A survey has been launched to investigate sources of innovation in the Brighton and Hove new media sector.

The city is already home to a large number of new media and technology businesses, which make a significant contribution to the local economy and employ a growing number of skilled people.

The aim of the survey is to maintain the city's success by ensuring companies, policy-makers and other stakeholders can make informed decisions.

Wired Sussex, the Brighton-based new media business development organisation, is partnering the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the South East England Development Agency (Seeda) and the Centre for Research in Innovation Management (Centrim) at the University of Brighton, for the study.

An online questionnaire covers topics including general business characteristics, Brighton and Hove as a location for a new media business, innovating activity, links with universities and research institutions and the advantages of business and social networks.

Cheryl Clemons, Wired Sussex's acting executive director, said: "In terms of the number of companies and their revenue, Brighton's new media and technology companies weigh in quite heavily.

"However, although the city is a well-known centre for excellence, it's possible to improve round the idea of innovation by finding out how companies work and feeding this information to those involved in the sector.

"People have been saying 'this is the case' for a long time but it's time to uncover the genuine hindrances and turn the findings into something tangible for our members."

Andrew Grantham, Centrim research fellow, said the research would build on the centre's existing knowledge about business processes.

He said: "We've done a lot of work on international manufacturing and have done a number of European projects but what we didn't know a lot about was the local economy.

"The aim is to build a better understanding of how companies innovate.

"It will also help to bring together companies and support organisations.

"Many entrepreneurs see public bodies as red tape and remain sceptical about the benefits of getting involved with them.

"Wired Sussex is already pretty switched on but we need to make sure the whole sector is better informed."

The survey questionnaire is online at interact.bton.ac.uk/newmedia/ and will be open until August 29.

For the purposes of the survey, Brighton and Hove extends to Lewes, Shoreham and Newhaven.

Initial results will be available from October.

Five bottles of champagne will be up for grabs in a prize draw that will take place after the survey deadline.