Part of this has involved exploring the wider online learning ecosystem, the ideas that sit behind the technology and looking deeper into the stories they contain. I’ve visited places such as the National Robotarium, where I met and conversed with Ameca the robot; spoken with researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews; attended exhibitions spanning technology, education and visual art; and interviewed a playwright, PhD student, and practitioners at both the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Across all of these encounters, one theme has remained constant: curiosity.

Curiosity appears everywhere - in research labs, rehearsal rooms, workshops, and philosophical conversations. It is not just something created by learning - it often comes before it.

“ I have seen many times how the role of learning recognises, supports and extends curiosity. ”

From my perspective - both within and alongside the organisation - eCom’s strength is not only its ability to adapt to the future, but its understanding of something more fundamental - that learning is lived, not delivered. When curiosity is respected and stories are shared, learning naturally extends beyond what was originally designed or intended.

It has been my pleasure to highlight that the human behind any process is the important bit. To emphasise that it’s our own imperfect, creative and thoughtful humanity which makes any innovation worth doing. At eCom, that human thread, carried through curiosity, continuity and imagination, feels as relevant today as it has ever been over its 30-year journey.

The eCom journey through the years: Sophie and fellow attendees chatting at the weekly eCorner meeting at the Edinburgh Futures Institute; Sophie attending the Human Futures Workshop hosted by Innovate UK