The European Cultural and Creativity Dialogues will take place in Vienna, on 15 & 16 May, 2025, as part of ViennaUp, a city-wide festival of entrepreneurship and innovation that brings together founders, investors, and creative minds from around the world.
The Dialogues serve as the Open Days of EIT Culture & Creativity, offering an open platform for exchange and collaboration for Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.
In this year’s edition we will move from rethinking progress to scaling creativity, to ensuring the right skills and education.
The cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) have the potential to lead sustainable value creation and growth in Europe’s green, digital, and social transformations. However, the sector currently faces challenges in global competitiveness, resilience, and creating impact on economic and societal challenges.
EIT Culture & Creativity, the European institutional partnership for the CCSI, aims to address these challenges by transforming the sector to enhance its competitiveness, resilience, and sustainable economic growth—ultimately driving both economic and societal impact.
The festival is hosted by EIT Culture & Creativity and co-curated with Belvedere and New Renaissance Ventures, and is aligned with key events hosted by partners such as the Vienna Business Agency, CultTech Association, and others, for a broader experience.
NOTICE: To participate, you will need to register separately for each event through ViennaUP, selecting the individual events you wish to attend.
Here is the full programme, along with a list of partner events and a planning recommendation.
DAY 1 –European Cultural and Creative Dialogues – Road to Resilience
MAY 15, 2025 | 09:00–12:30 | Künstlerhaus, Karlsplatz 5, 1010 Wien
To be successful in innovation, you must first hear the signals — early signs of change, emerging needs, and shifting societal dynamics that others might miss. In this interactive session, we’ll tap into the unique capacities of cultural and creative sectors to sense, interpret, and act on these signals—positioning them as key agents of Europe’s green, digital, and social transformation.
This session is not just about showcasing success stories—it’s about co-creating a shared vision for how CCSI can lead systemic change. Expect open dialogue, cross-sector inspiration, and new connections to shape projects, partnerships, and policies that matter.
Explore how the cultural and creative sectors can sense and shape change as drivers of Europe’s transformation through this collaborative, future-facing workshop.
Please register here. Note that you need to register separately for Day 2.
Speakers:
Jenny Grettve – Head of Transformation, EIT Culture & Creativity
Gerin Trautenberger – Director CLC South-East/Alps
After the session you have the opportunity to visit the exhibition IMAGINE CLIMATE DIGNITY.
DAY 2 – European Cultural and Creative Dialogues – Investing in the Creative Economy
MAY 16, 2025 | 09:00–12:00 | Belvedere 21
Unlocking Capital, Creativity, and Culture: Why the Future Belongs to Bold Investments.
This morning is co-hosted by EIT Culture & Creatitivity and New Renaissance Ventures in collaboration with Belvedere Museum. Together, we will explore how creative ventures are driving innovation and why investing in creativity is not only visionary but smart business. We learn from leading investors, gain market insight, and better understand the mindset, language, and logic that drives investment in creative innovation.
We’ll discuss:
- Why they believe in the creative economy
- How they assess and approach cultural ventures
- What needs to change to unlock more capital for creativity
- What creatives should know when aiming to scale
Leading investors and innovators discuss why bold investment in culture and creativity is key to unlocking Europe’s next wave of growth and impact.
Speakers:
Javier Arias – Director Business Creation, EIT Culture & Creativity
Wolfgang Bergmann – CFO, Belvedere
Severin Zugmayer – Founder, New Renaissance Ventures
Christina Maria Hummer – Investment Analyst, Best Night VC
PARTNER EVENTS:
Creative Days Vienna 2025 hosted by Vienna Business Agency
MAY 14-15, 2025 | various locations
We invite you to join Creative Days Vienna 2025, organized by the Vienna Business Agency—an inspiring event where leading international creatives explore how digital technologies are reshaping cultural experiences and sparking innovation across architecture, design, film, gaming, fashion, music, and the visual arts.
Culttech Day
May 16, 12:30 – 16:30 at Central European University,
The CultTech Association returns to ViennaUP for its third year, spotlighting the dynamic intersection of culture, technology, business, and academia in shaping the future of the culttech sector. CultTech Day will feature a vibrant mix of networking, exhibitions, and a standout panel discussion — “Failing Forward,” co-hosted by CultTech Accelerator and Best Night VC — where investors and entrepreneurs will share honest insights on startup setbacks and the resilience needed to succeed. The day continues with a presentation by CEU on their White Paper Report exploring culttech in education, followed by a Q&A with experts across sectors. The event wraps with a networking reception, offering drinks, snacks, and the chance to deepen connections and conversations in a relaxed setting.
RECOMMENDED FLOW
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025
09:00 – 12:30 → Road to Resilience (Künstlerhaus)
13:00 – 20:00 → Creative Days Vienna (Funkhaus Wien)
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2025
09:00 – 12:30 → Investing in the Creative Economy (Belvedere 21)
12:30 – 16:30 → CultTech Day (CEU Campus)
Please note: All events require separate registration via ViennaUP.
We hope to see you there!
