The Abbey Road music studio is one of the most famous in the world, not least because it was where the Beatles recorded the bulk of their music. That it was also the name of their final album have ensured the studio has an instant place in musical folklore.

Over the 80 years or so of its operation, the studio has been at the forefront of technology in music, and to try and maintain this lead position the studio are turning to open innovation in a bid to attract the brightest minds from business and academia.

The initiative, called Abbey Road Red, will be dedicated to the latest in music technology and innovation. The aim is for it to act as a hub for music researchers, start-ups and developers to share ideas, use the facilities and expertise at the studios and possibly even grow their venture via the incubation program housed at the studio.

“Abbey Road Red will look at music-related technology beyond just the production side…We expect there will be opportunities beyond the Studios’ traditional music production role,” said Abbey Road managing director Isabel Garvey.

The project is one of the only of its kind in Europe and hopes to attract the best minds in the industry. For researchers the project hopes to provide access to early stage technologies as they emerge so that innovations can be co-developed alongside the entrepreneurs at the venue, who will receive both mentoring and an active testing ground for their inventions and ideas.

It's certainly an interesting proposition for anyone working in the music business, whether in academia or industry. If you would like to participate, you can do so via the Abbey Road website.