Outcome of the meeting – ECIS23, Feb 15th, 2023, Umeå, Sweden
In the context of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2023, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and EIT Culture & Creativity, a Knowledge Innovation Community supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union), makes a joint statement in which both organisations commit to support culture and creative sectors and industries to improve lives, transform communities, generate jobs and increase competitiveness, and become Europe’s innovation powerhouse.
In signing the Memorandum of Understanding, Pia Sandvik, CEO of RISE and Member of the EIT Governing Board, and Bernd Fesel, interim CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity, also invites each EU Member states to take to take the opportunity to explore synergies and make commitments that maximize the impact of our shared policies and missions.
“Diversity is the DNA of Europe and scaling support for SMEs with this spirit of pan-european synergies between national and European programmes strengthens the single market, jobs and growth in Europe. We are immensely thankful to our partners in Sweden and the EIT to inaugurate this path here in Sweden, in the occasion of their Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and will work to reach similar commitments with other Member States upcoming presidency turn, starting with Spain”,
Bernd Fesel, interim CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity
“In the work for a sustainable Europe, the skills of the cultural and creative sectors have a key role to play in facilitating innovation across industries. EIT is a unique resource with a focus on collaboration and we need this flexible approach to education to cope with the challenges ahead. I am very much looking forward to contributing RISE’s perspective of innovation into the work of EIT Culture & Creativity”,
Pia Sandvik, CEO of RISE
The first steps of our collaboration include:
- The European Design Agenda: Design for Societal Transformation
We are finalizing the collaborative process of setting a European Design Agenda, to serve the entire ecosystem with a design approach for fostering societal transformation. - Call out in 2023: Culture & Creativity Booster for Transformation
We are connecting the Swedish Green Transition Leap, a 15M€ fund for SME transformation, with the EIT Culture & Creativity calls launched in 2023 aimed at supporting enterprises in their green, digital, and social transformation. This way we provide a chance for companies in cultural and creative industries to upscale effective transformation to the European dimension. - Broadly Engage Swedish Stakeholders to Join the European Movement of Culture and Creativity
We explore ways of actively engaging Swedish stakeholders – public as well as private, large organizations as well as the ecosystem of small and micro actors within the cultural and creative industries – and forging ways for them to interact with and join the movement of culture and creativity as a strategic force for societal transformation. One example being the Mayor of the City of Umeå stepping up as an ambassador for the EIT Culture & Creativity Policy Club, at the event.
The collaboration will initially run 2023-2025, and was signed at the ECIS23 Assembly, arranged by the European Creative Business Network as an annual policy forum with top policymakers and leading stakeholders from cultural and creative industries.
About RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
RISE is an independent, state-owned research institute. As an innovation partner for the entire society, RISE help develop technologies, products, services, and processes contributing to a sustainable world and competitive industry. This is done in collaboration with and on behalf of the academia, private and public sector.
More than 3,000 employees – researchers, technicians, and other experts – work to to develop innovations of tomorrow. On a scientific basis, we help customers and partners adapt to and meet challenges, take a holistic approach to solve complex issues and strengthen their competitiveness. Our offering is based on our expertise, often in combination with our unique test and demonstration environments and our advanced lab instruments.
RISE is a state-owned company that has a specially decided social mission. This means that the parliament has decided that within RISE, the profits go to developing the business to provide the best possible support for business and society.
About EIT Culture & Creativity
EIT Culture & Creativity is the ninth Innovation Community by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. 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 The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
The EIT is Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem bringing together close to 3,000 partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in over 80 innovation hubs. The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, composed of leading companies, research labs and universities each dedicated to solving a pressing global challenge, from climate change to health, to renewable energy.
Press contact:
Johanna Hallin,
RISE Research Institute of Sweden
RISE Coordinator EIT Culture & Creativity
johanna.hallin@ri.se