MediaLAB Amsterdam is a creative, interdisciplinary workplace where inquisitive students and researchers work together on innovative interactive media ideas. In the MediaLAB Amsterdam students from the various institutes of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (The Applied University of Amsterdam) and the University of Amsterdam study how digital interactive products can contribute to innovative solutions for societal problems. They do this in the form of final projects that address innovative applications for organizational issues in the public sector. Production and distribution are integrated elements of research at MediaLAB Amsterdam.

Innovation and Creativity
In the MediaLAB, the focus lies firmly on the development of creativity and innovative content; technology is a means to an end and not an end in itself. The history of the interactive media landscape over the previous years has proved all too clearly that a technology-driven media development approach can lead to “hyped’, hackneyed and often irrelevant solutions. The MediaLAB aims to ensure that “content” is given a central role in further new media development and a creative and innovative approach is fostered towards content conception and procedure.
Innovative content is related to the way people are made present through the use of different media by which they can be recognized by others. Projects are therefore inclined to focus on exploring forms of being within media. Communication or interaction is shaped through these media.

Multi-disciplinary
The MediaLAB has a strong multi-disciplinary approach. With a firm connection between the professional world, scientific and artistic research, the MediaLAB provides a specialized and stimulating environment in which students and researchers can develop competencies, concepts and content for application within the “knowledge economy” driven information society.
Multi-disciplinarily has a lot to do with the way people can recognize others who are involved in the same project. How do people identify the expertise of others and how are they able to make use of this within the project at large.

Humanities-based
The MediaLAB is humanities-based, with the emphasis on the application of new technologies for the creation of value-added content within a strong social context, particularly in the public domain. A strong focus is on the interactive aspect of digital media. How are people still able to hold up standards of being under the pressure of a technology push by industry?

Project-based
The MediaLAB brings together theory and practice within a professional environment. MediaLAB students therefore work together in an external project-based program. Assignments are selected on the basis of their potential and suitability for a multi-disciplinary, multi-media solution. The project partners are selected for their professional quality, enthusiasm and capacity to host such a project.