About Us
Our approach
EIT Culture & Creativity aims to fundamentally change the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) towards new understandings of competitiveness, sustainable economic growth coupled with positive social and environmental impacts.
EIT Culture & Creativity aims to radically transform CCSI value networks and ecosystems to ensure they are at the same time competitive, innovative, financially sustainable, while meeting the ambitious targets of climate neutrality and high standards for social responsibility. This includes providing fair and decent working conditions for creatives and cultural workers, while guaranteeing diversity and inclusion.
Our Vision
For the EIT CC innovation community is to improve the competitiveness and resilience of the CCSI by fundamentally changing our collective understanding of entrepreneurship. We support the ecosystem of CCSI to convert short term initiatives into long term partnerships with purpose. With six regional hubs in Europe, we are gateways for local and regional innovators towards European innovation potentials. In this way, CCSI can contribute concretely to the environmental, digital and social transitions in Europe and become a game changer for responsible growth and a resilient future.
Our Mission
Empowering a sustainable European innovation community for the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries and accelerate competitive and resilient entrepreneurship. We foster interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaborations and facilitate new opportunities across Europe for all players in the Extended Knowledge Triangle – education, research, innovation, business/cultural institutions and NGOs. EIT CC works for small, medium and large organisations, commercial and non-profit alike, for single creators and international, interdisciplinary networks across all 15 sectors of CCSI. Co-funded up to 15 years by the EIT, we facilitate partnerships beyond traditional funding periods. With a new understanding of entrepreneurship, these to nurture breakthroughs in innovation, bridge gaps towards implementation and turn innovation by cutural and creative players into societal impact.
EIT Culture & Creativity will create:
- Future-proofed talent within improved working conditions.
- Sustainable and responsible economic growth.
- Dynamic business ecosystems able to scale and compete in global markets.
- Culture and creativity as drivers of green, digital and social transformations.
- The leading innovation ecosystem for Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI).
EIT CC is not another project funding body. We are co-financing long term partnerships with a return on investment and a transformative purpose to increase resilience in and by the CCSI. To this end, we will also become a holding company for top European CCSI organisations. In this way, we strengthen the global competitiveness of European culture and creativity.
A Knowledge and Innovation Community
EIT Culture & Creativity is a vibrant community of leading stakeholders in the cultural and creative ecosystem, including companies, cultural and creative organisations, higher education institutions, research centres and public administrations. We also bring together investors, policymakers, and thought leaders at the intersection of the arts, science, technology and culture.
Where we are
EIT Culture & Creativity headquarters are in Cologne, Germany.
There are six Co-Location Centres (CLCs) located across Europe. Each CLC will serve as a key node to connect with regional
stakeholders across the Knowledge Triangle by building on existing networks and relationships.
Our six Co-Location Centers cover different territories in Europe and beyond. CLCs provide proximity and support to the CCSI innovation ecosystem in their respective region.
CLC North West
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hosting partner organisation:
Cyty of Amsterdam
clc-nw@eit-culture-creativity.eu
CLC North
Helsinki, Finland
Hosting partner organisation:
Kaapeli
clc-n@eit-culture-creativity.eu
CLC South
Bologna, Italy
Hosting partner organisation:
ART-ER
clc-s@eit-culture-creativity.eu
CLC South East Europe & Alps
Vienna, Austria
Hosting partner organisation:
Kreativwirtschaft Austria
clc-sea@eit-culture-creativity.eu
CLC East
Kosice, Slovakia
Hosting partner organisation:
Creative Industry Kosice (CIKE)
clc-e@eit-culture-creativity.eu
Who we are
Management Team
Bernd Fesel
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Anette Schaefer
CO-CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The Executive Board
The Executive Board members represent the EIT Culture & Creativity
Association (EIT CCSI e.V)
Prasanna Oommen-Hirschberg
Chair
MODERATING CHANGE MODERATION, COMMUNICATION-CONSULTANT, AUTHOR
Sven
Kreigenfeld
Member
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FABULENS GMBH & PLEODAT GMBH
The Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board (SB) supervises and supports the EIT Culture & Creativity’s Management Team, its policy and course of action and the general conduct of affairs, considering the interests and concerns of the KIC’s stakeholders as well as the EIT regulations.
Niccolo Caderni
Chair
DIRECTOR, UNIT 9
Martina Bagnoli
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GALLERIE ESTENSI
Bastian Koller
MANAGING DIRECTOR, HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING CENTRE STUTTGART
Johanna Leissner
SCIENTIFIC REPRESENTATIVE, FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT
Laszlo Bax
CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF BRAINGAZE
Eric Jacquemot
HEAD OF INNOVATIVE COMPANIES AT BNP PARIBAS CIB
Mirjam Laux
MANAGING DIRECTOR AT NUMILA ADVISORY
EIT CC HQ Team
The heart of our organisation.
Rolf Hughes
DIRECTOR EDUCATION
Ivy Lin
HEAD OF FINANCE
Marc Martinez
PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE LEAD
Javier Arias
DIRECTOR BUSINESS CREATION
Ambra Trotto
DIRECTOR RIS & TRANSFORMATION
Ivana Unković Diaz
OPERATIONS LEAD
Oliver Heerde
DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION, & SERVICES
Andy Browning
DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION
EIT CC REGIONAL HUBS
The pulse of our organisation.
Gijs Gootjes
DIRECTOR NORTH WEST
Gerin Trautenberger
DIRECTOR SOUTH EAST ALPS
Aurea Rodriguez
DIRECTOR SOUTH WEST
Kati Uusi-Rauva
DIRECTOR NORTH
Governance Structure
EIT Culture & Creativity governance has been carefully designed to comply with the EIT Good Governance Principles.
EIT Culture & Creativity is formed of a group of legal entities: EIT Culture & Creativity e.V., a non-profit association, and the KIC LE, a limited company (GmbH) both legally based in the city of Cologne, and therefore under German law; and the Co-Location Centers, which will be GmbH subsidiaries, incorporated under respective national laws.
