On the 6 September 2011 Creative Growth invited to a breakfast briefing in Brussels. The aim of the event was to share project findings and to present policy recommendations for the next steps to promote cultural and creative industries in EU. Some 30 participants attended the event.

The briefing started with a general outlook and presentation of partner experiences and findings during the three year cooperation project creating the bases for the projects policy recommendations. Cristina Fanjul from CCEI Asturias talked about how access to finance is a core barrier for creative companies and also described how Asturias have worked with a model of designing an Asturian Creative Enterprise Office to provide dedicated business support to creative companies. The existing business support system plays a key role. Graham Weir, Edinburgh Napier University shared experience from working with a lecture series to increase creative industries business advisers’ knowledge of specific sectors such as the music industry. Another example showcased was the experiences from Emilia-Romagna where a support path for creative businesses has been tested on 10 creative companies. Majbritt Chambers from Spinderihallerne described experiences from working in a dedicated incubator and its benefits.

The Creative Growth policy recommendations report was presented by Jan Runge, Spectrum. The report points out a number of policy recommendations on a European level to develop the cultural and creative industries. The CCI’s create significant amounts of growth and employment (approximately 5 million jobs in the EU) and contribute to sustainable economic development in all Member States. Creative policy making is needed to grow Europe’s creative industries and re-ignite competitiveness and innovation. Some examples of the recommendations highlighted:

• promote greater investments and investment readiness in creative industries
• support and provide assistance to incubators and related services
• facilitate better education, research and industry relations in Creative Industries
• Support the networking capacities of creative sector companies and professionals
• Adapt existing business support schemes to the realities of the creative economy

The report was officially handed over by the Creative growth project to the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry Ms Agnieszka Truszczynska.

The full report and presentations from the event is available to download here:

• The Creative Growth Recommendation Report (PDF, 942 KB)
• Presentations from the Breakfast Briefing (ZIP, 7.931 KB)

On the 6 September 2011 Creative Growth invited to a breakfast briefing in Brussels. The aim of the event was to share project findings and to present policy recommendations for the next steps to promote cultural and creative industries in EU. Some 30 participants attended the event.

The briefing started with a general outlook and presentation of partner experiences and findings during the three year cooperation project creating the bases for the projects policy recommendations. Cristina Fanjul from CCEI Asturias talked about how access to finance is a core barrier for creative companies and also described how Asturias have worked with a model of designing an Asturian Creative Enterprise Office to provide dedicated business support to creative companies. The existing business support system plays a key role. Graham Weir, Edinburgh Napier University shared experience from working with a lecture series to increase creative industries business advisers’ knowledge of specific sectors such as the music industry. Another example showcased was the experiences from Emilia-Romagna where a support path for creative businesses has been tested on 10 creative companies. Majbritt Chambers from Spinderihallerne described experiences from working in a dedicated incubator and its benefits.

The Creative Growth policy recommendations report was presented by Jan Runge, Spectrum. The report points out a number of policy recommendations on a European level to develop the cultural and creative industries. The CCI’s create significant amounts of growth and employment (approximately 5 million jobs in the EU) and contribute to sustainable economic development in all Member States. Creative policy making is needed to grow Europe’s creative industries and re-ignite competitiveness and innovation. Some examples of the recommendations highlighted:

• promote greater investments and investment readiness in creative industries
• support and provide assistance to incubators and related services
• facilitate better education, research and industry relations in Creative Industries
• Support the networking capacities of creative sector companies and professionals
• Adapt existing business support schemes to the realities of the creative economy

The report was officially handed over by the Creative growth project to the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry Ms Agnieszka Truszczynska.

The full report and presentations from the event is available to download here:

• The Creative Growth Recommendation Report (PDF, 942 KB)
• Presentations from the Breakfast Briefing (ZIP, 7.931 KB)

The Creative Growth project held its final conference on June 30th and July 1st 2011 in Kaunas, Lithuania. The overall aim with this final conference was to exchange results and experiences from the three year cooperation. Kaunas City Mayor Mr Rimantas Mikaitis welcomed the guests to Kaunas. The conference started by setting the scene on why the creative sector is an important element on the European agenda today as one of the possible locomotives to drive growth in the years to come. This puts the Creative Growth project right in the centre of the European political developments at the moment. Then the conference progressed with several case stories from the partner regions to elaborate on the experiences with the Creative Growth project. The awareness and knowledge about the creative sector has increased and a number of actions are now launched in the regions.

What the Creative Growth project is all about differs from partner to partner due to the differences in regional focus and prior experience with the creative sector economy. Thus the learning and what each partner takes away from the Creative Growth project differs. This became ever so clear during the final conference. Despite the differences among the partners’ focus and strengths, it also became very clear that all partners had learnt from best practices in other regions, as well as they had developed new ideas together on how to get the best out of the creative sector based on thematic working groups and pilot activities. New ideas that now are to be implemented in the regions across Europe.

As many as 80 participants made the conference lively and in an atmosphere of exchange of ideas and good practices to the development of creative companies and the creative sector in general. Our partner host Kaunas Regional Development Agency had put together a very interesting and inspiring program that also allowed us to see some of the creative initiatives that exists in and around Kaunas today.

The Creative Growth project held its final conference on June 30th and July 1st 2011 in Kaunas, Lithuania. The overall aim with this final conference was to exchange results and experiences from the three year cooperation. Kaunas City Mayor Mr Rimantas Mikaitis welcomed the guests to Kaunas. The conference started by setting the scene on why the creative sector is an important element on the European agenda today as one of the possible locomotives to drive growth in the years to come. This puts the Creative Growth project right in the centre of the European political developments at the moment. Then the conference progressed with several case stories from the partner regions to elaborate on the experiences with the Creative Growth project. The awareness and knowledge about the creative sector has increased and a number of actions are now launched in the regions.

What the Creative Growth project is all about differs from partner to partner due to the differences in regional focus and prior experience with the creative sector economy. Thus the learning and what each partner takes away from the Creative Growth project differs. This became ever so clear during the final conference. Despite the differences among the partners’ focus and strengths, it also became very clear that all partners had learnt from best practices in other regions, as well as they had developed new ideas together on how to get the best out of the creative sector based on thematic working groups and pilot activities. New ideas that now are to be implemented in the regions across Europe.

As many as 80 participants made the conference lively and in an atmosphere of exchange of ideas and good practices to the development of creative companies and the creative sector in general. Our partner host Kaunas Regional Development Agency had put together a very interesting and inspiring program that also allowed us to see some of the creative initiatives that exists in and around Kaunas today.

On 30 November and 1st December 2010, our Italian partner Aster organised in Bologna an interregional training for business advisors from the Creative Growth partner regions. The main aim of this two-day seminar was to provide “trainees” with the following: starting with general concepts on a specific topic, analyse case studies and then specific tools in the frame of supporting enterprises with specific attention to business start-up and the creative sector.

The training was organised in modules on main issues to support a creative business: How to organise services? How to better incubate companies? How to finance companies? How to help companies find partners? A practical exercise was also carried out to experiment “team building methods” used in Emilia-Romagna to support start-ups using techniques developed in an important creative company. In addition and to conclude the training, five creative companies based in Emilia-Romagna had the chance to introduce their organisation and products to the participating partners.

With 27 participants from support service providers, start-ups and institutions from Emilia-Romagna and other partner regions, the training was particularly successful both in terms of knowledge exchanged and networking favoured.
 

On 30 November and 1st December 2010, our Italian partner Aster organised in Bologna an interregional training for business advisors from the Creative Growth partner regions. The main aim of this two-day seminar was to provide “trainees” with the following: starting with general concepts on a specific topic, analyse case studies and then specific tools in the frame of supporting enterprises with specific attention to business start-up and the creative sector.

The training was organised in modules on main issues to support a creative business: How to organise services? How to better incubate companies? How to finance companies? How to help companies find partners? A practical exercise was also carried out to experiment “team building methods” used in Emilia-Romagna to support start-ups using techniques developed in an important creative company. In addition and to conclude the training, five creative companies based in Emilia-Romagna had the chance to introduce their organisation and products to the participating partners.

With 27 participants from support service providers, start-ups and institutions from Emilia-Romagna and other partner regions, the training was particularly successful both in terms of knowledge exchanged and networking favoured.
 

Creative Growth in Europe - show casing approaches to the creative economy in Europe’s cities and regions

The Creative Growth interim conference took place on 3 December 2009 in Brussels. The half-day event showcased different approaches to promote the creative sector and the creative economy in Europe’s regions and cities. The event brought together a number of recent and running EU-funded projects all dealing with issues linked to the creative economy and creative industries, such as policy issues and local-regional strategic action plans for the creative sector; and business support mechanisms tailor-made for the creative sector and creative entrepreneurs. Representatives from the European Parliament and the European Commission set the scene by commenting on the EU institutions’ work and position towards the creative sector. The conference was addressed to stakeholders and representatives from within the creative economy and creative industries as well as business support organizations and policymakers. The event was hosted in Brussels at the venue of the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. Close to 60 people attended the Creative Growth interim conference.

For more details on the content and speakers view the Creative Growth interim conference programme here (PDF, 669kb).
 

Creative Growth in Europe - show casing approaches to the creative economy in Europe’s cities and regions

The Creative Growth interim conference took place on 3 December 2009 in Brussels. The half-day event showcased different approaches to promote the creative sector and the creative economy in Europe’s regions and cities. The event brought together a number of recent and running EU-funded projects all dealing with issues linked to the creative economy and creative industries, such as policy issues and local-regional strategic action plans for the creative sector; and business support mechanisms tailor-made for the creative sector and creative entrepreneurs. Representatives from the European Parliament and the European Commission set the scene by commenting on the EU institutions’ work and position towards the creative sector. The conference was addressed to stakeholders and representatives from within the creative economy and creative industries as well as business support organizations and policymakers. The event was hosted in Brussels at the venue of the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. Close to 60 people attended the Creative Growth interim conference.

For more details on the content and speakers view the Creative Growth interim conference programme here (PDF, 669kb).