BACKGROUND
NICE Network Launch Meeting, 1999
The NICE Network was established during the meeting of new media culture initiatives from the Baltic Sea & Nordic Region, which took place in November 1- 4, 1999, within the framework of TEMP - Temporary Media Lab project in Kiasma, Helsinki.
The aim of the meeting was TO CREATE A COMMON GROUND FOR NEW MEDIA CULTURE INITIATIVES in this region.
More information about Baltic Sea Media Space Meeting @ TEMP is available at http://temp.x-i.net

REAL AND VIRTUAL REGION
The real geographical circumstances (north - east part of Europe) were used as the starting point in establishing the network. Within the virtual network the possibilities of collaboration increased and the concept of geographical and historical territories is not decisive factor of co-operation within the network. Locally the participants can interpret the geographical terms of co-operation depending on different contexts (North - East Europe/Baltic Sea region/Nordic-Baltic)

BACKGROUND
Since the early nineties a large number of initiatives working with new media culture emerged in the Baltic Sea region. On several occasions these initiatives met each other on the basis of their projects and decided to start a network which up until today includes the enthusiastic members from Norway, Estonia, Belarus, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Iceland, Russia, Lithuania, Denmark and Poland. Rather than basing the network on geographical or historical similarities, we would like to draw attention to a merging cultural situation on the so-called outskirts of Europe.

THE IDENTITY OF THE NEW MEDIA CULTURE
New media culture is an activity which, as a part of technological culture, spreads all over the world in slightly different forms depending on local conditions. These interdisciplinary activities include fields of art and culture, technology as well as social aspects and are usually curated by media labs and centres, video studios, web sites, and individuals.
The technological culture has a very important role in today's society, but has not been defined at the same level as the well-established sectors as art, education, social issues, politics, business and research which today do not leave a space for interdisciplinary and new media culture initiatives. As the result of it - these initiatives does not fit into the traditional funding bodies and their role in the development of society (and its urgent social issues) is not yet recognised. Therefore it's time to proclaim the new media culture as a sector of its own which is to be
taken into account as an important field of society.

THE CONCLUSION
The participants of the TEMP have established a network for new media culture as a supporting structure for information exchange and collaboration as well as integrating into European media culture contexts. Network will
support the development of the media centres and labs locally and in the region of Baltic Sea / North-East European countries.

TECHNOLOGICAL CULTURE is a very important field in society and deserves a serious place in the cultural policy of each individual country and the region as a whole.