Digital Bridges Note: This project has been cancelled, because RVO has no confidence that it will be successfully completed in the short term.The proposed project partners Creápolis Media B.V. (applicant), Spice Studios (local partner) and TPG Academy (third partner) wish to establish a joint venture, 'Creápolis South Africa' in Johannesburg. With this joint venture, the project partners aim to set up a full service multimedia (E-learning) company. Recent presentations of the products to potential clients have given them reason to believe that there is large demand for E-learning, E-training and E-management applications in South Africa. The joint venture will have two main purposes:• Introduce state of the art E-learning technology and creativity in South Africa, and with it developing a new (local) industry.• Share knowledge and experience (through training and coaching) with their (future) employees and interns, who will mainly come from disadvantaged backgrounds.During the project, the project partners propose to set up and develop the following activities:• Development, production and implementation of multimedia (E-learning) applications for training, education and communication.• Development, production and implementation of Learning and Management Systems.• Production of video and audio material used in multimedia (E-learning) applications.• Development, production and implementation of 'train-the-trainer' programmes.• Consultancy on the development of digital infrastructures within schools, government institutions and companies.• Training and coaching of their own employees and interns on entrepreneurship and management skills.• Training and coaching of their own employees and interns on multimedia skills (graphic design, web design, technical design).• Training and coaching (in their own studio) of (freelance) video crew members and interns on using video and audio for multimedia.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)In addition to the obligations that the joint venture will have to fulfil as a South African company, they will:• provide a scheme where employees will share in the profit of Creápolis South Africa. They will do so, following BEE regulations;• invest in extra training;• provide lunches for the staff;• provide the means for a health and safety scheme.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsAt the end of the project the joint venture will employ at least 13 FTE.This will all be high-level, high trained managers, project leaders, computer programmers, web designers and office managers.They will also contract 15 freelance specialists and provide placements for at least 5 to 10 interns.Two years after the project the joint venture will employ at least 20 employees, also all high-level, high trained managers, project leaders, computer programmers, web designers and office managers. The number of freelancers will go up to 30. The number of interns during this phase will remain the same.The joint venture aims to pay wages in accordance to the market or higher. The joint venture will use Dutch Arbo regulations as a reference and act accordingly. They will also use local consultants to advise them with respect to South African regulations. Improved working conditions they are investigating, are to provide lunches, develop a health and safety programme, create a safe working environment and where possible to help women to combine family with a full-time or part-time contract as an employee. Fringe benefits will include training, profit sharing, employee participation and possibility to buy-in in the joint venture.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeAccording to the proposal, knowledge will mainly be transferred to local people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the following topics:- Using multimedia elements (video, sound, and graphics) on a pre-production, production, and post-production level, in order to develop innovative training products.- The ability to create and customise concepts for simulation development, in order to add value to digital training tools.- The ability to develop and utilise advanced online architecture.The development of medium-level management to continue good business practices in South Africa, initiating an upgraded benchmark for business management and business practice.•	Chain effectsBesides training their own direct employees, the joint venture will also train freelancers whom they contract. They will also provide internship placements to students, primarily from Nemisa. These students tend to be of disadvantaged backgrounds. The training provided by Creápolis South Africa contributes a lot to their skill development. Introducing innovative online multimedia (E-learning) applications and Learning and Management Systems into South Africa, and with this creating a new local industry.