A Bristol consortium will run FutureLab, which aims to harness the untapped talents of the games and film industries to bring a new approach to educational software.

The project has been developed by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), whose chair is Lord Puttnam. The Department for Education and Skills has given it pound;3 million in start-up funding, though Martin Freeth, the project director, hoped another pound;7 million would come from industry in the first three years.

The venture will include organisations such as Aardman Animation, the BBC, Hewlett Packard and Bristol University, and is scheduled to be based alongside the University of the West of England’s e-incubator.

Lord Puttnam said it was fitting that Bristol won the bid, as it is one of the most dynamic centres in the UK for the creative industries. “With the considerable expertise the city can call upon, there is no doubt that the dreams and aspirations of FutureLab will be turned into a reality,” he said.

Freeth said FutureLab will seek ideas from both industry and education for projects to work on after its December launch. Research will focus on the applications that will suit the needs of young people from 2005 and beyond, when fast Internet connections are more common. “It’s time for people to think about what we will do with broadband when it becomes available,” Freeth said.

Learning software as compelling to young people as the best computer games will be developed for the Net, interactive television, games consoles and mobile phones.

According to Freeth, projects will be tested to evaluate their learning outcomes throughout their development and those that do not make the grade will be axed.

www.nesta.org.ukfuturelab