Professor Indrek Ibrus, a researcher affiliated with Tallinn University and a vital member of the CresCine project, has been honored with the Social Sciences Estonian Government Research Award for 2024. 

Professor Ibrus's contributions to social sciences, notably his groundbreaking series of works titled “Studies of Media Innovation, Digital Culture, and Cultural Data," have earned him this prestigious decoration.

Following the news, he highlighted his interdisciplinary approach which provides fresh insights into semiotics, media studies, and innovation studies. "I think that in those four years there has been quite a lot of specificity. I use semiotics theories as well as computer and data science tools to study phenomena at the same time. In four years, a book on the theory of semiotics has been published as well as hard data science work on the analysis of value creation," he explained.

“I would like to establish a data culture and policy that would facilitate widespread access to cultural data in Estonia. This would entail ensuring that everyone has access to tools, thereby enabling the development of new methods for studying culture and cultural history on a broader scale. My attention would shift to the diversity of certain cultural systems as an essential driver of innovation in Estonia," he asserted about his next steps.