Cologne, 10 December 2024 – EIT Culture & Creativity has signed a partnership agreement with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) until 2030 to sustainably strengthen the Cultural & Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) across Europe. This partnership aims to fundamentally change the CCSI and direct it towards new understandings of competitiveness, resilience and sustainable economic growth, covering 15 sectors across education, research, business, cultural institutions, cities and regions. It will provide public and private co-financing for education, innovation and business creation programmes by 2030.
Long-term cooperations on top of project co-financing
In the coming years, Europe-wide calls for proposals will co-finance universities, research organisations, companies, cities and cultural institutions, going beyond mere one- or two-year public project financing. The aim is to promote innovative products, services, business start-ups and new education programmes that will (re-)finance themselves on the market in the long term and ensure that the EIT Culture & Creativity also achieves financial sustainability.
Focus on key areas: fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, audio-visual media and gaming
EIT Culture & Creativity focuses on five key areas that are vital to Europe’s transition towards a sustainable economy: fashion, architecture, cultural heritage, audio-visual media and gaming.
In the field of architecture, EIT Culture & Creativity supports architects in applying circular and fair practices. In audio-visual media, EIT Culture & Creativity focuses on increasing the number of products and services based on responsible and trustworthy technologies. In cultural heritage, EIT Culture & Creativity aims to increase the social cohesion experienced by visitors, participants and stakeholders of EU cultural heritage institutions and practices. In the fashion industry, programmes promote sustainable and innovative design processes to tackle fast fashion. And in gaming, EIT Culture & Creativity aims to increase the number of SMEs that adopt disruptive trends and technologies such as AI, no-code platforms, third-party payment systems, user-generated content and digital ethics.
Niccolo Caderni, Chair of the Supervisory Board: “Culture is an instrument of peace and discovering our shared heritage builds bridges in our diverse communities. By helping creative industries to grow, EIT Culture & Creativity will demonstrate that culture can also be an avenue to prosperity. In funding this widespread but, until now, unconnected community, the EU has created the largest initiative of this kind anywhere in the world, enabling our cultural and creative entrepreneurs to play a crucial part in shaping society.”
Martin Kern, Director of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, said: “The latest Knowledge and Innovation Community, EIT Culture & Creativity provides an opportunity to welcome more creatives to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem. This milestone marks the basis for Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries to develop their innovation skills, grow their best ideas, and develop new game-changing start-ups. We look forward to seeing EIT Culture & Creativity grow and generate impact in the years to come.”
Reinforcing regional strengths with European potential
Six regional innovation hubs, also known as co-location centres, in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bologna, Helsinki, Košice, and Vienna support the networking and integration of education, research and business locally, creating new scope for innovation and entrepreneurial activities in the sector. At the same time, these regional centres work together at European level to open up growth opportunities for regional players in Europe. They also offer comprehensive support for start-ups, large companies, investors, research institutions, universities and graduates of EIT education programmes, providing them with easier access to new technologies, capital and young talent – for follow-up investments after the completion of accelerator programmes, for example.
Anette Schaefer and Bernd Fesel, both CEOs of EIT Culture & Creativity: “With a turnover of €643 billion (2019), the Cultural & Creative Sectors and Industries rank amongst the top five sectors in Europe, alongside automotive and agriculture. With EIT Culture & Creativity, this economic powerhouse can now unlock its innovation potential for Europe – to deal with fast fashion, for example, or to preserve heritage or reduce the carbon footprint of architecture.”
Innovative responses to social challenges
European society currently faces a number of major challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and health risks. As a part of the EIT community, EIT Culture & Creativity promotes innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe to tackle these challenges and strengthen diversity.
EIT Culture & Creativity Media contact:
EIT Culture & Creativity GmbH
Im Mediapark 5 | 50670 Cologne
Julie Lebrun, Head of Communications
E-mail: julie.lebrun@eit-culture-creativity.eu