Among outcomes from last week’s World Editors Forum in Turin is a new global partnership to promote research and innovation.

WAN-Ifra has brought together academic and industry stakeholders in the new International Alliance for Media Research and Innovation, with nine members joining the steering committee.

They are WAN-Ifra, EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), iMinds (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium), PUCRS (Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande Sul, Brazil), NextMedia (an initiative of Finnmedia, Finland), the Media Innovation Studio in the School of Journalism and Media at UCLan in England, Aalto University School of Business (Finland, to be confirmed), Médias Suisses (the publishers' association of the French-speaking part of Switzerland), AFP (Agence France-Presse) and Grupo RBS (Brazil).

The initiative – which it says, responds to the emergency situation” the industry is in –will operate under the umbrella of WAN-IFRA’s Media Innovation Hub.

A document setting out aims and intentions forsees “the future of news media being invented right now, all around the globe, by hundreds of different companies, universities, and entrepreneurs.

“However, their separate efforts, research, prototypes, and rollouts receive inconsistent attention and analysis. Many good ideas fail only because of a lack of development support. Others get hyped beyond their real value.

“Vital lessons and examples are not being widely enough or rapidly enough disseminated.”

Four objectives are to share a strategic vision and understanding, to connect various efforts to partners and resources, facilitate cooperation between news publishers and the academic and research environment, and to train media professionals and “encourage multi-disciplinary approaches enhanced by closer collaboration with academic centres associated to the project”.

It is envisaged a project manager will be appointed in October.

WAN-Ifra chief executive Vincent Peyrègne says the document is a starting point and a statement of principles: “It is a work in progress, and we welcome comments and participation.”

He says the project has already received attention and strong support. WAN-Ifra had felt there was a lack of a global community anchor and the need to fulfil this role.

More information and the document are at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/104703 Parties interested in joining can contact Stephen Fozard, project director of WAN-Ifra’s Media Innovation Hub email stephen.fozard@wan-ifra.org