Promoting community-based networks through digital media

Digital media can provide an important contribution to the development of local communities by creating digital environments that facilitate the sharing of information, dissemination of knowledge and construction of organizational learning. Digital media can also promote interaction and collaboration processes among different regional agents, fostering a continuous flow of territorial based innovation. The study reported in this paper was carried out within the research activities of the (REMOVED) project, aiming to deepen the knowledge about the conditions that influence the dynamics of community-led territorial based innovation in the Centro Region of Portugal, focusing on the areas of Tourism, Health, and Wellness. As part of this project, a mobile application is being designed, aiming to strengthen the relationship among agents of local communities/entities and to promote mediation mechanisms among all stakeholders in the process of territorial based innovation. This paper presents the main concepts underlying the development of the REMOVED digital platform and the outcomes from a usability evaluation of the platform mobile app prototype. The first section discusses the most relevant topics that this paper covers. In the second section, an overview of the state of the art in the field of digital media used to promote territory-based innovation is presented. The third section describes the concept of the REMOVED digital platform and the main features of the prototype/mobile app. The fourth section addresses the methodology adopted for the evaluation of the prototype and the fifth exhibits the main outcomes of this process. Finally, the sixth and final section present the main conclusions about the potential of the REMOVED platform, and current and future research activities.