen and www.arte.tv/demenz.

Why is your collaboration special and not a typical client-customer relationship?

As DTI was NOT a customer paying for a PR crossmedia project on it's research, but merely collaborated as a scientific partner made it possible to produce an independent journalistic product - acknowleged by robotic scientists and dementia therapists as well as relatives of people suffering from dementia. It is rare that an Institute opens its laboratories to such an extent . Outstanding is the media strategy of Annette Wagner: Set up to reach a large European audience, it blends quality media channels like arte, ARD and ZDF with social mediaplatforms in the web such as a facebook debate page and an  Interactive Webplatform. This way scientists as well as computer nerds, children and their grannies, can explore the subject - each at his own time of the day and own speed. As "Squeeze me!" includes interactive platforms, the user can easily discuss - and share his own expertise on the subjects of robotic, dementia and advanced care.

Websites

• Studio / Agency: www.awa-crossmedia.de / www.squeezeme.de
• Client: www.dti.dk/specialists