EIT Culture & Creativity held its first in-person partner meeting on the 18th and 19th of November, hosted at the premises of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Cologne). More than 150 participants from about 65 partner organisations took part in this meeting.
The opening remarks by Dr. Christian Ehler, Member of European Parliament, and Dr. Jens Brandenburg, State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, set the scope for our ambitions and actions for the coming years.
“The political understanding of the Cultural and Creative Industries and Sectors has matured over the last few years. They have been recognized as one of the 14 ecosystems at the heart of European industrial policy”, said Dr. Ehler, referring to the long term effort of Members of the European Parliament to bring them into the spotlight of research and innovation agendas. “They also play a central role in the New European Bauhaus movement initiated by President Ursula Von Der Leyen”.
During the meeting, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas on the future mission of the Innovation Community, including the green, digital, and social transformation of Europe. These principles will be embedded in EIT Culture & Creativity’s first open call for proposals for education, innovation, business creation and social innovation initiatives planned to be launched in February 2023.
“With EIT Culture & Creativity, the European Commission is establishing a pan-European structure for the innovative power of the entire creative industries for the first time – for all small and large, profit and non-profit stakeholders. This is a one-time opportunity for the creative industries and for Europe. We are pleased to be able to drive these endeavours forward from Cologne in the future, in collaboration with our regional centres and offices in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Košice, Vienna and Bologna.”
EIT Culture & Creativity moves to the Rhine!
The announcement of Cologne as the future location for EIT Culture & Creativity headquarters was confirmed by Henriette Reker, Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne as well as Dr. Manfred Janssen, Managing Director of KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung (Cologne business promotion agency, which also sponsored the event) during the evening programme:
“I am very pleased to welcome EIT Culture & Creativity to Cologne, a high-profile agency of the European Union. It not only strengthens the city’s European identity in a particular way, but also provides precious pan-European networking opportunities for Cologne-based companies in the creative industries as well as our universities. A European innovation community for the creative industries will strengthen and enrich the industry, not only in Cologne but also across Europe.”
“Approximately 10,000 companies in Cologne generate annual sales of around 9.5 billion euros in the creative industries and create employment for around 60,000 people. The Cologne network is already confidently and successfully serving international markets. The establishment of EIT Culture & Creativity in Cologne will make the city an even more important player in Europe’s cultural and creative economy and provide further important stimuli for the industry.”
The evening program was rounded off by a speech from Anna Spechtenhauser and Egbert Rühl, Chairwoman & Chairman of ICE Germany (EIT Culture & Creativity lead partner & co-sponsor of the event). Their words marked the perfect conclusion of the event by highlighting EIT Culture & Creativity’s and all partners’ shared endeavor:
»Europe’s unique quality and strength is our diversity, the richness of our culture, languages, history and tradition. Especially in times like these we have to stay strong, work together and use the enormous potential the sector offers to find solutions and use it as a tool for innovation.«
About EIT Culture & Creativity
EIT Culture & Creativity is the ninth Innovation Community by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It is designed to strengthen and transform Europe’s Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) by connecting creatives and organisations to Europe’s largest innovation network. It takes a holistic and open approach to innovation – from tech to artistic driven innovations, from business to citizen driven – and reinforces the appreciation and anchoring of European values and identities. EIT Culture & Creativity will unlock latent value from a multitude of small CCSI stakeholders through technology transfer, improved cross-sectoral collaboration and their effective integration in production value networks. EIT Culture & Creativity will support technology and business innovation; artistic innovation and social innovation. It will also harness the unique position of the CCSI to facilitate the Triple Transitions in Europe – green, digital and social.
About KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung
KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderung is a subsidiary of the City of Cologne. It is the first point of contact for all companies and founders in Cologne and provides guidance on administration and regulations.
About ICE (Innovation by Creative Economy) Germany
ICE strengthens and promotes research, science and cooperation in and with the cultural and creative industries and drives the green transformation with initiatives and projects. ICE is a lead partner of EIT Culture & Creativity.
