The International Media Center (IMC Rhône-Alpes), to be located in Saint-Etienne in east central France from April 2012, is a joint initiative of the organisation with Jean Monnet and Lumière Lyon 2 universities.

“It will be dedicated to training and research in newsroom integration and in the use of new digital technologies and practices in media,” says chief executive Christoph Riess. “The goal is to provide a testing ground for the newsroom of the future and anticipate changes in the work of journalists in coming years.”

WAN-Ifra already has a leading role in newsroom organisation and training through its Newsplex operations, and the new centre will extend and complement this.

The centre will be part of the Manufacture Plaine Achille urban development project in Saint-Etienne, a ten-year urban development project which includes an urban campus and creative hub combining teaching, research, economic activities, culture, housing and recreation. Other partners include the Région Rhône-Alpes, the Conseil Général de la Loire, and the Saint-Etienne Métropole.