Regional Inventory and Analysis

Transcription

SMARTCULTURE
DELIVERABLE 2.2
Regional inventory and analysis
European Seventh Framework Project 319987. FP7-REGIONS-2012-2013.1
The SmartCulture consortium:

EuraTechnologies (EUP) (project coordinator)

Asociación Madrid Plataforma Audiovisual (MAC)

Asociación
Cluster
del
Sector
Audiovisual
de
Euskadi
Ikustentzunezko Klusterra (EIKEN)

The University of Birmingham (UoB)

Comune di Siena (SIENA)

Sofia Development Association (SDA)

Geemeente Eindhoven (Eindhoven)

Region Midtjylland (MIDT)

Libera Universitá di Lingue e Comunicazione IULM (IULM)

Sofiiski Universitet Sveti Kliment Ohridski (SU-NIS)

Design Cooperatie Brainport UA (DCB)

Aarhus Universitet (UoA)

Randers Kommune (MMEx)
For more information on this document or SmartCulture, please contact:
Anca Draghici – SmartCulture project manager
EuraTechnologies
165 Avenue de Bretagne
59000 Lille, FRANCE
adraghici@euratechnologies.com
Tel: 0033 359 08 32 35
–
Euskadiko
DOCUMENT CONTROL
Title
Deliverable 2.2: Regional inventory and analysis
Contributing work package
WP2: Analysis & Integration – RDTI directory and
SWOT analysis
Deliverable nature
Report
Contractual deliverable date
30/06/2013 (month 7)
Actual delivery date
30/09/2013 (month 10)
Dissemination level
Public
Lead beneficiary
Siena and IULM
REVISION HISTORY
Version
Date
Author
Description / Comments
Pier Luigi Sacco,
V.1
17/05/2013
Guido Ferilli
First draft for task participants review
(Siena, IULM)
V.2
22/05/2013
V.3
09/07/2013
V.4
10/09/2013
Aiala Fernandez
(EIKEN)
Anca Draghici
Final draft for participants review
(EUP)
All participants
Inputs from all participants
Guido Ferilli,
V.5
26/09/2013
Second draft for participants review
Pier Luigi Sacco
(Siena, IULM)
Final version for WP leader and
coordinator
AIala Fernandez
V.6
30/09/2013
(EIKEN)
Final inputs
Anca Draghici
(EUP)
V.7
02/10/2013
Anca Draghici
Final version for submission
(EUP)
This document reflects only the views of the SMARTCULTURE consortium and the European
Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
i
FOREWORD
Heritage is a primary basis of European identity and one of the most widely recognized
assets of our continent. However, in the tradition of European heritage cities, the
legacy of the past has often been seen as a marker of a preceding history of cultural
excellence rather than a proper stimulus for further innovation and improvement.
Practically every European city can be considered as a heritage city, although the
nature and extension of such heritage may vary considerably from case to case, and
the present SmartCulture project can be seen to provide a fair sample of the
possibilities, by grouping together cities with important ancient artistic and cultural
heritage, as well as cities with a prominent industrial heritage, a human landscape
heritage, etcetera.
How to provide a sustainable access to such heritage that can at the same time
become a stimulus for further cultural and creative production – i.e., for the
accumulation of new heritage – which may in turn further bring about social and
economic progress in the reference territories for this project? What can be the role of
the new technologies of digital production of cultural and creative contents in achieving
such results? These are the main issues tackled by the SmartCulture project. This is
done by creating an extensive network of cities and regions across Europe that can
leverage upon the cultural diversity and their richness of resources, talents, and
experiences, to devise and disseminate new good, smart practices for creative
activation.
To achieve this purpose, the SmartCulture projects explores ways of sustainable
access to cultural experience by the wider possible range of users by means of digital
technologies, with a view of transforming radically local communities into real players in
the process, from passive audiences to pro-active co-producers and users of contents.
To achieve this, a cross fertilization between ICT enterprises, cultural and creative
industries, and research and education institutions is called for.
The basic step in this perspective is starting from an analysis of the existing cultural
and creative clusters in the partner regions and cities, so as to provide useful insights
in terms of specificities, strengths and weaknesses, emerging good practices,
production, organization and coordination models, and so on. The relevant data have
to be collected, classified, and processed in order to get a deeper knowledge of the
status quo and to formulate plans for future policy design and action.
The purpose of this deliverable is exactly that of carrying out the above tasks, so as to
provide the indispensable knowledge basis for the next steps of the project.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................. ii
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE OF THE DELIVERABLE ................................... 1
1
PART I: REGIONAL INVENTORIES ..................................................................................
1.
Nord-Pas de Calais (France) ............................................................. 6
1.1 Introduction of the regional context ...................................................... 6
1.2 Key actors in the SmartCulture domain ................................................... 20
1.3 Public policies and initiatives in SmartCulture domain ............................ 47
1.4 Application of ICT (Good practice models in the field of SmartCulture.... 53
2.
The Basque Region (Spain) ............................................................ 57
2.1 Introduction of the Regional Context (The Basque Country) ................... 57
2.2 Key Actors in the SmartCulture domain................................................... 69
2.3 Public policies and initiatives in SmartCulture domain ............................ 80
2.4 Application of ICT (Good Practice models in the field of SmartCulture) .. 80
3.
West Midlands (UK) ......................................................................... 85
3.1 Introduction of the regional context ......................................................... 85
3.2. Key actors in the SmartCulture domain ................................................ 100
3.3 Public policies and initiatives in the SmartCulture domain .................... 145
3.4 Application of ICT (Good practice models in the field of SmartCulture) 149
4.
Tuscany Region - Siena (Italy) ........................................................ 154
4.1 Introduction of the Regional context (Siena) ......................................... 154
4.2 Key actors in the SmartCulture domain ................................................. 166
4.3 Public policies and initiatives in SmartCulture domain .......................... 184
4.4 Application of ICT (Good practice models in the field of SmartCulture.. 186
5.
Sofia District (Bulgaria) ................................................................... 195
5.1 Introduction of the Regional context ...................................................... 195
5.2 Key actors in SmartCulture domain....................................................... 204
6.
Brainport Eindhoven (Netherlands).............................................. 235
6.1 Introduction of the Regional context ...................................................... 235
iii
7.
Central Denmark Region (Denmark)............................................. 251
7.1 Introduction of the regional context ....................................................... 251
7.2 Key actors in SmartCulture domain....................................................... 254
7.4 Application of ICTs (Good practice models in the field of SmartCulture)274
8.
Madrid (Spain) ................................................................................ 278
8.1 Introduction of the Regional Context (Madrid) ....................................... 278
8.4.Application of ICT (Good practice models in the field of SmartCulture) 319
PART II: PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE REGIONAL SURVEYS
1. NORD-PAS DE CALAIS (FRANCE) ...................................................... 325
1.1Preliminary results of the online questionnaires................... ... ...............325
1.2Preliminary comments of the focus group .............................................. 327
1.3Preliminary comments of the in deep interviews .................................... 333
2. BASQUE REGION (SPAIN) ................................................................... 336
2.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaire ...................................... 336
2.2 Preliminary comments of the focus groups ........................................... 338
2.3 Preliminary comments of the in-depth interviews .................................. 344
3. WEST-MIDLANDS (UK)................................................ .. .......................353
3.2 Preliminary comments of the focus group ............................................. 356
4. SIENA/TUSCANY REGION (ITALY).................................................. ... .359
5. SOFIA (BULGARIA) ............................................................................... 375
6. BRAINPORT/EINDHOVEN (NETHERLANDS) ..................................... 390
6.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaire ..................................... 390
7. CENTRAL DENMARK REGION (DENMARK) ....................................... 399
iv
8 MADRID (SPAIN) .................................................................................... 409
8.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaire ..................................... 409
PART III: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ..................................................... 416
Annex I: Sectors and subsectors of the CCIs (Deliverable D2.1) .............................. 423
Annex II: NACE Codes for the CCI Industries (Deliverable D2.1) .............................. 425
ANNEX III: List of the participants to the regional survey .......................................... 429
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D2.2: Regional Inventory and Analysis
1 INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE OF THE DELIVERABLE
One of the purposes of SmartCulture is making a clear attempt in creating a common
methodological and conceptual base that will allow the SmartCulture partners to
cooperate on the basis of an agreed framework from the point of view of data
collection, organization, and analysis, so as to make local findings accessible and
comparable also to other partners, and to start a wide circulation of knowledge,
experience and models.
Following the methodological agreement (Deliverable 2.1), each cluster proceeded to
the collection of data in order to evaluate the state of the art of each region and to
elaborate the inventory and the preliminary analysis, which are the basis of the coming
SWOT analysis.
The objective of this Deliverable is to build up a first attempt of regional inventory and
to carry out the consequent regional analysis, identifying key actors and financial tools,
current local trends in research and innovation activities, as well as analysing existing
public policies, and the role of public and private actors in supporting and
accompanying public cluster development policies in the field of digital creative culture.
First of all, concerning data collection, the work has been organized around two main
lines:

Gathering and organizing already existing databases
Currently, we live in a period of outstanding abundance of data, which are generated at
unprecedented levels for the most various purposes. Any kind of existing local data
concerning cultural participation and access, with a particular focus toward digital
platforms, are of primary interest, but of equal relevance is data concerning all related
aspects to the socio-economic functioning of the cultural and creative clusters, for
instance human development, digital literacy, schooling performance with respect to
standardized parameters, rates of innovation, subjective well-being, life satisfaction,
lifelong learning and professional training programs in the cultural and creative fields,
and so on.
This kind of information served to the elaboration of the first part of this document:
“Regional inventories”.
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We built this inventory part on the existing sources and repositories of data from each
project partner, in order to evaluate the state of the art and the differences and
overlaps among the various situations, so as to single out a common basis that can
become the shared reference.
By comparing the available local sources, a common empirical base of already existing
data will be established, and it will be possible to check whether there are the
conditions for in-depth analyses at least for certain aspects.

Generating new data
During the last 4 months, from June to September, regional partners were also able to
generate new data in terms of field evaluations of specific aspects through several
quantitative and qualitative methods: online questionnaires, interviews, focus groups
with regional experts and visits to the headquarters of representative institutions.
New information was purposefully collected, following from the very beginning a
commonly agreed and validated methodology.
Each region was expected to organize at least 12 in-depth interviews, 6 focus-groups
and to achieve 45 valid questionnaires. The participants to the regional surveys are
mentioned at the end of the document, in Annex I.
These results will be developed and refined during the following months and will be
included in the SWOT analysis and in the deliverable 2.3: “SmartCulture as a strategic
driver for the RoK and good practice models”.
Likewise, the elements from the inventory, will serve as a first basis for the Deliverable
2.4 “Directory of RTD offer and demand”.
The synergy between the two sources will produce a knowledge base that is likely to
be one of the first examples of its sort at the EU level, and may become a reference
good practice for other regions and cities.
In this way, it will be possible to understand how, and to what extent, the various
cultural and creative clusters that participate in the SmartCulture project are evolving
towards a more or less full-fledged Culture 3.0 organization of cultural and creative
production, rather than leaning on more hybrid forms of Culture 2.0-3.0 organization.
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SMARTCULTURE
Therefore, in this Deliverable we developped two types of analysis.
The structure of the deliverable:
In the first part of the document, we describe the “Regional Inventories”, as a result
achieved through the use of existing data at the regional level in the participating
regions in the field of ICT and Cultural Heritage. In this section, each region exposes a
describtion of the regional context, followed by the inventory which is, of course, not an
exhaustive one, but it contains the most relevant actors and examples.
Such analysis, which will be further refined and deepened as the project unfolds,
includes the regional inventory and analysis of existing public policy plans, research
activities, support measures, public and private actors, cluster policy initiatives and
good practice models in the eight participating regions.
In the second part, “Preliminary comments of the regional analysis”, a second level of
analysis provides an in-depth perspective, by describing the regional context on the
basis of the purposefully gathered information, in particular online questionnaires, indepth interviews, and focus groups.
With this analysis it will be possible to define the knowledge frame of the regional
context that will be discussed further with the second layer of data.
Being able to embed all this wealth of information in a common framework is an
exercise of remarkable practical value, which could be useful also to other European
players not participating in the current project.
The superposition of the two levels of analysis will therefore provide a broad and
multifaceted description of the creative cluster, and of its relevance and role within the
whole local economic context.
The third part of the document includes an attempt of general conclusions which will be
the basis of the SWOT analysis and so developed in the next deliverable.
I.
The first section, REGIONAL INVENTORIES, goes from page 6 to page 324.
II.
The second section, PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE REGIONAL
SURVEYS, which includes the preliminary comments of the questionnaires, focusgroups and the interviews, goes from page 325 to page 415.
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III.
The third part, GENERAL CONCLUSIONS, which summarizes all the
preliminary comments, can be found from page 416 to 421.
IV.
At the end of the document we added 3 annexes, including the sectors from the
field of SmartCulture and their NACE codes, as well as the list of the participants to the
survey from each region.
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PART I: REGIONAL INVENTORIES
This first part of the deliverable is constituted of 8 Regional Inventories representing all
the participating regions in the SmartCulture project:
-
Nord-Pas de Calais Region (France), from page 6 to 56.
-
Basque Region (Spain), from page 57 to 84.
-
West-Midlands (UK), from page 85 to 153.
-
Siena/ Tuscany Region (Italy) from page 154 to 194.
-
Sofia District (Bulgaria) from page 195 to 234.
-
Brainport Eindhoven/ North Brabant (Netherlands), from page 235 to 250.
-
Central Denmark Region (Denmark) from 251 to 277.
-
Madrid (Spain), from 278 to 322.
Each inventory presentation starts with an introduction and description of the regional
context, according to the following items (when data is available): dimension of the
territory, images of the region, number of inhabitants, economic accounts,
demography, migration, (un)-employment, education, quality of life, economic sectors:
agriculture, industry, tertiary and touris, transport and tourism, research and
development, cultural heritage.
The inventory part includes, for each region, the key actors public and private in the
SmartCulture field: political, research, educational, economic, cultural.
Secondly, it describes the regional policies and initiatives in the field of Culture and
ICT, CCI and also the financial tools identified in each Region.
Thirdly it inventories the succes stories and the good practice models, which are
examples of application of the digital technology to the cultural heritage.
The document not only inventories the actors, but also identifies a contact, under the
form of the website. The actual contact person being subject to changes, especially
regarding the political actors, we only mentioned the websites.
Finally, it is important to notice that this part is a first attempt to inventory the key actors
and it will be improved and refined by each partner during the project.
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1. Nord-Pas de Calais (France)
1.1
Introduction of the regional context
Nord-Pas de Calais is one of the 27 regions of France. It consists of the departments
of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, in the north it has a border with Belgium, and in the west
with the UK.
Varied coastline wides beaches along the North Sea; sharp cliffs and small bays
between Cape Blanc-Nez and Boulogne lower ribs frilly dunes, wide beaches (Le
Touquet) and estuaries.
With its 324 people per km2 on just over 12,400 km2, it is a densely populated region,
having some four million inhabitants1 in 2011—seven percent of France's total
population - almost 90% of whom live in urban communities.
1
Source: INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) : www.insee.fr and CCI regionNord de France
(Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
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The Department of Nord is the most populated in France. It is clearly in Northwest
Europe, one of the most urbanized areas of the planet, its density also approaches that
of Belgium (348 inhabitants / km ²).
Its administrative centre and largest city is Lille. The second largest city is Calais,
which serves as a major continental economic/transportation hub with Dover of Great
Britain; Other major towns include Valenciennes, Lens, Douai, Béthune, Dunkerque,
Maubeuge, Boulogne, Arras, Cambrai and Saint-Omer.
The Metropolis of Lille is the 15th biggest european metropole, with 2.2 million
inhabitants: A Franco-Belgian Metropole (1.2 milion inhabitants on the French side and
1 million on the Belgian side).
With and active population of 500.000 people, Lille Metropole is the richest and most
dense epicenter in terms of consumers and purchasing power within a radius of
300km.
« La Grande Place » , Lille; Source: www.lillemetropole.fr
It is also one of the youngest regions in metropolitan France, with 35% under the age
of 25 years to a national average of 31.13% (according to INSEE at 1 January 2009).
Since 1999, the region has experienced modest population growth, close to 2,730
people per year with a positive balance that compensates its natural migration deficit.
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Repartition of the population by age
The main destination is the Ile-de-France, often for education or job search. It is also
the first region of origin before the Picardy.
Not surprisingly, young people (18-24 years) or just a little older (25-39 years) are more
mobile: they represent 31% of the population but 62% of arrivals and 59% of
departures. The analysis confirms the strong social class mobility of students and staff.
Thus, the population of the Nord - Pas-de-Calais is the most stable of all the regions of
France, in 2006, nearly 97% of the people already living there 5 years ago.
As elsewhere, the population of Nord - Pas-de-Calais becomes older: the average age
reached 37.1 years in 2006 against 35.8 years in 1999. However, it remains the
youngest behind the Ile-de-France.
The regional life expectancy is increasing but does not fill the persistent gap with that
of the national average. In 2008 the life expectancy was calculated at 79.2.
Migration:
People from abroad are few: only 20% of arrivals. They all come from Europe,
especially Belgium, and Africa, mainly from Algeria and Morocco.
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Spanish
Italiens
Portuguese
Morrocans
Algerians
Tunisians
Turkish
Other African countries
Other EU countries
Source: INSEE – January 2010
Transport and Infrastructure
Within easy reach of decision-making centers including Paris, Brussels, London,
Amsterdam and Frankfurt, the region combines a strategic geographical location with
outstanding transport infrastructure-the densest network of multi-lane highways in
Europe, high-speed rail services, the Channel Tunnel, two major international airports
nearby. Lille’s airport, Lesquin now exceeds one million passengers annually.
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The transport axes, activity areas and cities are covering 13% of the territory and large
cities polarize two thirds of the regional territory with a peculiarity: the region accounts
for nearly half of the national stock of brownfields.
Economy:
Since the postwar period, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais has faced serious structural
problems and a persistent economic and social crisis. Within the three major sectors of
the old economy: coal, steel, textile, only the last is effective (2nd French region for the
textile and clothing sector). However, the Channel Tunnel and the TGV initiated the
region into a new dynamic.
The Nord-Pas de Calais region is a concentrate of expertise and savoir-faire:
•
1st European railway area
•
1st exporting region in food
•
French first place in retail
•
2nd French region in automobile industry with more than 10 billion euros of
turnover
•
2nd French region of technical textiles
•
second digital center in France
•
3rd French region in plasturgy
•
3rd regional industry in the field of image
•
1 Carnot Institute
•
1 Institute of Technological Research
•
2 Centers of Technological Dissemination
•
1 Technological Platform
The challenges of economic development are key issues to the Nord-Pas de Calais:
creation and development of regional business, attractiveness of the area, adapt to an
international reality.
By gross domestic product, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais is the fourth French region. In
2009 it was 96.9 billion€ or 5.2% of the national GDP.
The secondary sector occupies only 23% of the workforce (22% in France), while the
services sector is expanding, joining the national average (75% of assets). The
employment situation has improved, however the level unemployment remains the
highest in France.
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Average taxable income by household in 2010
Source: CCI région Nord de France
According to INSEE, between 2011 and 2012, the number of job seekers rose sharply
in the region. They were, in December 2012, 360,000 to be registered. 14% of the
active population of Nord-Pas-de-Calais was unemployed at the end of 2012.
Industry
While some industries have disappeared (the last mine was closed in December 1990),
others have adapted. The basic industries sector is important, steel and heavy metals
have disappeared from the Sambre and Valenciennes to focus in Dunkerque, which
added petrochemicals. Previously produced from coal, electricity now comes to 80% of
the Gravelines nuclear power plant.
The automotive industry is leading in the field of metal processing. It was introduced in
1970 and represents about a third of the regional employment, with more than 2000
employees institutions, including PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Toyota. It is followed
by the railway equipment, food processing, glass industry, and chemistry, diverse (coal
chemical, inorganic chemistry, detergents, pharmaceuticals) and textiles. The latter,
located mainly in Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing, working wool and cotton, is converted by
focusing on high performance textiles around the cluster with global ambitions Up-Tex.
New industries have developed as electronics and plastics and more recently the
biomedical sector, this near Lille, with Eurasanté center. The cluster Nutrition-HealthLongevity should strengthen this sector, the number of jobs which is now higher than
the textile. In general the emphasis is on research and development.
Nevertheless intensive agriculture occupies most of the landscape. According to
Larousse, the agriculture represents 3.9% of the national production.
The proximity of the North Sea has attracted a growing fishing industry concentrated in
Boulogne, the first French port for landings and the first fish processing center.
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Despite previous lag, the region has experienced a rapid progress in the services
sector. In the tertiary sector the Nord - Pas-de-Calais has the distinction of hosting
major brands distance selling and retail. With seven universities, the potential research
training has become considerable.
According to INSEE, a little over 24 000 companies were created in the Nord-Pas de
Calais in 2012, a figure slightly down compared to 2011 (-0.8%). The evolution of the
number of births between 2009 and 2012 is generally more favorable region in France.
In addition, the Nord-Pas de Calais is characterized by a high birth rate compared to
other French regions (16%), but a survival rate of less business.
Nord-Pas de Calais: A land of research and innovation
In Nord-Pas de Calais innovation and R&D are strategic issues. This trend requires
certain unavoidable qualities from all those parties involved: reactivity, flexibility,
adaptability, ability to train, to invest, select and appropriate outside knowledge, as well
as to carry out steps on a partnership basis, both in France and beyond its frontiers. In
order to increase its performance, the Region focused on economic development –
human capital, research and innovation. At the same time, its geo-strategic location is
an undeniable advantage, just as its regional policies are becoming more and more
determined with respect to research and innovation. A policy that allows the players to
unite around a real, shared ambition.
Hence, the region Nord-Pas de Calais has large, internationally recognized
laboratories and research institutes, which attract researchers from throughout the
world and helps establish efficient partnerships. The region has six clusters of
competitiveness geared towards research and development at national and/or world
level and 11 clusters of excellence, complementing the former, which are mainly
geared towards providing support and assistance to companies.
An economically powerful region2
2

A privileged geographical location

4 million inhabitants

4th largest economic region in France

97,000 companies
NFID (Nord France Innovation Development) www.jinnove.fr
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
96 billion Euro GDP in 2009

1st region to welcome foreign investment accrued since 1993

3rd exporting region in France

Between 2002 and 2008 the number of business startups in Nord-Pas de
Calais increased by 67%

Lille has been ranked as the 11th European and 1st French city in terms of
entrepreneur’s satisfaction with the business environment (source : The 2009
ECER-Banque Populaire Ranking)

689 businesses with 50 or more employees have headquarters in the region,
while 77 businesses with 500 or more employees have headquarters here

The Lille area boasts the 3rd largest business property market in France, with
commercial property rates among the most competitive in Europe

The region is at the epicentre of the largest concentration of consumers in
Europe, with 100 million people living within a radius of 300 km
Education:
The Academy of Lille includes 6 universities, private universities, a European university
center spread in fifteen cities of Nord-Pas de Calais. 3
With 832,807 students attending school structures of the first and second degrees
(public and private) of the region, Lille academy ranks second after Versailles,
representing 7% of the national enrollment.
In Lille there are excellent higher education and specialist institutions: Sciences Po
Lille, School of Journalism, Le Fresnoy (audiovisual). The metropolis is an important
pool in terms of Business Schools (EDHEC, IESEG, Skema) and engineers (Centrale
Lille, HEI, Telecom 1, Polytech’Lille).
Dynamic research and innovation4
3
4

6 competitiveness clusters

11 regional centres of excellence

7,700 researchers and research professors

156,000 students
http://www.ac-lille.fr/academie/universites/
NFID, www.jinnove.fr
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
3,000 doctoral candidates

1,800 research masters awarded each year

6 State universities and 1 private university

23 engineering and businesses schools

10% of French engineers graduate from the Nord-Pas de Calais region’s
engineering colleges

300 private and public research laboratories

5.6% of national patents filed with the European Patent Office

Number of students: 159 1965

Number of High Schools : 297 public and private High Schools and 184 689
high school students6
ICT and economy:
The ambition of the Region is to use ICT as leverage for economic development. A will
that requires the creation of a favorable and attractive environment by: equipping
business areas, developing services for businesses and residents, structuring the ICT
sectors, disseminating ICT within companies.
A study of the “L’Observatoire”7 in 2013 reveals that there are 1 641 ICT companies
and 28 683 employees in the ICT sector, as shown bellow.
Lille – Roubaix
Tourcoing
Nord-Pas de Calais
France
Companies Employees Companies Employees Companies Employees
Total Global ICT
Evolution 20072011
1065
21526
1641
28683
49008
869168
+11%
+9%
+7%
+4%
+3%
-3%
Evolution of the ICT companies
5
www.arf.asso.fr
6
Idem
www.observatoire-tic.fr
7
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Lille Metropole
Nord Pas de Calais
France
Evolution of employees in ICT sector
Source: L’Observatioire des TIC de Lille Metropole et du Nord-Pas de Calais”
www.observatoire-tic.fr
CCI and economy:
As regards the CCIs, the studies and the existing data are only focused on the Lille
Metropole area, but this field is actually the object of the European project names
“European Creative Cluster Lab”.
From the available information provided by Lille Metropole we find out that in 2010 this
field gathered more than 2 000 CCI companies and 17 000 employees, corresponding
to 3% of the jobs in Lille’s area (3r French region).
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The performing arts and the film production had a spectacular evolution from 2000 to
2010 of +73% and +79.5%.8 On the other hand, sectors like printing and advertising
had lost salaried jobs.
According to the same source, the repartition of the salaried jobs in the CCI sector in
2010 was at follows:
Repartition of employees in the CCI sector
Cultural sector
Cultural industries
15%
Creative activities
Related industries
21%
20%
44%
Source: Pôle emploi –traitement SISE – Lille Métropole
As regards the cultural sector, the same study revealed that half of the total jobs are
concentrated in the City of Lille and half in the entire Metropolis. In 2010, the repartition
of employees in the cultural field looks as follows:
Repartition of salaried jobs in the cultural sector
15%
21%
Cultural sector
Cultural industries
Creative activities
20%
Related industries
44%
8
Observatoire Partenarial de l’Economie de Lille Métropole.
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SMARTCULTURE
Source: Pôle emploi –traitement SISE – Lille Métropole
Cultural heritage:
With almost 200 museums, including 30 museums of Fine Arts and 49 museums
labeled Museums of France9, Nord-Pas de Calais is offering to visitors a large choice
of cultural activities.
Red brick houses neatly lined housing estates and mining villages, seaside villas and
fishermen, mansions and architecture style. The habitat of the region is very diverse,
linked to the past, places and
Bands, fanfares, orchestras, regional federation of music societies, founded in 1903,
lists all the information on nearly 800 musical societies, 43,000 musicians and more
than 12,000 students in the Nord-Pas de Calais region.10
Each year, the choice is vast, hundreds of festivals exist.
- Classical music, contemporary and baroque
- Songs and local, national and international artists
- Movies, dancing or theater
The belfries of the area were built between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries.
There are various architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and
Baroque.
Since 2005, seventeen belfries in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais are classified as World
Heritage UNESCO and the Processional Giants and Dragons in Belgium and France
are classified intangible cultural heritage of humanity also to UNESCO.
In 2008, the citadel of Arras is classified as World Heritage in the category of
fortifications Vauban. Since June 30, 2012, a part of the architectural and natural
heritage of the remaining Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield is ranked mondial Heritage.
9
Regional Authority of Nord-Pas de Calais : www.nordpasdecalais.fr
http://www.fedemusicale59-62.org/
10
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Belfries in the Nord-Pas de Calais Region
The area is recognized as a region of museums and cultural events. In 2012, major
museums and the finest masterpieces of the world made a stop in the Nord-Pas de
Calais for a few weeks, months, or forever: the Louvre in Lens, the Institute of World
Arabic Roubaix-Tourcoing, mobile Pompidou in Cambrai and Boulogne-sur-Mer and
Versailles in Arras.
The heritage of the region is rich and varied: abbeys, cathedrals and chapels, belfries
and chimes, windmills or watermills, castles and stately homes, forts and fortifications,
castles, lighthouses. This rich heritage is linked to both successive occupations,
religion and commercial and industrial history of the region, located in the heart of the
European market transactions.
Lille Metropole’s international outlook is reflected in both its cultural programs and its
organisations with the Palais of Beaux-Arts, the Museum La Piscine, Museum of
Modern Art, the Lille National Orchestra and the National Centre of Choreography.
Lille also hosts regular cultural events such as Lille 3000 and the annual Braderie de
Lille (antique and flea market).
Louvre Lens, Pompidou Mobile in Cambrai and Bethune, Pharaon in Valenciennes,
Arras in Versailles, regional capitals of culture, regional parks (preserving their natural
heritage), kites in Berck ... The cultural development is one of the priorities of action in
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the region, which is investing more than ever in major campaigns animations and
renovations.
Louvre Lens - The Big Gallery; Source: www.louvrelens.fr
Lille 2004 – European Capital of Culture
In 2004 Lille was designated European Capital of Culture and the Nord-Pas de Calais
Regional Authority remade this experience with the “Regional Capitals of Culture”:
Valenciennes in 2007, Bethune in 2011 and Dunkerque in 2013.
The Lille 3000 operation perpetuated
the
innovative
cultural
project,
extension of Lille in 2004. Thus 12
"Maisons
Folie"
have
emerged
in
several major cities. Exhibition spaces,
show, sharing talents and activities of
all kinds.
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1.2 Key actors in the SmartCulture domain
Political actors and institutions
The administrative organization of France is quite complex, because it is one of the few
countries of the European Union, which includes four levels of territorial administration:
the State, the Region, the Department and the Town.
The specific organization system in France corresponds to “decentralization”, following
the law voted in 1982. The decentralization is a system of organization of state
administrative bodies by which decision-making and management powers are
delegated to directly elected local government bodies in order to ensure a better
balance powers across the nation.
The Prefect is the "depositary of state authority in the department."11 It is the direct
representative of the Prime Minister and each Minister in the department. It implements
government policy development and planning at the department level.
Since 1977, the Minister of Culture and Communication is present in each region
thanks to the Regional Directorates of Cultural Affairs (DRAC- Directions régionales
des affaires culturelles). This Directorate is in charge of implementing, under the
authority of the Prefect of the Region and the Prefects of Departments, the cultural
politics defined by the government. They also have competencies of consulting and
expertise of cultural partners, local collectivities and institutions in the field of Culture:
heritage, museums, archives, books and public lecture, music, dance, theatre and
performances, scientific and technical culture, arts, cinema and audiovisual. 12
Today, from an administrative point of view, the Nord-Pas de Calais Region is:
Nord-Pas de
Calais Regional
Authority
The
Department of
Nord
The
Department of
Pas de Calais
11
http://www.vie-publique.fr/decouverte-institutions/institutions/collectivites-territoriales/principescollectivites-territoriales/quelle-est-fonction-prefet.html
12
http://www.nord.gouv.fr/Les-actions-de-l-Etat/Culture-et-citoyennete/Organigramme-et-missionsde-la-DRAC
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In the Nord-Pas de Calais Region the local organization is based on three levels of
administration: region, department and town, which are defined below.
At the regional level there are 3 Urban Communities which are public institutions for
cooperation between municipalities, regrouping several municipalities with a total of
more than 500 000 inhabitants.

Urban Community of Lille Métropole

Urban Community of Dunkerque Grand Littoral

Urban Community of Arras
The Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Authority is the deliberative assembly of the
region, acting on the regional territory. The headquarters are localized in Lille, since
2008.
This authority has important competencies in different domains as the Economic
Development, the Research and the Culture. Thus, there are 3 important directorates
which are key actors and partners in the SmartCulture field:

Directorate for Economic Action

Directorate for Research, Higher Education, Health and Information and
Communication Technologies:

Directorate for Culture: Promote the access to culture for all, in all its forms,
value creations, exhibitions, projects, support local cultural initiatives, national
and international, assist in the organization of major cultural events, supporting
regional cultural actors.
Contact: www.nordpasdecalais.fr
Secondly there are the General Authorities, which are the deliberative assemblies of
the department: the General Authority of Nord and the General Authority of Pas de
Calais.
In the General Authority of Nord there are three relevant directorates in SmartCulture
field:

Directorate for Local Development

Directorate for Culture

Directorate for innovation and foresight
Contact: http://lenord.fr
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SMARTCULTURE
The General Authority of Pas de Calais also has competencies in the field of
Education, Culture and Sustainable development:

Directorate for Economic Development

Directorate for Sustainable Development

Directorate for Culture
Contact: http://www.pasdecalais.fr/
Thirdly, there is the city/the municipality which is represented by the mayor and the
cities can be regrouped in communities of municipalities. The City Councils also have
local competencies in the domain of Culture, so they are relevant actors in the
SmartCulture field.
Municipality of Lille: http://www.mairie-lille.fr
Municipality of Arras: http://www.arras.fr
Municipality of Calais: http://www.calais.fr
Municipality of Lens: http://www.villedelens.fr
An important stakeholder in the Region is the Urban Community of Lille Métropole,
which is a local authority, more precisely a public institution for cooperation established
by the Law of 31 December 1966 with the aim to overcome the disadvantages resulting
from the fragmentation common in large cities. It regroups 85 municipalities. The Urban
Communities have several competencies which include, among other, the economic,
social, and cultural development of the community space.
The Urban Community of Lille Métropole also has competences in the domain of
Culture on the territory of the Metropolis of Lille (Directorate of Culture) and Economic
Development (The Directorate of Economic Development).
Contact: http://www.lillemetropole.fr
Another important political actor is the CALL, Community of Municipalities of LensLiévin who gathers 36 municipalities and who leads with the Regional Council the
Association Euralens and the Louvre-Lens Museum.
Contact: http://www.communaupole-lenslievin.fr
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Research centers and actors
This topic of research linking ICTs and the cultural creative industries has been a
priority in the Nord-Pas de Calais regional Council’s International Cultural Cooperation
strategy since 2008:
“Developing the research recognized in our laboratories, support researchers, attract
new, better understand the challenges to better support them ... It is the ambition of the
Regional Council. Inseparable from economic, social and cultural development, policy
research accelerates the progress of knowledge.”13
Besides the research centers and laboratories inventoried above in the same time as
the educational actors, additional research actors exist in the region.
The SmartCulture research’s environment in Nord-Pas de Calais consists in:

Cluster Images including 15 laboratories and research centres regrouping 22
skills on ICT, human sciences, culture, human-machine interactions, 160
Researchers.

Universities (University Lille 1, University Lille3, ULCO, UVHC, University
Artois, CNRS, INRIA) which supplied skills on Humanities Arts, Informatics,
Electronics, Design, Cinema, Education science, Image, Multimedia, Virtual
Reality, Numerical Art, Interaction Man-Machine, 3D.

5 high-technology research platforms for digital access to cultural resources :
PIRVI (augmented reality, interactions, images), M-PACE (Perception Action
Cognition Action), IDIVE (Interactive and digital visual environments, national
project), DREAM, ANT2A

4 Major Projects: Louvre-Lens, Numeric Greenhouse – Serre Numérique,
Factory of Images and Imaginarium.
INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique)
Inria is a public research body totally dedicated to computer science and technology.
Since its creation in 1967, Inria has double activity: the development of a high level
research and the creation of values, thanks to the transfer of the results of its work to
the economic world and to the society.
13
Nord Pas de Calais Regional Council : http://www.nordpasdecalais.fr/jcms/c_5235/recherche
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One of the major objectives of Inria Lille-Nord Europe is to develop new activities
around the digital sciences in partnership with industrial actors, other research centers
and regional key actors of innovation.
Inria Lille-Nord is:
o
345 persons
o
17 associated teams with foreign laboratories (partnership with 41 different
countries)
o
18 bilateral active contracts including 11 with SMEs
o
2 Inria Innovation Labs (common laboratories SMEs and research teams)
The Inria Lille - Nord Europe research centre's technology and experimentation
platforms are testament to the diversity and expertise of the research teams' work.
These developments are of great value in terms of scientific output, but also in terms of
innovation, facilitating dialogue with industrial players in the field of new technologies.
Inria Lille-Nord is organised around 3 fields of research in the domain of computer
sciences. Inria is also present in the ecosystem EuraTechnologies innovation in ICT.
The goal is to promote interaction between the scientific community, the business
world and society. Thus, a collaborative workspace was made available to all players
and an entertainment program is put in place throughout the year.
Contact: http://www.inria.fr/centre/lille
LIFL (Laboratoire d’Informatique Fondamentale de Lille)
The LIFL is a joint computer science research laboratory of the University Lille in
partnership with CNRS, the University Lille 3 and Inria. It was founded in 1983 and has
been continuously expanding ever since. Its staff presently comprises more than 250
members - 120 lecturers and professors, 30 technicians and administratives, and more
than 100 PhD students. The research at the LIFL is enhanced by researchers and
projects of CNRS and INRIA, the two major French research institutions in computer
science.
Regionally, the LIFL cooperates with the research institute IRCICA created in 2001
which is Lille's research institute on components and systems for information
and advanced communication.
The LIFL has numerous other industrial and academic partners on the international,
national, and regional levels. The LIFL is already the most important computer science
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SMARTCULTURE
research institute in the North of France. In the near future, it aims at creating a center
of excellence in computer science with its regional and national partners.
Research at LIFL Laboratory is grouped around three domains: Interaction
Coopération Images (ICI), Software Infrastructures and Embedded Systems (ILSE),
Modèles Algorithmes Calcul (MAC).
Contact: http://www.lifl.fr/
IRCICA:
IRCICA, the Institute for Research on Software and Hardware Components in
Information Technologies and Advanced Communications, was established in
2002 by four regional laboratories with links to CNRS that are recognised in the
field of information and communication technologies.
The idea was to help the laboratories develop truly up-to-the minute research, which
they were previously prevented from working on due to insufficient human and material
resources. The aim was to take part in the great adventure of the information society
and try to remove some of the numerous technological obstacles facing ICT today.
Between 2002 and the end of 2005, this research resulted in over 350 international
high-level communications and publications.
In 2006, thanks to the construction of a new building, it was possible to introduce three
new technological platforms i.e. the construction of photonic-crystal-based optical
fibres, virtual reality, and telecommunications and sensor networks. Since then,
multidisciplinary multilaboratory projects have been favoured, focusing on the topic of
ambient intelligence. 300 publications and communications have been produced and
eight patents submitted during this time, confirming IRCICA’s international reputation.
Contact: www.ircica.univ-lille1.fr
IEMN (Institut d’Electronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie)
IEMN is a research institute created by the National Centre for Scientific Research
(CNRS), two universities and an Engineer school of France northern region.
IEMN equipment for design, fabrication and characterization of devices are at the best
European level. The institute has a total staff of about 500 persons including 109
professors and associate professors, 45 CNRS researchers, 100 engineers and
administrative agents, about 150 PhD students as well as 30 post doc and invited
professors and 60 master students and trainees.
The IEMN scientific activity covers a large domain going from the physics of materials
and nanostructures to microwaves, telecommunications and acoustics instrumentation.
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SMARTCULTURE
Very open to international collaborations, more than 100 foreigner scientists coming
from 20 different countries are currently working at IEMN.
IEMN, with 60 Master of Research students and 120 PhD students is a major
educational player in the research fields of micro technology, nanotechnology and
telecommunications.
Research:
IEMN scientific activity which covers a large domain going from the physics of
materials and nanostructures to instrumentation can be divided into five major scientific
domains.
Contact: http://exploit.iemn.univ-lille1.fr/
CRIL (Artois)
The CRIL (Center for Research in Computer Sciences of Lens) is a laboratory of the
University of Artois associated with CNRS, which includes more than 50 members,
researchers, faculty, graduate students and administrative and technical staff.
The unifying theme of research for the CRIL concerns symbolic artificial intelligence
and its applications.
The CRIL is supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Nord-Pas de
Calais Region, CNRS, University of Artois and the IUT of Lens.
Contact: http://www.cril.univ-artois.fr/
MESHS (European Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities)
MESHS is a research unit supported by the French National Center for Scientific
Research or CNRS and the universities of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy regions
in Northern France. The international (6 experts are foreign) scholarly committee is
made up of 18 external researchers whose knowledge is widely-acknowledged to span
their own field of research as well as a broad range of other disciplines.
MESHS is involved in the regional research project (Contrat de Projets EtatRégion/CPER) for 2007-2013 and as such the mission is to serve as an interlaboratory and interdisciplinary hub and facilitator of intellectual life, and to produce
path-breaking research in the area of complex systems transcending the boundaries of
established disciplines within SSH and between SSH and other sciences.
Through the partnership with local research centres (30 as yet), MESHS structures and
federates regional research in most SSH disciplines – sociology, economics,
geography, land use science, environmental science and sustainable development,
management science, law, political science, information and communication sciences,
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SMARTCULTURE
psychology, languages, linguistics, history, archaeology, philosophy, philology,
literature, artistic studies and education sciences.
Contact: http://www.meshs.fr/
EDESAC - CREST - Digital Art and technology applied to art
CREST is the Centre of Resources and Scientific Technological Expertise "Digital Art
and technologies applied to art".
The team “Devices, Experiments, Situations in Contemporary Art“ (EDESAC) part of
the Study Centre of Contemporary Arts (CEAC), puts into practical relationship, the
aesthetics and theory of art sounds and images.
The team explores the conditions under which individuals take ownership of musical
and visual "productions", such as the art of sounds fixed support, visual and sound
installations, interactive music games or musical achievements of the net –art.
Main areas of expertise:
- Digital art
- Musical interfaces
- Design and sound distribution
- Multimedia installations
- Interactive creations
Areas of development of industrial and socio-economic partnerships:
- Optimization of the R & D of visual and musical interfaces according to ergonomic,
psychological and musical practices presuppositions for a better fit with the use (digital
creativity sector / publishers of music games).
- Providing more technology: immersive technology facilities, creation event (sound
design, sound design), and environmental analysis (on the issue of sound).
Contact: http://edesac.recherche.univ-lille3.fr/
CEAC – Study Centre of Contemporary Art
CEAC is dedicated, from an interdisciplinary perspective, to the process and forms of
creation since the 20th century.
Its aim is to mix the theoretical reflection and the pluri-artistic realization in the
framework of the research on the interaction between arts and philosophy, arts and
psychology, arts and politics. Music, theatre, dance, fine arts and cinema are gathered
in this laboratory which is a special place for arts of gesture and to productions
supported on new technologies.
Contact: http://ceac.recherche.univ-lille3.fr/
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SMARTCULTURE
Play Reasearch Lab – Valenciennes
Play Research Lab is a laboratory of Research & Development, created by the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Grand Hainaut, dedicated to ludology,
specialized in assessing the games (Serious games, therapeutic games, edugames,
advergames ...), the use of games (skills assessment, diagnosis, experiences ...),
projects (book of specifications, prototypes of games ...), ecosystems using the game
(schools, hospitals, businesses ...)
The “e-virtuouses Awards” reward the newest innovations in Serious game, Serious
gaming and Gamification.
Contact: https://twitter.com/evirtuoses
Educational actors and institutions
In Nord-Pas de Calais, the Regional Council elaborated the outlines of the strategy in
Higher Education and Research. It draws a strategic framework to increase access
and success for all in higher education, research of high quality, sustainable and
inclusive campus, and a Euro-region of higher education and research.
In the Region the ICTs play an important role in the education, the technical progress
allows to bring resources to the user, in any place, at any time, according to its
information and training needs.
The Academy of Lille is the administrative structure of the decentralized services of
the Ministry of Education in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. Under the authority of the
President, it shall organize regional policy defined by the Minister of National
Education. It consists of a rectory and two academic inspections, located in the
departments of Nord and Pas de Calais.
The academy has fourteen areas of education. They include schools, colleges and
high schools, which allows consistency with economic policies and regional planning.
With 832,807 students attending school structures of the first and second degrees
(public and private), the Academy of Lille consists in six universities, one private
university.
Contact: http://www.ac-lille.fr/
The most important educational actors in the field of SmartCulture in Nord-Pas de
Calais are:
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University of Lille 1 – Science and Technology:
Lille 1 University is a State University, one of the leading science universities in France.
It is a science and technology center at the forefront of national and international level.
The offer of the University consists in Lille 1 science, technology, engineering,
economics, management, geography and sociology. Degree programs run over a
period of 3 years for the Bachelor and 2 years (1+1) for the Master, with selection
requirements for the final year.
According to Ranking QS Top 2011/2012: Lille 1 is in the world and in the top 100 for
the number of international students - 19 604 students (21% are international students
coming from 70 different countries). Lille 1 represents 1 500 PhDs and 39 laboratories.
Research is organized around 8 scientific sectors (Information and Communication
Technology, Biology and Biotechnologies, Chemistry and Materials, Environment,
Human and Social Science, Mechanics, Physics and Mathematics).
Its laboratories, largely associated with large research organizations are equipped with
scientific equipment and technology platforms for outstanding performance.
The research activity is largely open to the world, through participation in numerous
European projects, the establishment of six European and international laboratories
and home every year a hundred visiting professors.
The university also shelters the Institute of Sciences and Information and
Communication Technologies and the laboratory LIFL (the Laboratory of Fundamental
Research of Lille).
Contact: http://www.univ-lille1.fr/ and http://www.lifl.fr/
ISEN (Institut Supérieur de l’Electronique et du Numérique)
ISEN is an engineering college which dates back to the birth of Electronics. It was
founded on a University campus with 6 university departments and 30 colleges. This
135 year-old University brings together 22000 students. ISEN consists of 3 campuses
in Brest, Lille, and Toulon.
The training and research activities are recognized worldwide in all the applications of
Electronics:
Control
Engineering,
IT,
Telecommunications,
Networking,
Microelectronics as well as Nanotechnologies.
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ISEN is:
o
1 400 students and 300 students graduate every year
o
6 000 ISEN-trained engineers
o
8 laboratories
o
220 professors, researchers and teachers
o
950 quotations in scientific publications per year in the world
o
The curriculum is covered in 5 years of studies. It is structured in Bachelor's
and Master's programs. Two Bachelor's programs are offered: "Networks &
Computer Science" and "Engineering Sciences". Upon successful completion of
the program, students are simultaneously awarded the “Diplôme d’Ingénieur
ISEN” and the “Grade de Master” (Master’s degree).
Research at ISEN
ISEN’s mission is to seek solutions to generate innovation, to advance the progress of
research, to disseminate knowledge, to deliver world-class, research-based education
to students and to facilitate technology transfer to improve the society.
Research at ISEN is driven by the initiative of researchers either pursuing their own
individual research projects or acting in collaboration with other colleagues. ISEN aims
at supporting their efforts and leadership by providing multidisciplinary communities
that facilitate and foster research activities. ISEN also supports research through the
funding of positions, the provision of space and support to laboratories.
A multidisciplinary, broad-based approach is central to research at ISEN. ISEN
identified three major areas for long-term investment: Information Technology,
Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies, Bioengineering.
Contact: http://www.isen.fr/lille.asp
Polytech Lille
Polytech Lille is a Graduate Engineering School within the University of Science and
Technology of Lille that was created in 2002 from the merger of three engineering
schools.
With 20 000 students, 9500 graduates a year and 47 research laboratories, most of
which work under the label of the great French research organisations (CNRS,
INSERM, MESR, INRIA), the University of Science and Technology of Lille (USTL) is
one of the main France's scientific universities.
Polytech'Lille depends on the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and is
authorised by the "Commission des Titres d'Ingénieurs" (CTI) to issue and award
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the "Diplôme d'ingénieur" (equivalent to Master's degree in Engineering) in the main
scientific and technological fields after 5 years of studies.
Research
Polytech'Lille is at the heart of a major scientific and technical centre (the USTL)
composed of 47 labelled research laboratories (CNRS, INSERM, MESR, INRIA).
Polytech'Lille has a strong human potential, with over a hundred researchers carrying
out research activities in laboratories at USTL. Over 100 PhD students work in
research teams on the School's premises.
The School covers a broad range of engineering sciences: Electronics, Automatic
control, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Civil
Engineering, Instrumentation, Computer Science, Microelectronics, Food Engineering.
Contact: http://www.polytech-lille.com/
University of Valenciennes and Hainaut Cambresis
The university gathers more than 10 000 students on an area of 45 ha. It counts 250
researchers and 700 teaching staff.
It proposes a field of study dedicated to Sciences, Technology and Health, where more
than 4500 are studying. It proposes 9 technological diplomas and 4 scientific and
technical diplomas and PhD Programs in the field of Art, Information and
Communication Sciences, Information Technology and Micro and Nano technologies,
Information Studies, Audiovisual and Digital Media.
Research:
The University works on original themes treated in strong collaboration with the
application sectors. Research is conducted in 8 laboratories, two CNRS and it is
positioned on five main themes: including Sciences and Technology and InformationCommunication. There is also a laboratory of Culture, Arts and Literature, History of
Societies and Foreign Territories.
Contact: http://www.univ-valenciennes.fr/
University of Artois
Artois University is spread over several medium-sized towns of the Nord-Pas de Calais
region and is composed of 8 Faculties, 2 University Institutes of Technology (IUTs), 1
Teacher-Training College (IUFM), a Further Education Department and 15 Research
Centres.
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Since its beginnings in 1992, Artois University has established itself as a major
contributor to social mobility and has fostered a welcoming and stimulating
environment favorable to both study and culture.
It has a student population of almost 11,400 students within its 10 campuses in the
region. It is a member of the Research and Higher Education Consortium of Lille - Nord
de France.
Artois University is a multidisciplinary university offering a wide range of courses - from
2-year undergraduate degrees to doctorate level - in line with the European
undergraduate and postgraduate system.
The main Areas of Study are: Humanities, Law, Economics and Management, Science
and Technology, Science and Technique of Physical and Sports Activities, Teachertraining.
Research carried out at Artois University is also multidisciplinary and it is carried out
by: 2 units containing CNRS members and 14 other units.. The research units at the
university cover academic fields in the human sciences (arts, languages, history and
geography); social sciences (economics, law, and education); experimental sciences
(civil engineering, electrical engineering and automation); and pure sciences
(mathematics, informatics and general sciences).
Contact: http://www.univ-artois.fr/
Rubika : SupInfoCom Rubika – SupInfo Game
Created by CCI Grand Hainaut more than 25 years ago, Supinfocom (animation),
Supinfogame (video game) and ISD (Industrial Design) have become great
internationally recognized schools.
Since 2007 they are gathered in a group called Rubika, the three schools have set in
motion a project that meets the challenges of the future: a unique model that places
students at the heart of the process, a project that helps to invent trades tomorrow at
the crossroads of animation and video game design.
Rubika counts more than 1200 students (700 in Valenciennes), 2 610 graduates, 10
international partnerships and workshops. In the region there is a campus in
Valenciennes, one in the south of France and a third one in India.
SupInfoCom is a school of training for trades of animation and has earned a
reputation apart in the world of education for over 25 years.
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Combining artistic and technical requirement, the pedagogy is centered on the project
and practice. The courses are taught by working professionals who share their passion
for animation. Student achievement, gems inventiveness are projected in all major
festivals worldwide.
It has an opening with its international campus in India, partnerships with foreign
universities and a network of 1,500 graduates present in major international studios.
SupInfo Game is a School of trainings for trades of video games specialized in
Management, Game Design, Game Art and programming.
The “Digital Greenhouse” (“Serre numérique”) is a unique project that carries the
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Grand Hainaut, which will be ready by 2014. The
idea is to foster cross-fertilization by getting together in the same place: the three
schools of excellence specialized in digital creation Supinfocom, Supinfogame and
ISD, a business space, personalized support spaces and shared services, a center for
applied research and technology transfer.
It will provide schools and businesses access to advanced equipment: 450-seat
amphitheater with 3D projection, a laboratory of video game design and a multimedia
library.
Contact: http://www.rubika-edu.com/
Pôle IIID
POLE IIID is a computer graphics 2D / 3D school near Lille. The school POLE IIID
welcomes every year more than one hundred students and offers courses in computer
graphics, 3D animation and game designer.
It offers training to become a 3D video game designer and 3D artist in 5 years with the
key, a certificate manager in 3D design and realization!
Contact: http://www.pole3d.net/
Le Fresnoy Studio National des Arts Contemporains
Le Fresnoy is a post-graduate art and audiovisual research centre. Its aim is to enable
young artists to produce works using professional standard equipment under the
direction of established artists. The emphasis is on breaking down the barriers between
media and languages.
Le Fresnoy is offering a pole of excellence whose teaching programme puts the
emphasis on interdisciplinarity, the production of full-scale works using professional
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equipment and a two year programme that leads students from the traditional tools and
languages of modernity (cinema, photography, video, sound and music) to the world of
contemporary technologies (multimedia and digital resources).
Contact: http://www.lefresnoy.net/
As regards the educational actors in the cultural field, they are identified here after.
University Lille 3 – Department of Art and Culture
The University of Lille 3 is specialized in Human Sciences, Letters and Arts.
It shelters the Department of Arts which offers to students a wide range of educational
opportunities in the fields of visual arts, theater, dance, music and theater.
The Department of Culture trains professionals capable of understanding the
contemporary issues of the production and dissemination of art and culture, such as
those related to the links between cultural and local development projects.
All of these courses based on a multidisciplinary training (information and
communication sciences, sociology, aesthetics, semiology, history, philosophy, the
arts, languages, etc..). This is to get students to understand the contemporary issues of
the production and dissemination of art and culture, worlds in which students will be
encouraged to grow professionally. These university programs have the goal of giving
students the theoretical and methodological tools to understand the phenomena of
changing the worlds of culture and media.
Contact: http://www.univ-lille3.fr/
Conservatoire de Lille:
The Conservatory of Lille allows everyone to realize a training course through a
personal and evolving art project. Open to different audiences and territories, the
Conservatory accompanies the journey of young people, whether amateur or aspiring
professionals in recognized with prestigious teaching staff learning paths. It proposes
three specialties: music, dance and theater: classical, contemporary, Afro-Cuban, jazz
and old music, symphony or chamber music etc.
Contact: http://conservatoire.mairie-lille.fr/
Université Catholique de Lille
Université Catholique de Lille is a centre of education, research and service which
regroups 6 Faculties, 20 schools, institutes, research centers and welcomes more than
24 000 students.
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Within its trainings, it proposes a three-year specialisation in the fields of culture,
specifically the performing arts, film and music offers a varied range of education
through different approaches: historical, sociological, aesthetic, through a knowledge of
the sectors of artistic production and the development of cultural projects, but also
through the use of professionalizing tools.
Contact: http://www.univ-catholille.fr/
Economic actors
The Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council identified the ICT sector as a key one for its
economic development. Therefore, it is for over 10 years heavily involved in the
development of this sector.
Today, it represents nearly 1,500 companies and nearly 24,000 employees. This
commitment is also reflected in the creation of hosting facilities with design suitable for
this innovative industry.
These ‘eco-systems’ meet different objectives:

to participate in the coherent development strategy for a given geographical
sector;

to anchor expertise in this geographical sector, by creating a place where
innovation and economic growth is favored through exchange and emulation
between research, education, businesses and public authorities;

to favor the emergence of excellence clusters such as EuraTechnologies.
In Nord-Pas de Calais these economic actors are organized in different categories.
Today, the region is:

7 clusters/ competitiveness centers

13 clusters/center of excellence
Hubs and clusters:
The centers of economic excellence and competitiveness are essential for purposes of
developing businesses in different sectors for research and development, transfer of
technology, international development and wider growth and employment. The four
strategic themes of the Nord-Pas de Calais are: • Transportation • creativity and
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mobility, ubiquitous and future trade and sustainable materials • •health-nutrition-food •
eco-activities.
These centers and clusters gather together the concerned actors: enterprises, training
and research centers.
EuraTechnologies
EuraTechnologies is a Center of excellence dedicated to Information and
Communication Technologies and it gathers more than 130 enterprises from start-ups
to worldwide companies. It promotes economic and social development through the
exchange of scientific research and technologies. It is founded upon a principle of
“technopolis”- a place dedicated to creating a synergy among research, superior
education and technology.
The priorities of EuraTechnologies are to:

Develop the Center to a scale of international recognition

Support the companies of the Center in their technological, strategic and
commercial development

Promote the emergence of projects in the area of Information and
Communication Technologies, and of new talents

Create an environment and offer resources that meet all needs of emerging
enterprises
Contact: http://www.euratechnologies.com/
Pictanovo
The cluster accompanies the projects in the audiovisual and multimedia field like:
• the production of animated films, fiction and documentary film and TV;
• video games with a regional coloration serious game;
• cultural mediation including journalism, digital books, virtual reality and increased,
new interfaces etc
• the production of artistic, high-potential niche.
Within the 200 companies located in the cluster there are large companies (Bigben,
Ankama), some important SMEs (as Péoléo, Archimed or KTM has set up a subsidiary
in EditUp region), a thirty young companies developing and numerous small
businesses.
Nearly 4,000 people work in the sector in the region.
The priorities of Pictanovo are to:
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• Build a community of the image (in different "families" of the cluster and between
"Families").
• Encourage successfully meeting between content and technology, to create images
of the future, the new formats.
• Achieving critical mass (creative, researchers, entrepreneurs and trainers).
• Anticipating the future, the profound changes underway.
In 2013, Pictanovo launched a new Fund “Interactive experiences” which accompanies
the regional projects with an amount to € 1.5 million with the establishment of two
sessions per year. It also offers trainings in the audiovisual sector.
Contact: http://www.pictanovo.com/
Plaine Images
It is a center of excellence dedicated to the Image. It is concentrated in the areas of
broadcasting, film, animation, video games, 3D, augmented reality and touch solutions
- was created to renew the image Lille Métropole, finding new uses for brownfields to
encourage and support the development of innovative projects and companies, to
promote exchanges between businesses, artists and researchers, and support startups and internationalization of companies.
Plaine Images covers a former industrial area that hosts nearly 50 companies for 1000
employees. It offers a variety of support services (from the office space of incubation
services, networking events, etc…) And also organizes exhibitions and events for the
general public.
Plaine Images began working with local universities to stimulate new projects between
scientists, artists and businesses.
Its budget (fully public) amounted to nearly 1 million per year.
Contact: www.plaine-images.fr/
Imaginarium
The Imaginarium is a hybrid space located at Plaine Images, dedicated to the image,
combining businesses, researchers and art projects.
Contact: http://imaginarium-society.org/
Maisons de Mode
It focuses on fashion design and started its incubation program in 2006 and the
opening of the first district of shops took place in January 2007 in Lille South, then in
2008 in Roubaix to select fashion brands emerging markets and help them in their
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business development, participate in urban regeneration and create a creative dynamic
in the region through events. Fashion houses offer consulting and incubation. It also
allows designers to access international fashion fairs.
Maisons de Mode presents a very unique model of organization, mainly because of its
mission to urban regeneration.
It has two offices in Roubaix and Lille Sud, which host both shops (15 at the moment)
that are offered to selected designers at a discounted price. Fashion houses also offers
incubation space that currently houses eight designers. The group also organizes
regular events for the general public as the "Night of Sales." Its budget (fully public) is
approximately 1.6 million per year.
Contact: www.maisonsdemode.com/
Lille Design 14
It focuses on the urban, industrial and textile design, and the design of public spaces,
business / e-commerce design and the design of health - was created in 2011 with the
mission to initiate, develop and strengthen design practice in companies and among
institutions.. In particular, Lille Design organizes networking events, calls for proposals
to support innovative projects, provides guidance on the development of projects and
promotes designers through regular publications. Its budget (fully public) is
approximately 1 million per year.
Contact: http://www.lille-design.com/
Pôle Numérique Culturel (PNC- Digital Cluster for Culture)
The Digital cluster for Culture will be created in Lens and it is part of an European
approach encouraging the creation of projects and European networks which allow
companies to find new relay for markets, essential in their development.
The strategic development of PNC concerns:
- Cultural mediation and the new digital tools;
- Digitalization and security of works and heritage;
- The digital book and its educational contents,
- The promotion and development (interactions tourism / cultural / heritage).
14
KEA Report, March 2013 for the European Project ECCL http://www.howtogrow.eu/ecia/project/eccl/
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One of the main tasks of the PNC is to structure the innovation in the digital culture. At
this effect it will accompany the installation and funding of innovative projects of SMEs,
laboratories and cultural actors.
Contact: http://www.euralens.org/
Pôle Ubiquitaire
The Ubiquitous Centre is an informal network leaded by a governance of experts which
relies on the new uses and new technologies. It has a major challenge to prefigure the
structural innovations and federate the actors wearing the ubiquitous projects on a
common strategy. It is a creative mediator for the co-design of services and open
innovation.
Contact: http://www.pole-ubiquitaire.fr/
The Factory of Images (La Fabrique aux Images):
This is an ambitious and pioneering project dedicated to research and innovation in the
audiovisual and digital media, with a common desire to combine in a single location
research, technology transfer, economic development and scientific culture.
This site will:
- Provide researchers and professionals in the field, facilities to innovate in the field of
audiovisual
- Accommodate filming in better conditions,
- Open the historical heritage to the public and allow them to better understand the
history and techniques related to cinema and audiovisual
Professional organisations:

CITC:
The Innovation Centre of Contactless Technologies (CITC EuraRFID) is a non-profit
organization located in Lille which brings together the contactless technology skills and
the existing experimentation platforms in the north of France and the Euro regions
(Belgium, UK, Netherlands, Germany...) and is backed by over 250 members and
partners.
It is a centre for resources, experimentations and technical expertise in terms of
identification, traceability, mobility and geolocation. It supports the appropriation of
contactless technologies (RFID, NFC, Zigbee and sensor network), the standardized
and innovative solutions and the development of new activities with high potential.
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It has already completed many projects related to Culture. The mission here is to
promote and support the integration of contactless technologies in innovative projects
in the cultural sector by initiating from experiments and various demonstrations but also
technically support of the technological innovation projects that could find their role in
cultural places.
Contact: http://www.citc-eurarfid.com/

Pôle Régional Numérique (The Regional Digital Center) :
The Regional Digital Centre is a Network for all the players in the digital sector:
- companies: start-ups, SME, large groups
- training: schools, universities, vocational training bodies
- innovation: public and private research laboratories
- professional associations
- the institutional, scientific and economic
- the regional and local authorities
Its ambition is to:
-
federate 3600 ICT companies in the region
-
support the development and growth of enterprises
-
create a dynamic sector and cluster
-
enhance the expertise and regional potential
-
create jobs, products and services
-
innovate and expand into new markets, including international
Contact: www.prn.asso.fr/blog/

ADITEC
ADITEC (Association for the Development of Innovation and Technology) Pas-deCalais CEEI (European Centre for Enterprise and Innovation) is an association created
at the initiative of the General Council of the Pas-de-Calais.
Its missions are to help SMEs to further innovate and leverage technology in order to
increase their competitiveness and support the creation of innovative companies, in
partnership with business incubators.
Contact: www.aditec.org/

Syntec Numérique
It is the first professional association of French digital ecosystem and includes three of
the five major sectors of the digital, the technology consulting, software publishers, web
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businesses. It strengthens its position in the digital ecosystem with reinforced links with
operators / telecom and the manufacturers of computer / digital machines.
In its role as an intermediary body, Syntec Numérique engages in dialogue with the
government, the parliament and the executive, economic policymakers and citizens
throughout France, with three main tasks:
-
Ensure the promotion of digital professions;
-
Defend their profession;
-
Highlight the contribution of digital and its uses to public authorities, economic
and public actors.
Contact: www.syntec-numerique.fr/

Game IN
The Association (Game Industry North) was born in 2009 from the combination of the
enterprises in the video game industry located in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region and in
the Euroregion.
Its mission is to organize, facilitate, strengthen and promote the development of
regional actors: development studios, publishers, distributors, schools and specialized
service. For the first time, a professional association is intended to support crossborder projects: the reference area of the association extends to the whole Euroregion.
Game IN directs its activities towards vocational training, coaching experts, the
development of export missions, waking and transfer of information, the creation of the
laboratory playtest.
Contact: http://www.game-in.org/
Market leaders:

France Télécom – Orange, leader in fixed-line and mobile telecommunication,
multimedia: www.orange.com

Jouve, world leader digitization, e-book producer : http://www.jouve.com/fr

Archimed
group,
european
leader
document
management:
http://www.archimed.fr/

Atos Wordline, world leader data processing,
on-line secured payment:
http://worldline.com/

Netascq,
european
leader
unified
threat
management
:
http://www.netasq.com/fr/
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
Big Ben, european leader in the video game industry: http://www.afjv.com

OVH, world leader in web hosting: http://www.ovh.com/fr

Adictiz, speacialized in video games, free facebook and mobile games:
http://www.adictiz.com/

Ankama, specialized in digital and artistic creation, video games and publisher:
http://www.ankama.com/fr

Usilink,
consulting
and
expertise
in
technological
innovation:
http://www.usilink.com/
This list will be completed and refined during the future months of the project.
Cultural actors
Cultural institutions
With 49 museums labeled “Museums of France”, 17 belfries (UNESCO) and current
Cultural projects of international ‘radiance’ such as Regional Capitals of Culture
(Bethune 2011, Dunkerque 2013), the prefiguration of the Institute of Arabic World
(IMA from Paris) in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the Louvre in Lens, “Pompidou Mobile”
and Versailles in Arras, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region is now renowned as a place of
history and Culture.

Hundreds of distinctive belfries and church bells are hallmarks of the region-just
one example of a wealth of historical and architectural treasures.

Bustling towns and cities are ideal for shopping-perhaps at one of the 800
neighborhood markets so popular with people in the north.

Music, too, is present everywhere, from the National Orchestra of Lille to the
city’s Opera Workshop and the Ballet du Nord. National theater companies,
town orchestras and music ensembles, 500 choirs and as many rock groups
are all on hand.

Museums, including the Fine Arts Museum in Lille, the Nausicaa Aquarium in
Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Arts & Industry Museum in Roubaix, and the Louvre
annex in Lens. Many towns are celebrated for art and history (Lille, Saint-Omer,
Arras and more) reflecting the traditions of Northern France and the region’s
strategic appeal through the ages.
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Other relevant figures:

13 fortified towns and cities, 5 towns classified as heritage sites

4 conference centers

3 national performing arts centers

7 national theaters

Over 40 theater groups

33 national museums, 64 other museum sites and 1 contemporary art
collection, plus 119 national heritage castles.

6 festivals (film, theater, dance, music)
The Louvre-Lens
The Louvre-Lens, which wants to be the Louvre otherwise, is a public institution of
cultural cooperation founded by the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council, the
department of Pas-de-Calais, the Community of Lens-Lievin, the city of Lens and the
Louvre. This "second Louvre" is located in Lens in the Pas-de-Calais, it is an
autonomous institution, linked to the Louvre in Paris by a scientific and cultural
convention.
The new building, under the contracting authority of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional
Council welcomes representative semi-permanent exhibitions of the collections of the
Louvre, renewed regularly. It also hosts temporary exhibitions of national or
international level.
It was inaugurated on December 4, 2012, but the official opening to the public was held
on 12 December 2012. The museum is a symbol of the conversion of the mining region
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, it is on the list established by the site's World Heritage Committee
of the United Nations educational, Scientific and cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The works are exhibited on a temporary basis. They cover all the techniques and all
the periods covered by the Paris Museum of the fourth millennium BC to 1850.
More than three hundred works are exhibited in the "Gallery of Time", the only place in
the world gathered together many works in chronological order. In the "Glass Pavilion",
a specific topic will be developed each year and throughout the year, visitors will
discover two major exhibitions.
Contact: http://www.louvrelens.fr/
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Le Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille :
Created in 1801, its impressive architecture, neo-renaissance, is one of the accounts
left of the industrial era in the North. Listed as a historic monument since 1975, it has
been restored and developed and today it is the largest museum of fine arts in the
province.
It has 200 pieces of art from the Middle Ages and Renaissance that come from all over
Europe and 500 paintings ranging from the sixteenth to the twentieth century
temporary exhibitions in collaboration with the tourist office of the city of Lille a rich
library and educational workshops.
Contact: http://www.pba-lille.fr/
LaM (Musée d’art modern, d’art contemporain et d’art brut):
The Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art has more than 4,500 artworks
on a 4,000-square-metre exhibition area. The LaM is the only museum in Europe to
present simultaneously the main components of the 20th and 21st century’s art:
modern art, contemporary art and outsider art.
LaM's holdings include some masterpieces of Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Joan
Miro etc and the biggest outsider art collection in France. LaM possesses also a library
and a rich park of sculptures.
The museum's collection offers an overview in modern and contemporary art, including
drawings, painting, sculpture, photography, prints, illustrated books and artist’s books
and electronica media.
Contact: http://www.musee-lam.fr/
Lille 3000
Lille 3000 is a cultural program sponsored by the city of Lille and the committee of Lille
in 2004. It is intended as a continuation of the promotion of Lille in 2004 as European
Capital of Culture.
Lille 3000 invites to explore the city through the most contemporary artists, while
sharing its manifestations in the heart of the city via multidisciplinary events, the
discovery of new technologies, such as new textiles, building the city of tomorrow,
spirituality, and more generally social and civilization issues.
Contact: http://www.lille3000.eu/
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INA Nord
The National Audiovisual Institute stores, preserves, values and transmits the images
and the sounds which make the collective heritage.
With local economic and cultural actors (libraries, local authorities, museums, schools,
associations, etc.), Ina Nord conducts numerous educational or/and cultural activities
starring the regional memory.
Ina Nord proposes the creation of interactive audiovisual frescoes. This ergonomic tool,
educational and entertaining has the goal of educating the public about the
contemporary regional history.
Contact: http://www.institut-national-audiovisuel.fr/regions/ina-nord.html
Festivals:

FIGRA :
International Festival of large news reporting and documentaries about the society. In
Touquet in March since 1993, FIGRA opens a window on the world and presents news
and special events. At the end of each reporting and projected on a big screen
documentary, the public can interact with the film makers and journalists presents. The
aim of the festival is also education in the image and the documentary to an audience
of young students and apprentices.
Contact: http://www.figra.fr/

Les Nuits Secrètes
It is a Music Festival which offers more than 70 shows in 3 days and it consists in
concerts by renowned artists. It promotes the emergence of young artists and the
heritage of the territory.
Contact: http://www.lesnuitssecretes.com/festival/

Cinema Festival of Valenciennes :
It is an invitation to travel through the diversity of projected films, from real to virtual,
passing by virtual. More than 50 films are broadcasted each week. The festival pays
homage to cinema of fiction and nonfiction and has two competitions. During the
festivities, screenings and events are open to the public.
Contact: http://www.festival2valenciennes.com/
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Associations:
FRAM (Regional Federation of Friends of Museums from Nord-Pas de Calais):
Created in1983, it gathers 18 regional and 8000 members. Network of associations,
open to all, in close partnership with cultural institutions, political, educational and
regional associations, FRAM aims to bring its actions, ambitions and his volunteer at
the service of this territory whose socio-cultural dimension is increasingly important and
recognized.
Membership in one of the member associations of the FRAM provides: free or partially
free museums in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region access, a discount on conferences
organized by associations, invitations to previews and openings.
Contact: http://www.fedreg-amismusees.fr/
Musenor: Association of Curators of Museums of Nord-Pas de Calais
Created in 1975 the Association is a professional network which gathers 50 curators
from more than 45 museums and some 1.2 million visitors per year on all museums
network (2011).
Their website brings news of more than 45 museums, a database of 30,000 works,
virtual exhibits, analysis and implementation of professional resources.
Contact: http://www.musenor.com
Association of Librarians of France – Nord-Pas de Calais
Created in 1906, it counts 3000 members: library professionals or concerned by the
book and digital media as well as from different culture and information universe
(booksellers, publishers, service providers ...), institutions or communities (libraries,
documentation centers, town halls ... )
The Nord-Pas de Calais is one of the 22 regional groups conducting outreach in line
with the characteristics of each region. A National Council, composed of the chairmen
of the regional groups defines the policy of the association.
Contact: http://www.abf.asso.fr/
Mediathèques – Multimedia library:
In France and in the Nord-pas de Calais Région there is also a specific cultural
institution which is the multimedia library. It is a public institution functioning as a
library but containing not only traditional books, newspapers and magazines, but also
video recordings (movies, documentaries), sound recordings (music, audio books) and
all sorts of electronic resources.
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Médiathèque Départementale du Nord: http://mediathequedunord.cg59.fr/
Médiathèque Départementale de Pas de Calais: http://mediatheque.pasdecalais.fr/
1.3 .Public policies and initiatives in SmartCulture domain
The Regional Council is an important stakeholder in the fast developing cultural life of
the Nord Pas de Calais.
The basis of the regional policy are the Regional Strategies, which are a new category
of regional policy documents resulting from the decentralization laws and reflecting a
new approach of regional governance. Their backbone is the Regional Strategy for
Territorial Planning and Development (SRADT) which is a long range, cross-thematic
policy document with coordinating functions. The legal basis upon which a STRADT is
elaborated in the French regions is the National Orientation Law on Territorial Planning
and development of 25 June 1999.
The six main priorities of the SRADT are:

Investing in the knowledge and communication society

Openness to Europe and to the world

Promoting and enhancing the regional specialities

Overcoming disparities

Rehabilitation of the environment and improvement of the quality of line

Mobilization of the regional society and strengthening of citizenship
The SRADT also defines the priorities for collective actions related to social issues as
well as to heritage.
The Regional Authority does not have specific statutory powers in the field of tourism;
these are in the hands of lower level authorities. The role of the Regional Authority is
mainly to formulate recommendations and to promote visions and strategic principles.
A number of identity-related tourist clusters are also typical for the promotion of
sustainable development (maritime and mining heritage, network of cultural sites,
tourism related to the discovery of economic traditions and of the industrial heritage).
Others are more related to the military history (memorials, cemeteries of the First World
War) and to cultural traditions (carnivals, parades and other popular festivities).
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The market segments of specific importance for potential visitors are the coastal
tourism (high quality of coastal towns, well protected nature areas), cultural tourism
(cities of arts and history, fortified towns, historic sites, museums, war memorials etc).
In the Nord-Pas de Calais Region a variety of local identities co-exist with their own
history and values. This is a significant opportunity for promoting tourist clusters related
to cultural identities (maritime and industrial heritage, memorials, historic sites and
cities, popular events like carnivals, parades etc). Particular potential, in this respect,
exists in the coastal area where a diversity of traditions, heritages and deeply rooted
practices can be found.
Specific efforts to develop urban tourism are justified by the richness of the
architectural, historical and cultural heritage of the towns and cities of the Nord-Pas de
Calais region.
With the Louvre-Lens in mind, many projects in the region and some 120 regional
museums, the largest collection in the world will decline in Nord-Pas de Calais Region.
Policies, financial tools and projects in the domain of Culture:
Since the beginning of the institution, the Regional Council promotes a better access to
the cultural heritage and a wider participation in the production and the diffusion of the
culture. In the action of the Council, the culture is at the heart of the redevelopment of
the region. It has a strong conviction: the future and the reconversion of the old
industrial territory is a matter of culture. Culture gives pride to the inhabitants. Culture is
the tool of the redevelopment of the region. Its policy always associated the culture and
the inhabitants. The culture is the way to be actor of the economy of the region.
The public institutions are supporting, since 1974, the cultural structures and the artists
thanks to a cultural policy of an amount of about 55 million euros every year.
With the culture, the Council acts to break the barriers of the frontiers, the barriers
between the domains of knowledge, the barriers between disadvantaged groups and
the culture, the barriers between culture and innovation, to unlock the creative potential
of the region.
Because everyone, regardless of social and geographical situation, has the right of
access to culture, the General Council decided to go beyond its jurisdiction by
encouraging different forms of access to culture:
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• Partnerships with cultural sites and structures
• Participation in the Louvre-Lens project
• Preservation of memory
• Cultural activities in rural areas
• Support for dissemination shows
• Programming of cultural and artistic excellence season
• Artistic practices in favor of privileged public General Council (college, RSA
beneficiaries, foster children, etc.).
• Theater
• Departmental service of archeology
• Heritage and museums
• Festivals
Maintaining a scientific and cultural activity is essential to the life of museum
collections. To enable museums of fine arts to maintain this activity, the region
supports the exhibitions designed by the museums.
These help to improve the image and attractiveness of the regional territory and the
opportunity to renew and diversify audiences.
Finally, the region involved in restoration projects museums of its territory. The goal: to
enable them to improve the conservation and enhancement of the regional heritage.

The General Inventory of Cultural Heritage
The regional policy concerning the heritage falls within the general objectives of
cultural policy: increasing the access of the population to cultural heritage and allow
such ownership, contribute to the visibility and the attractiveness of the Nord-Pas de
Calais. Enhance and restore heritage are important policy choices and commitments. It
is realized by the scientific missions of the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage and
in partnership with the Heritage Foundation.

FRAM:
Meanwhile, the region contributes to the enrichment of museum collections in the
Regional Acquisition Fund for Museums (FRAM).
The Nord-Pas de Calais is the first region in the overall financial volume devoted to this
policy, with a total contribution of 274,000 euros per year since 2004.
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SMARTCULTURE
Since 1982, more than 1,000 works and have been acquired by museums in the NordPas de Calais.

FRAC
Abbreviated by the acronym FRAC Regional Contemporary Art Fund, are cultural
institutions created in 1983 and existing in each French region to promote
contemporary art. They have a budget whose funding comes overwhelmingly from
each regional council and the state through the Ministry of Culture.
The priorities of FRAC are:

Be a contemporary art heritage in the region and support the creation by the
combined action of acquisitions and commissioned works of art. Each region
may decide to specialize in a particular category of contemporary art

Disseminate widely the fund established in the regional territory by developing
regular partnerships. Regional cultural institutions, local authorities and schools
are so concerned.

Educate the wider public to contemporary artistic approaches by establishing
permanent mediation activities like guided tours, hosting groups of speakers
leaders, conferences, meetings with artists.
Projects
The network of museums:

The council has the ambitions to transform the region of the museums. It is the
French region with the greatest offer of museum. All the kinds of museum: fine
art, cotemporary, craft and industry, science, history, local traditions.

The “Musée du Louvre” at the heart of the Coalfield is financed by the Region
with an important subsidy of the EU. At the centre of this unique and innovative
museum, the cultural mediation will introduce the visitors to the making of a
museum.

“Lille, European capital of the culture 2004” is the origin of Le Louvre in Lens.

Arras, near to Lens, will display masterworks of Château de Versailles.
The network of learning centre:
The Council and University de Lille created four learning centres. They are organised
by a digital library and they are accessible to any kind of audience for training and
personal research.
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The other libraries include the network of the University of Artois with an important
location in Lens. The municipal libraries and other data centers are parts of that
network.
The international networks:
 Miners of the world : the memory of the miners in the world and an international
think tank about the social/economic and territorial problems of the mine
 Institut du monde Arabe: the Paris institution will open a branch dedicate do
change the image of the arabic culture in the region and to foster the
development of economic, social and cultural project between the Nord Pas de
Calais and the Arabic countries.
 Bassin Minier Unesco: The Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council and the other
local authorities (the Nord and Pas-de-Calais Departments, Municipalities, the
Association of Mining Communes) and tourism bodies (CRT 6, CDT7, Tourist
Offices, etc.) promote the candidacy of the Nord-Pas de Calais Coalfield for
World Heritage List.
Policies, financial tools and projects in ICT and CCIs domain:
Digital access with broadband is a major issue of regional planning in the region: factor of attractiveness and competitiveness - vector of local and participatory
democracy - tool for public policy - challenge for society and social cohesion for
families, businesses and public services.
In the Nord-Pas de Calais Region there are several financial tools and organisations
aiming to support the innovative projects in the ICT and CCI field.

NFID:
Nord France Innovation Development is a resource center and support the
implementation of the policies defined in consultation with the State, the Regional
Council, and other communities and aimed at developing entrepreneurship, creation,
transmission and particularly the development of economic activities, innovation and
economic development of research in the Nord-Pas de Calais.
NFID is a support center who aims to:
- to improve the consistency of ecosystems and the networking of operators;
- to identify and implement inter-regional partnerships;
- to bring strategic studies or prospective approaches;
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- to professionalize the process of reception and support of projects, of transmission or
development of economic activities.
J’Innove is a tool animated by NFID aiming to promote the innovation process in the
Nord-Pas de Calais region.
Contact: http://www.jinnove.com

The Funding for Interactive Experiences
It is a fund to support designers who want to experiment with concepts and genres that
challenge conventional wisdom in the world of audiovisual production and artistic
works, video games and cultural mediation.
With the support of our funders, the "Interactive Experience" invests almost 1.5 million
Euros for the year 2013, in innovative art projects in three thematic "Serious Game",
"Audiovisual and Transmedia" and "Artistic Installations and Cultural Mediation.
In addition it brings expertise to new projects and puts them in touch with business
partners, academic, technical, or relevant experimentation.

Call for Papers (PIA) Investments for the Future
This programme is supporting the innovation, by investing 35 billion € at national level
in the field of Higher Education, Research, Industry and SMEs, Sustainable
development and Digitalization. The innovative projects in the digital field can be
financed with up to 4.5 billion € and up to 8 billion € in the field of the research.

OSEO – BPIfrance:
Bpifrance includes OSEO, CDC Entreprises, FSI and FSI Regions and assists the
companies by offering in each region financing solutions tailored to each stage of the
business life.
It assists the businesses in their first investment needs, supports the growth of SMEs
across
France,
strengthens
the
enterprises
in
their
development
and
internationalization, participates in the radiation of large enterprises and stabilizes their
capital.
Bpifrance is investing up to 12 billion € until 2017 for the support of French enterprises,
at national level.
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Projects:
Digital Region/ Région numérique
Digital access with High Speed Broadband is a major issue of the regional planning: factor of attractiveness and competitiveness - vector of local and participatory
democracy - tool for public policy - challenge for society and social cohesion for
families, businesses and public services.
Historically, the region explores and invests many action areas where ICT can help to
improve services: planning, solidarity, public services, health, economy, participatory
democracy, environment, transport, training.
The High Speed Broadband facilitates consumption and allows the evolution of many
existing and future services.
Services for the general public should also generalize: teletraining, telework, , new
educational services based on the use of interactive digital tools, easy access to
culture etc.
1.4 Application of ICTs (Good practice models in the field of ICT and
Cultural Heritage)
In the Nord-Pas de Calais Region, there are already some success stories and good
practices in the field of digital culture.

Louvre-Lens
The Centre of Resources from the Louvre-Lens has the essential mission to federate
and disseminate knowledge related to museum world in all its dimensions. It is a
“toolbox” with its library, auditorium, its classrooms, its immersive bubble and
multimedia studio. Knowledge sharing cannot be achieved without integrating new
modes of access to knowledge made possible by digital technologies that are widely
present in the museum and exhibition space, as well as multimedia via the web or
mobile devices (Ipad, multimedia tour guide, tour application for Smartphone, etc.). The
museum proposes a free and new generation audio guide for its visitors.
The immersive bubble:
The immersive bubble is a space combining digital and human mediation, which offers
visitors an innovative way to dive into the heart of the works. With the projection of
images in large format and in high definition, a work is decrypted and explained in the
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SMARTCULTURE
presence of a mediator who controls the projection of images, videos and projected
through a touch pad equipped with different animation tools.
Contact: http://www.louvrelens.fr/

Beaux-Arts Lille
Since 2011, a "New Media" department was created. Its purpose is to think and
implement digital equipment within the museum. It also encourages experimentation
with some innovative digital tools, in collaboration with private companies and public
partners. Its mission is to develop new media, strategy and coordination of content.
The responsible for the cultural program of the museum organizes meanwhile, the
content of the website, fed social networks, and participates in developing the contents
of Visio guides and mobile applications.
Since 2012 a Visio guide on iPod Touch guides the visitors to permanent collections.
After 7 months of operation, nearly 15,500 units were distributed which 1181 were sold
at 1 euro (8%). The Palace of Beau-Arts has chosen to include at launch the Visio
guide in the ticket price.
Contact: http://www.pba-lille.fr/

The Vase who speaks - « Vase qui parle »
The Vase Who Speaks, a giant avatar of ancient Greek vase is an interactive
installation of cultural mediation designed by the University of Lille 3, Devocité and
several other partners. After a first exhibition in Lille 3 and a current exhibition at Lens,
the device joined the Palace of Beaux Arts in Lille.
It is a digital device to trigger a sound (voice, music, sound effects) with a pointer to
one of the active model large areas. This is a virtual tour of an object at the origin of
small size but expanded for an adult to move around easily and blend with the object
and its history and a child to identify with the characters.
The giant vase is interactive. He explains who he is and is and what is about the
characters that are painted on it.
Contact: http://www.club-innovation-culture.fr/

Museum of Natural History : tactile table
The Program City of Arts in the future and the Natural History Museum of the City of
Lille are engaged in the realization of a touch table to discover virtually more than
1,000 samples of the mineral collection of the museum.
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SMARTCULTURE
Focusing in particular on young people and adolescents, this innovative tool provides a
fun and interactive rocks and materials.
This numerical tool is also accessible to disabled people, because of its appropriate
size and ergonomics.
The touch table consists of two screens which are arranged side objects. Each object
represents an atom, which moved to the first horizontal screen, reveals the inorganic
compounds of this atom. The image then appears on the screen vertically. Selecting a
second object - so a second atom - it discovers mineral compounds of these two
atoms.
Contact: www.mairie-lille.fr

Museum of Bavay – Archeological Forum Bavay
Return to Bagacum is a reconstruction in computer graphics, 3D and in an interactive
way of the largest forum discovered in France. It is the result of work done by scientific
and graphic designers to reconstruct as closely as possible the architectural complex.
The new version of the 3D simulation in real-time immerses visitors in the ancient
forum in Bavay of the 2nd century.
Contact: http://forumantique.lenord.fr/

International City of Lace and Fashion of Calais : 3D Cabin
The measuring cabin installed in the hall of the International City of Lace and Fashion
is an innovative project, both scientifically and for visitors.
Indeed, the measuring cabin allows visitors to get all of their measurements. But the
interest of the cabin is also scientific as it offers the opportunity to know the collections
of the International City of Lace and Fashion without damaging or handle, that is to
say, by scanning. This is the starting point of a research recognized by Europe and
undertaken with local universities to enable the virtual value of the collections. The
researchers want to initially render the textile in its original appearance and secondly
rebuild damaged textile samples.
Much more than a cabin of measuring, the 3D cabin allows to enter the digital world by
creating a virtual twin image of the visitor.
Contact: http://www.cite-dentelle.fr/

The Damassama:
Designed by the artist Leonora Mercier at the National Studio of Contemporary Arts of
Fresnoy, the Damassama is a musical installation consisting of Tibetan bowls. The
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viewer in the center of the installation, became conductor and leads with simple
gestures of the arms and hands.
Contact: http://acnot.fr/art-contemporain-numerique/damassama-leonore-mercier/

Le Métaphone15:
The Metaphone is described as an unusual concert hall with a unique concept, in a
completely musical architecture or a giant music instrument. The walls of the concert
hall are able to produce sounds. Twenty-four wooden plates, disposed on each facade
with glass flakes and steel, can come into vibration by means of a system of cables
and pots in order to amplify the digital sound broadcast from the cab control. In
addition, twenty instruments such as xylophones, cymbals, drums, a gong, are placed
on two terraces, connected to the control cabin. It is intended to appeal to artists to
compose for the Metaphone, with the goal of ringing at regular intervals during the day.

Pass Musée – C’Art
The pass named « C’Art » proposed by the City of Lille and Lille Metropole is based on
the technology of the card already used for the public transportation in the region and
in Lille. This means that the user can have on only one card, the access to public
transportation and to museums. The goal is to stimulate the frequentation of the
museums and also increase the circulation between the museums, because this cart
gives free access for one year to the permanent and temporary exhibitions of 5
museums, without staying in line, for a price of 30€16.

WikiNorPa:
It is an Internet platform archiving, exchange, sharing and dissemination of audiovisual
and multimedia content produced in Region Nord - Pas-de-Calais.
Contact: http://www.wikinorpa.com/
Several other virtual cooperative and interdisciplinary platforms exist at the disposal of
innovative projects for the Nord-Pas de Calais actors
-
iCommunity: /www.icommunity.fr/
-
PIRVI: http://www.lifl.fr/pirvi/
-
Equipex iDIVE: http://www.univ-lille-nord-de-france.fr/
15
http://nord-pas-de-calais.france3.fr/2013/06/29/le-metaphone-de-oignies-inaugure-place-9h-de-concert-gratuitce-samedi-279441.html
16
http://www.lillemetropole.fr/cms/render/live/fr/sites/lmcu/home/actualites/culture/cart.html
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2. The Basque Region (Spain)
2.1 Introduction of the Regional Context (The Basque Country)
The Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (Comunidad Autónoma del País
Vasco) is situated in the north of Spain, on the Bay of Biscay, bordering with France
and located on the banks of the Cantabric Sea. The dimension of the territory is about
7.234 km2.
Source: Basque Government. Leyre Madariaga. 2010.
The three historical territories (provinces) of Alava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa comprise the
Autonomous Community. These provinces, along with the region of Navarre, are the
only jurisdictions that benefit from a decentralised fiscal (foral) regime within Spain.
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Source: www.guggenheim-bilbao.corp.es
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was the result of a partnership between the
Basque Institutions and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. More than a decade
after its opening in October 1997, the Museum has exceeded the most ambitious
artistic and cultural expectations, and has contributed in an extraordinary way to the
urban, economic, and social regeneration of the city of Bilbao and its surroundings.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is part of an international constellation of museums,
which allows accessing an extensive Permanent Collection comprised from all the
works in the Guggenheim collections, including the Bilbao holdings. These works
complement one another and, together, offer an in-depth, expanded view of modern
and contemporary art.
Designed by US architect Frank Gehry, the Museum building is a large sculpture made
of titanium, limestone, and glass, and has become the most recognizable icon of the
city of Bilbao. The exhibition galleries, some boasting surprising shapes, others with
orthogonal configurations, are organized around an Atrium, crowned with a metallic
flower over its skylight.
Donostia-San
Sebastian
will
be
European Capital of Culture in 2016
together with the Polish city Wroclaw.
Under the slogan "peace and coexistence", the candidacy of DonostiaSan is based on exploring the ways in
which
culture
contribute
to
and
education
building
a
can
diverse,
pluralistic and peaceful Europe.
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SMARTCULTURE
Vitoria-Gasteiz was appointed European Green Capital in 2012. Three decades of
environmental policies and the commitment of the citizens have made the city become
an example for the entire European Community in relation to recycling, mobility or
water consumption. Vitoria-Gasteiz is an environmentally advanced city thanks to its
ambitious plans to fight against climate change thanks to its air quality; Green Belt,
water conservation plan, waste management, energy efficiency, sustainable town
development, parks and gardens, cycling lanes or its modern public transport system.
The Basque Country with its 7.234 km2 surface and the 2,17 Millions of inhabitants can
be broadly considered as one city: the Basque Metropolis in the XXI century. This
metropolis has three capitals: Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastian and Vitoria- Gasteiz.
Almost half of the inhabitants of the Basque Country live in Greater Bilbao, the
metropolitan area of Bilbao.
The major cities are:
Bilbao (354,145), Vitoria-Gasteiz (226,490), Donostia- San
Sebastián (183,308), Barakaldo (100,369), Getxo (83,000), Irun (59,557), Portugalete
(51,066), Santurtzi (47,320), Basauri (45,045), Errenteria (38,397).
Economic Accounts
The Basque economy, which was once based primarily on agriculture, fishing, crafts
and trade, now relies on industry and services. Since the early eighties, the road
towards technological development has developed an active industrial restructuring
policy through innovation17. During the 1990s, the Basque Country laid the foundations
for its current economic potential. An integrated strategy of competitive development
was designed based on the concept of triple helix clusters. The success achieved by
this industrial redeployment process was associated to the creation of new institutions
17
June 2010. Basque Government - Department of Education, Universities and Research.
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(such as Technology Centres, Cooperative Research Centres and Excellence
Research Centres) and the introduction of original instruments for industrial policy
which favoured the creation of interactive spaces (such as Technology Parks and
Business Clusters) and support for R&D.
Source: Basque Government – Department of Economic Development and Competitiveness.
Thus, the Basque Country has gained a continuous growth in the GDP. The increase
has been sustained from 2002 to 2007 around the 3%. Once the global financial crisis
arrived, the Basque economy has withstood and provides a better behaviour than the
average of Spain.
Demography and Migration
Traditionally, the population growth of the Basque society has been slow. Yet, the
population has increased fivefold in the Basque Country in 140 years. This increment is
primarily due to the rising birth rate during certain periods and intermittent waves of
immigration that took place at the end of the nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries.
From 1950 to 1975, the population doubled from 1,061,000 to 2,070,000 inhabitants,
470,000 of whom were immigrants from other parts of Spain (22% of the population).
Between 1975 and 2000, part of the immigrant population returned to their origin
places as a result of the industrial crisis. Several factors were responsible for such
changes: decline in the death rate; lower birth rate (due to economic conditions,
women entering the workforce, children leaving the family home later and people
marrying at a later age); greater proportion of elderly people (people under the age of
20 make up only one fifth of the population); lack of stable employment among young
people; the high cost of housing, etc. In 2001, out of the two million people living in the
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Basque Country, 27% (544,656) were either born in another Spanish region (the vast
majority, 91.4%) or abroad (8.6%)18.
The fastest-growing group in recent years comprises people born in other countries.
55% of the immigrant population arrived between 1996 and 2001, while the figure
jumped nearly threefold from 2001 to 2006. According to data from the 2005, municipal
census and other sources (Ikuspegi 2006), immigration from other countries (83,547)
accounted for 4% of the population in the Basque Country in 200619.
The unemployment rate for the Basque
Country stands at 14.5%, one percentage
point up on the fourth quarter of 2012. The
figures given here after show the evolution
over the last 12 years of the unemployment
rate
in
the
Basque
Country
of
population aged 16 and over by quarter.
As far as gender is concerned, the rise in employment had a greater effect upon
women, with 2,600 more in work than in the previous quarter, whilst the number of men
in work fell by 100. The province that saw the biggest rise in employment was Álava
18
19
January 2009. Basque Government – Department of Culture.
January 2009. Basque Government – Department of Culture.
61
the
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with 3,300 more net employed, followed by Bizkaia with 1,400 more and, lastly, in
Gipuzkoa the number of individuals in work fell by 2,10020.
Education
Primary and Secondary Education (6-16 years of age) is compulsory and free in the
public education system. At University level, the Basque Country has three universities
with 28 faculties, 3 higher technical schools and 11 university schools, with more than
62,000 students. There is also an extensive network of Vocational Training centres of
excellence.
Source: Basque Government – Department of Education, Universities and Research.
20
June 2010. Basque Government - Department of Education, Universities and Research.
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SMARTCULTURE
The Basque region can compete with Norway, Iceland and Australia in terms of the
highest levels of the human development in the world taking into account life
expectancy at birth, adult literacy rates, enrolment rates at different education levels
and GDP.
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Economic Sectors: agriculture, industry, tertiary and tourism
The Basque region has no natural resources, and therefore, the bases of the economy
are Services and Industry.
Source: Spanish National Statistics Institute.
Transport and tourism
The strategic geographical location of the Basque Country as a link between the
northwest and centre of Spain and the rest of Europe makes this territory a much
transited one.
The main backbones of road transport are the AP-8 motorway that links Bilbao,
Donostia-San Sebastián and the French border, and the A-1 motorway that links
Donostia- San Sebastián and Vitoria-Gasteiz with central Spain. Other important routes
include the AP-68 motorway that links Bilbao with the Mediterranean.
Eusko Trenbide Sarea (Basque Railway Network) is the Basque Government-owned
company that builds and maintains the railway infrastructure in the autonomous
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region. EuskoTren (Basque Train) is the Basque Government-owned narrow gauge rail
company that operates commuter services in Bilbao and San Sebastián, intercity
Bilbao-San Sebastián service, and EuskoTran tram services in Bilbao and VitoriaGasteiz.
Metro Bilbao operates the two metro lines that serve the Greater Bilbao area.
Moreover, FEVE narrow gauge company operates a commuter line between Bilbao
and Balmaseda, and links Bilbao with the rest of northern Spain.
The Spanish government owns two main RENFE broad gauge lines that link VitoriaGasteiz with Donostia-San Sebastián and Bilbao with central Spain. It also operates
Cercanías commuter lines in both Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastián.
A
new
high
speed
network
(called Basque Y) that will link the
three capitals in 'Y' formation is under
construction. It is scheduled to be
completed
in
connection
with
2016,
the
including
French
a
TGV
network in Hendaye. Because of the
rough geography of the territory, most
of the network will run through tunnels,
with a total estimated cost of up to
€10billion.
The three capitals have airports:
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The two most important ports are the Port of Bilbao and the Port of Pasaia. The Port of
Bilbao is by far the most important of the Basque Country and the north of Spain, being
the fourth most important in Spain. There are other minor fishing ports like Bermeo and
Ondarroa.
Research and development
In the framework of the convergence towards the European Research Area (ERA), the
objective of transforming the Basque Country into a leading knowledge region has led
to two important strategic actions. First, the existing institutional framework for research
and innovation should be adapted and redirected to flexible, dynamic and networked
schemes of management and financing. The second action relates to the
implementation of programmes and actions to promote the quality and the increase of
mobility of human resources for science, technology and innovation.
The Basque Country has a continuous commitment to R&D investment, and has set
the objective of reaching the most advanced economies in Europe in their level of
expenditure related to the GDP evolution.
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As stated in the Figure shown here after, the European Innovation Scoreboard EIS
2009 placed the Basque Country above the European average.
Source: Basque Government –Department of Education, Universities and Research.
Furthermore, the Basque Country can be compared with countries that invest heavily in
innovation and it is in the way of converging with the EU-27 / Eurozone average of
number of researchers per population.
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Cultural Heritage
In the Basque Country, there are mainly three types of institutions that provide cultural
services: museums, archives and libraries.
Museums
There are many art museums in the Basque Country. Following the historic and
outstanding Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (1908), the San Telmo Museum in Donostia-San
Sebastian (1932) was opened. During the 1990s, there was a large explosion of such
museums, with the opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Artium (VitoriaGasteiz), and the Chillida Leku Museum (Hernani, Gipuzkoa).
The number of museums and collections in the Basque Country is about 68. There are
30 in Gipuzkoa, 19 in Bizkaia, and 19 in Alava. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is
the most popular one within and outside the boundaries of the Basque Country.
Libraries
Both public and private libraries contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the
promotion of classic and contemporary literature, and cultural development. Nowadays,
there is a growing number of centres dedicated to all types of documentation: books,
magazines, music, films, Internet, documentaries, databases, etc.
90% of municipal and provincial libraries are open more than 200 days per year. The
vast majority use automatic systems (cataloguing and to a lesser extent for loans) and
are connected to the Internet. 62% of the collections are in Spanish and 30% in
Basque.
Archives
Archive services fulfil the following three basic functions: conservation, processing of
the collection, and dissemination. In 1990, the Law on Basque Cultural Heritage
reorganized the jurisdictional arrangement. Then, the three Provincial Councils have
exclusive jurisdiction over their Archives, and the rest of the documentary heritage is
the jurisdiction of the Basque Department, also in charge of coordination,
standardisation, etc. The Spanish Ministry of Culture is responsible for the three
Provincial Historical Archives.
Since 1986, the Irargi Archival and Documentary Heritage Service located in Bergara
has designed and developed the archival policies of the Basque Government. It
contains almost 300,000 archival references from dozens of archive collections, both
public and private, all of which can be consulted in real time. Badator is an online
service implemented in 1998. It is accessible through the “Irargi” website.
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2.2 Key Actors in the SmartCulture domain
Political Actors and Institutions
The administrative organization of the Basque Country includes three levels of
territorial administration: the regional, the provincial and the local:
Source: Basque Government – Department of Culture.
Regional Government
The Basque Parliament and Government are both located in Vitoria-Gasteiz. They
are the primary institutions at the autonomous community level and have their legal
foundations in the Statute of Autonomy. They are government bodies common to all
three historical territories: Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.
The Basque Parliament is the supreme body of popular representation in the Basque
Country. Its main duties are to legislate, promote and monitor the actions of the Basque
Government, as well as approving the budget of the Basque Autonomous Community.
The lehendakari is the visible head of the Basque Government and the maximum
authority of the country. The lehendakari appoints the various Basque councillors
entrusted with heading the various departments.

Website: www.euskadi.net

Department of Culture: difusion@ej-gv.es

Department of economic development and competitiveness: amaia-villa@ejgv.es
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Provincial Government
The Law on Historical Territories21 regulates the relationship between provincial and
autonomous community level bodies. This law and the Statute of Autonomy22 are the
basis for a confederate model within the Basque Country, guided by the principles of
respect and equality between the three territories.
Each of the three territories of the Basque Country has its own institutions, with
provincial parliaments known as Juntas Generales, and provincial council
(diputación) with large responsibilities, such as passing regulations and guidelines at
the provincial level, as well as approving the budgets and selecting the provincial
council which heads the province.
Contacts:
Bizkaia

Website: www.bizkaia.net

Department of Culture: josune.ariztondo@bizkaia.ne
Gipuzkoa

Website: www.gipuzkoa.net

Department of Culture: hsolupe@gipuzkoa.net
Alava

Website: www.alava.net

Department of Culture: aalonso@alava.net
Local Government
We will just pay attention to the local councils of the three capital cities of the Basque
Country:
Bilbao

Website: www.bilbao.net

Department of Culture: abilbao@ayto.bilbao.net
Donostia-San Sebastian

Website: www.donostia.org

Department of Culture: Naiara_Sampedro@donostia.org
Vitoria-Gasteiz

21
22
Website: www.vitoria-gasteiz.org
www.euskadi.net/r33-2288/.../ley...historicos/es.../ley_terr_historicos.htm
www.parlamento.euskadi.net/pdfdocs/c_estatuto.pdf
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
Department of Culture: direccioncultura@vitoria-gasteiz.org
Research Centers and Actors
Research offer in the Basque Country is mainly lead by the Basque Agency of
Innovation Innobasque.
It is a private non-for profit organisation
created to coordinate and drive innovation
in Euskadi in all its spheres, to encourage
the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity.
One key agent of Innobasque is the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation
Network, which is structured around three subsystems: the Science and University
Subsystem, the Technology Development and Innovation Subsystem; and the Support
for Innovation Subsystem. EIKEN includes two research centres from the Technology
Development and Innovation Subsystem in their cluster: Vicomtech-IK4 and Tecnalia.
Website: www.innobasque.com
The main research partners in the SmartCulture area are related to the application of
ICT and multimedia technologies to content management and experience generation.
Three are the main fields of action: universities, research corporations and cultural
research associations.
Universities.
The five already mentioned here above.
Research corporations: Vicomtech-IK4 and Tecnalia (both members of the EIKEN
cluster). They have expertise in the Smartculture area and are very active in the
technological and scientific aspects. Further examples will be given when referring to
good practice models in the field of ICT and Cultural Heritage.
VICOMTECH-IK4 is an applied research centre
specialising
in
Computer
Graphics,
Visual
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Computing and Multimedia technologies, founded in 2001 and based at San Sebastián
Technology Park.
One of its main departments is the so called Tourism and Heritage Deparment which
seeks to design and implement applications for creating interactive digital experiences,
to add value to the services offered by tourism, cultural and creative sector
stakeholders. Its reference technologies include virtual and augmented reality, mobile
applications based on different localization echnologies, content customization tools,
semantic technology-based search algorithms, content annotation and indexing and
content generation and management systems based on multimedia content standards.
One of the outstanding lines that are being worked by the department is Cultural
Heritage assessment. This sub-department develops knowledge dissemination
technologies connected with history-based leisure experiences for users.
Website: www.vicomtech.org
TECNALIA RESEARCH& INNOVATION was set
up in 2011 as a result of the merger of 8 different
private research institutes (Labein, Inasmet,
Robotiker, Fatronik, Cidemco, ESI, Leia, Euve),
thus becoming the largest private research institute in Spain (1.400 people; 100M€
turnover).
Since, it has organized around five main units, one of which is ICTs.-Health unit is
divided in 6 activity areas that are the following.
Website: www.tecnalia.es
Cultural research associations such as Euskomedia and Elhuyar Fundazioa among
the most outstanding ones in the region.
EUSKOMEDIA is a Foundation belonging to Eusko Ikaskuntza Basque Studies Society, founded on 18th February 2002.
Its main objective is the dissemination, by telematic means, of
cultural and scientific contents, elaborated by Eusko Ikaskuntza
and by third parties that could be of use for people interested in Basque society and
culture.
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Website: www.euskomedia.org
ELHUYAR FUNDAZIOA was set up in 1972 with the aim of
bringing science and Basque together. Elhuyar took its first
steps as a Cultural Association, and in 2002 became a
Foundation. After having been in existence for 40 years, 2013
has seen the updating of its mission, the restructuring of its
business units and the changing of its corporate image.
Elhuyar works to consolidate the Basque language in Science, Technology and Society
and to open up new spheres for it, our overall aim being to foster an active, critical
Basque community.
Website: www.elhuyar.org
The present Basque university system is made up of five universities, three of which
are private – Deusto (UD), Mondragon (MU) and the Technological Campus of the
University of Navarre at San Sebastian (TECNUN) – while the University of the Basque
Country (UPV/EHU) and the Spanish Distance-Learning University (UNED) - are
public.
Faculties of Humanities and Technology are offered in all of them, therefore, the
SmartCulture domain is very well covered from the perspective of educational actors
and institutions.
The University of the Basque Country is the
publicly
run
and
main
educational
and
research institution in the Basque Country.
The university is composed by 31 faculties
and schools.
45.000 students and a 5.000-membered academic staff form our dynamic and
bilingual community. While teaching in Spanish is guaranteed in all programmes,
no less than 35% of our students choose to study in Basque: the only, isolated preIndo-European language still alive in Europe and cornerstone of our Basque
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culture. And the university is furthermore progressing in the establishment of
English and French tuition.
Alongside the fields of specialisation, projects carried out by the research groups result
in largely positive numbers and statistics: 171 patents in the last 5 years, 11
millioneuros income for transfer-originated activities and 1.586 articles in indexed
journals in 2010.
Website: www.ehu.es
The University of Deusto first opened its doors in 1886.
Its birth was the result of the combined concerns and
cultural interests of the Basque Country which at that time
wished to have a university of its own. The chosen site
was Bilbao, a bustling seaport and commercial city that at
the time was enjoying considerable industrial growth.
Today the University of Deusto has two campuses located in the major coastal cities of
the country, Bilbao and San Sebastian.
The University of Deusto has number more than 9.500 students (15% of them being
international students), 21 degrees adapted to the European Higher Education Area,
62 post-graduate programmes, 31 official masters and 10 PhD programmes.
The University has recently opened an avant-garde library, the so called, Learning
Resources Centre (CRAI) with one million volumes in the collection. The University
Publishing House offers over 800 own titles, 9 scientific journals and 6 series of
international publications in different research areas.
Website: www.deusto.es
University of Mondragon is a university of social initiative and
social vocation, non-profit making and declared of public
interest. The University belongs to the Mondragon Corporation
and so enables them to maintain close links with business and
allows the students to contact the a world class working
environment right from the start.
University of Mondragon (MU) has opted for a collaborative research model based on
research alignment –from basic oriented research to innovation– with three key agents
involved in the collaboration: University, Technology Centres and Companies, this
latter group by means of their business R+D units (RDUs).
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This alignment fosters the creation of a critical mass of research, necessary for the
development of excellent research, and an approximation between the university and
the companies, which are both vital as regards innovative dynamics for training and
empowerment of future researchers.
The University has four faculties spread in seven campuses: the Higher Polytechnic
School, the Faculty of Business Studies, the Faculty of Humanities and Education
Science; and the Faculty of Culinary Science associated to the Basque Culinary
Center.
Internationalisation and mobility of students started more than 30 years ago at the
Higher
Polytechnic
School
with
the
GOIER
programme.
In
recent
years
internationalisation has also sought student mobility, exchanges with foreign students
of the school and the support of the school in the internationalisation process of
Basque companies.
Website: www.mondragon.edu/es
The School of Engineering of San Sebastián,
of the University of Navarra, aims to contribute
to
the
professional,
scientific
and
human
education of prospective engineers. From her
inception, our School has striven to strike a
balance between teaching, research and service to society, making these activities
complementary to each other.
The School commenced her academic activities in the spring of 1961, with the initial
programme of specialization in Metallurgy. In October that same year started the
courses leading to the degree in Industrial Engineering and, in October 2000, those
leading to the Telecommunications degree. In the present location at the university
campus of San Sebastián, in the quarter of Ibaeta, there are the laboratory buildings,
inaugurated in 1967, the main teaching building, finished in 1989, and the multipurpose facility, built in 1996.
At present the School offers 5 official degrees recognized by the Ministry of Education
and Science, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level: Industrial Engineering,
Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical, Electronic and Control Engineering,
Industrial Management Engineering and Materials Engineering.
Website: www.tecnun.es
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The National Distance Education University (UNED) has as its
mission the public service of higher education through the modality of
distance education.
At more than 205,000 students, UNED has the largest student population in Spain and
is one of the largest universities in Europe.
Since 1972, UNED has sought to translate into action the principle of equal opportunity
in access to higher education through a methodology based on the principles of
distance learning and focused on the needs of the student.
UNED is the leader in the implementation of cutting edge technologies applied to
learning, with the largest offer of virtual courses in Spain.
Established in all the Spanish Autonomous Communities in the form of 61 Associated
Centers and more than 100 extensions and classrooms, where tutoring takes place
and also the venues for the proctoring of in-person exams.
Present in 13 countries in Europe (Germany, Belgium, France, United Kingdom,
Switzerland, Italy), America (United States, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela)
and Africa (Equatorial Guinea).
It has an Academic teaching staff of more than 1,400 in 9 Faculties, 2 Technical
Colleges and the University Access Course (CAD) at UNED Headquarters. And more
than 7,000 Professor-Tutors spread across the Associated Centers.
Website: www.uned.es
Economic Actors
There are many initiatives in the Basque Country related to the entrepreneurship and
the creation of new businesses. Each region has established several mechanisms to
promote company incubators for innovative SME, such as Beaz or BicBerrilan.
BEAZ is the Biscay European Business and Innovation
Center. It is a mix society (private and public capital).
This center addresses entrepreneurs as well as
innovative SMEs, offering an integrated system of
activities and support services to the innovative
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SMARTCULTURE
business of creation and development in Biscay. This entity encourages the innovative
entrepreneurial initiative.
BEAZ is very active in the SmartCulture domain through its platform called
BizkaiaCreativa, a network to promote entrepreneurs in the creative sector.
Website: www.beaz.bizkaia.net
BICgipuzkoaBERRILAN set up in 2001 is an
intermediary
agent
within
the
Science,
Technology and Innovation Basque Network, an
intermediate innovation body which co-ordinates the Technology Agents of the Basque
Country. Its task lies in maximising the synergies between the different parties in the
business development process, such as Technology Centres, Universities, R&D
Centres and the Public Administration, so as to offer better service to companies.
Website: www.bicberrilan.com
Yet, one of the most representative initiatives related to SmartCulture is the “Polo de
Innovación Audiovisual” (PIA) in San Sebastian.
This locally-financed incubator will
foster the whole agents of the
creative
industry,
generating
synergies and collaborative projects. The Municipality of Donostia-San Sebastian is
trying to enhance the technological transfer between research centers and SMEs in
order to consolidate their market positioning and help them in the internationalization
process.
Website: www.piaweb.es
The Clusters are key economic actors as well. There are two cluster in the Basque
Country very much related to the SmartCulture domain which are: EIKEN (the Basque
Audiovisual Cluster) and GAIA (the Cluster of Electronic and Information Technologies
in the Basque Country).
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EIKEN
is
member
of
the
SMARTCULTURE Consortium. It
is a
not-for-profit,
sectorial
business
association. Its members are firms based in the Basque Country that create and
broadcast content, products and services for the audio-visual sector. All together cover
the entire audiovisual value chain.
Website: www.eikencluster.com
GAIA's mission is to boost the development
and
growth
in
the
Electronics-IT
and
Telecommunications sector, and to favour the
assimilation and efficient usage of the sector's
technologies, with the aim of collaborating in the
development of the Information and Knowledge
Society.
Website: www.gaia.es
Cultural Actors
The Creative and Cultural industries are of great importance for the Basque society
and there are many key cultural actors of all kind working in field of SmartCulture. Just
to mention the most outstanding ones, please see here after:
Current Cultural projects of International “radiance”:

Donostia-San Sebastian, European Capital of Culture 2016
http://www.donostiasansebastian2016.eu/web/guest/inicio
Museums:

Guggenheim Bilbao Museum
http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es

Artium Museum of Vitoria
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SMARTCULTURE
http://www.artium.org/

Fine Arts Museum of Bilbao
http://www.artium.org/

Museo San Telmo of San Sebastian
http://www.santelmomuseoa.com/index.php?lang=en
Festivals:

International Film Festival of San Sebastian
http://www.sansebastianfestival.com/index2.html

Zinebi. Bilbao international festival of documentary and short film
http://www.zinebi.com/Zinebi55Preview/index.php/es/menu-principal-3

El Sol. International Advertising Festival of Bilbao

http://elsolfestival.com/

Vitoria International Jazz Festival Jazz.
http://www.jazzvitoria.com/

Jazzaldia. San Sebastian International Jazz Festival
http://www.heinekenjazzaldia.com/es/

Hamabostaldia. Donostia-San Sebastian Musical Fortnight
http://www.quincenamusical.com/english/

Dferia. San Sebastian International Theatre Festival
http://www.dferia.com/2013/index.php?lang=es
Cultural Centres:

The Aholindiga, Culture and Leisure Centre of Bilbao
http://www.alhondigabilbao.com/

Tabakalera, International Contemporary Culture Centre of Donostia-San
Sebastian
http://www.tabakalera.eu/AboutTabakalera/menu/presentation/seccion,2/subseccion,3/

Arteleku Cotenporary Art Centre
http://www.arteleku.net/en
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2.3 Public policies and initiatives in SmartCulture domain
Basque cultural policy competencies are distributed among the Basque Government
and the Regional Governments of the three provinces (Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Alava).
In order to integrate approaches and visions, the Basque Plan for Culture was defined
in 200423. The Plan clearly established the structure of the Basque Cultural system,
including several subsystems such as Cultural Heritage; creation and artistic
expressions, and creative industries.
The Plan identified several strategic action lines which fit very well within the objectives
of SmartCulture.

Definition of the role of the Public Administration towards the cultural creation,
production, training and dissemination as a key player in the definition of
investment and planning of large initiatives and in the support and promotion of
public creative activities.

Development of interoperable networks among libraries, historical archives,
museums and other monuments and cultural resources.

Implementation of a new policy for the emerging creative sector in the Basque
Country. The foundation of the EIKEN cluster was the outcome of this strategic
action.

Use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as an addedvalue for the whole cultural community, specially focusing on the digitization,
management and sharing of multimedia contents, digital rights protection, new
interactive experiences or Human-Machine interaction.
2.4 Application of ICTs (Good Practice models in the field of ICT and
Cultural Heritage)
Several top initiatives in SmartCulture have been established during the last decade in
the Basque Country, some of them already include digital access to cultural resources:

Guggenheim museum Bilbao: Instantly hailed as the most important structure
of its time, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao recently celebrated a
decade of extraordinary success. With close to ninety exhibitions and over ten
23http://www.euskadi.net/r33-2288/es/contenidos/informacion/plan_vasco_cultura/es_6571/adjuntos/plan_vasco_cultura_c.pdf
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million visitors to its credit, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao changed the way
the world thinks about museums. Regarding the digital access to cultural
resources, the corporate website of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao includes
all the institutional information about the Museum. In order to foster new
information and communication channels, the Guggenheim Bilbao presents the
philosophy that governs its actions, its strategic goals, and its social
responsibility in this new site. Regarding the digital access to cultural resources,
the website offers a 3D virtual tour of the museum, information (description,
photos, videos and audio) on the collection, exhibitions, etc., wiki educators
where people may enrich their own knowledge with contributions from other
people in their own field and a virtual press office where professionals can
access full information about the museum and its activities, download press
releases and photographs, or subscribe to e-mail alert service.

Tabakalera: It is the project that will change the former tobacco factory of San
Sebastian into an International Contemporary Culture Centre, specialized in
visual culture. Contemporary art, television, video and cinema, design and
sound will converge in a same space. Even though it is conceived as a singular
space of exhibitions and audio-visual programmes, it will be a place to work, to
produce, to create.

Arteleku It can be defined as a well-stocked documentation centre specialized
in contemporary art, multimedia rooms, areas available on short-term loan and
production workshops to adapt to the increasingly diverse needs of today's
artists. Local and international artists and anyone interested in extending their
knowledge of art and contemporary creation, will find a professional structure of
support and a physical space in which to work, investigate and exhibit. The
documents available in the mediateque deal mostly with the artistic creation of
the 20th and 21st century, and are specialised in Basque art. The documentary
collection brings together 33.568 volumes, mainly exhibition catalogues,
monographs, specialized periodicals, fanzines, videos, CD ROMs, CDs and
DVDs. Arteleku uses social networks to disseminate information like workshops
using cultural resources.

ARtium: The Museum was created as a result of an initiative of the Provincial
Council of Alava, owner of most of the works that form the Permanent
Collection and of the building. Since 2002, ARTIUM of Alava constitutes an
essential part of the cultural fabric of Vitoria, of Alava and the Basque Country,
and represents one of the fundamental assets of the art scene in Spain.
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
Museo San Telmo, inaugurated in 1902, is the oldest in the Basque Country.
Working from the basis of its funds, almost totally related to Basque society,
San Telmo has been renovated to become a Museum of Basque Society and
Citizenship. San Telmo presents the cultural and historical past as a seed for
today's society, from a multi-disciplinary view, open to modern dialogue and
debate.

Creativity Zentrum24: It is a Non-profit association with the objective to foster
and promote creativity industries. Creativity, innovation and design are the three
pillars that will guarantee valuable results enabling the development of new
ideas at local and international levels.

FilmotecaVasca25: The Basque Film Library was founded in 1978 for the
purpose of researching, retrieving, archiving, conserving and screening films
and other audiovisual media relevant to the study of cinema in general and
Basque cinema in particular, and of collecting and looking after documentary
and technical materials the conservation of which serves cultural and historical
interests.
Although Basque public administrations at local and regional level have been actively
involved in several cultural actions, only recently they have become an active player in
projects that relate ICT and cultural Heritage. We present a brief summary of ongoing
projects that are valuable for SmartCulture.

GureGipuzkoa26. It is a regional project to share and promote the audiovisual
heritage of Gipuzkoa, so that users can access the multimedia contents stored
at the Cultural Department of the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa.

Meta27. The Regional Government of Gipuzkoa has published the metadata for
its collections available to anyone interested. It is the open-access repository for
the collections managed by the Culture and Basque Language Department of
the Council. Ongoing work is making new catalogs and collections available
here. The repository is browsable through this web interface, but more
importantly, the data is available through the OAI-PMH protocol for cultural
metadata exchange.
24http://www.creativityzentrum.com/
25http://www.filmotecavasca.com/es/
26http://www.guregipuzkoa.net/index-int.php?lang=es
27http://meta.gipuzkoakultura.net/?locale=en
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
Ondarenet28: It is an information system permitting collection, conservation and
distribution of the Basque web launched in 2007 by the Basque Government
Department of Culture and the Basque Government IT services company. The
Basque web joins forces with European and international initiatives to harvest
and conserve the online digital heritage.
Research and innovation funding in the cultural sector is mainly achieved by public
concurrent calls launched by the Basque and the Regional Governments. Regarding
creative industries, there are several actions for the founding of cultural initiatives
mainly based on technological innovation for the creative industries, and the creation
and production of cultural contents in innovative formats.
The main European Funded research projects in the SmartCulture are a developed by
research members of the EIKEN cluster and are the following ones:

Art-e-fact (Vicomtech-IK4): This project aimed at providing a generic platform
for the artistic creation based on an engine that combines a Virtual Reality
system with a scene organizer for the interactive conversations with partially
autonomous virtual characters. It is worth noting that the management
components of the multimedia resources had to be flexible enough to allow
multimodal interactions. Then, the artists could create an exhibition based in
Mixed Reality technologies, choosing the interaction devices and their
properties to achieve friendly approaches for the user. Thus, they defined the
dialogs and the behavior of the avatars.

Artnouveau (Vicomtech-IK4): Artnouveau was a European Thematic Network
within the V Framework Program (8th call) exploring new ways of representing
arts and culture. These objectives mainly were 1) the promotion of know-how
and experience interchange among all significant actors in the field of arts,
culture, research and industry, and 2) the creation of interdisciplinary platform
for knowledge interchange about questions related to the use of technology in
the field of culture and arts establishing a solid workgroup which includes all the
mentioned actors.

CINeSPACE
(Vicomtech-IK4):
This
project
aimed
at
designing
and
implementing a mobile rich media collaborative information exchange platform,
scalable, accessible through a wide variety of networks, and therefore,
28http://liburutegiak.blog.euskadi.net/ondarenet/
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SMARTCULTURE
interoperable and Location-Based for the promotion of Film Heritage. The
consortium is composed of 3 research institutions, 2 industry companies and
3content providers. This project is partly funded by the EU within the IST
Program of the VI Framework.

Netconnect (Vicomtech-IK4): The main objectives of NETConnect were 1)
Sharing and highlighting of common Cultural Heritage of European significance,
and the promotion of mutual knowledge of culture and history of European
people; 2) The use of state-of-the-art technology to make European heritage
more visible and accessible to all; 3) Improving access and participation in
culture and in new technologies for citizens of the EU, including young, elderly
and people with physical impediments.

ASSETS (Tecnalia): ASSETS is a 2 year project- co-funded by the CIP Policy
Support Program which aims to improve the usability of Europeana by
developing, implementing and deploying software services focused on search,
browsing and interfaces. ASSETS strives also to make more digital items
available on Europeana by involving content providers across different cultural
environments. ASSETS is notably addressed to: Museums/Galleries, Libraries,
Archives, Research & Education Organizations, Cultural Portals, Publishers,
Private companies active in digital libraries.
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3. West Midlands (UK)
3.1 Introduction of the regional context
The West Midlands is a landlocked county that borders the counties of Warwickshire to
the east, Worcestershire to the south, and Staffordshire to the north and west.The
West Midlands County is one of the most heavily urbanised counties in the UK.
Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the Black Country and Solihull together form the third
most populous conurbation in the United Kingdom with a combined population of
around 2.44 million. However, the West Midlands is not entirely urban; Coventry is
separated from the West Midlands conurbation by a stretch of green belt land roughly
15 miles (24 km) across, known as the "Meriden Gap", which retains a strongly rural
character. A smaller piece of green belt between Birmingham, Walsall and West
Bromwich includes Barr Beacon and the Sandwell Valley.
The highest point in the West Midlands is Turners Hill, with a height of 271 m (889 ft).
The hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Barr Beacon is another hill in the West
Midlands, located on the border of Birmingham and Walsall, with a height of 227 m
(745 ft).
There are 23 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the county. One of these SSSIs is
Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield, which has an area of 970 hectares (2,400 acres). As a
result, it is one of the largest urban parks in Europe, and the largest outside of a capital
city in Europe. The park also has National Nature Reserve status.
There are numerous rivers that pass through the county, including the River Tame. The
river basin is the most urbanised basin in the United Kingdom, with approximately 42%
of the basin being urbanised.
The West Midlands as a Metropolitan ‘County’ is divided into seven districts called
metropolitan boroughs, these are: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull,
Walsall and Wolverhampton (see map). Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton
have city status. Coventry is a city by ancient prescriptive usage; Birmingham was
granted city status in 1889; and Wolverhampton in 2000 as a "Millennium City".
Between 1974 and 1986, the county had a two-tier system of local government, and
the seven districts shared power with the county council. However, when the county
council was abolished in 1986, most of its functions were devolved to the districts
which effectively became unitary authorities, with responsibility for most local authority
functions.
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Transport
The West Midlands is well served by the National Rail networks, motorways and
historically canals – establishing itself during it’s pioneering years as a centre for
industrial revolution, it’s location (literally in the Mid-Lands) has placed it at the centre
for logistics and infrastructure. More recently it is also a major commuter plan in the
proposed £50Billion high speed rail network HS2.
As part of the transport planning system, the Regional Assembly is under statutory
requirement to produce a Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) to provide long term
planning for transport in the region.
Birmingham is also home to the famous "Spaghetti Junction". The term was originally
used to refer to the Gravelly Hill Interchange on the M6 motorway in Birmingham.
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Demography
The West Midlands Region has a population of over 5 million and contains the second
most populous British city, Birmingham. The region is geographically diverse, from the
urban central areas of the conurbation to the rural western counties of Shropshire and
Herefordshire which border Wales. However the Birmingham Metropolitan area has
over 70% of the regional population.
The West Midlands' population accounts for almost 11% of England's overall
population. 49.36% of the region's population resides in the West Midlands county,
20.17% in Staffordshire, 10.49% in Worcestershire, 9.91% in Warwickshire, 8.56% in
Shropshire, and 3.37% in Herefordshire.
The West Midlands had a population of 5.5 million in mid-2010, an increase of 3.3 %
since 2001, compared with an increase of 5.3 % for the UK over the same period.
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In mid-2010 the population density was 420 people per sq km, the fourth highest of the
nine English regions and higher than the population density for the UK and England
(257 and 401 people per sq km respectively).
Birmingham is the largest urban area in England outside London with a population
density of 3,872 people per sq km. In contrast the region includes areas of remote
countryside within the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire.
Between 2001 and 2010 the population of the region increased by 175,000, or 3.3 %.
This is below the corresponding rate of 5.6 % for England. The total population is
projected to reach 6.0 million by 2030, of which 22.4 % would be aged 65 and over,
slightly above the figure for England (21.7 %).
The West Midlands has the second highest proportion of population aged under 16 and
an above average proportion of older people. In mid-2010, 19.3 % of residents were
aged under 16. This was the second highest proportion for any English region and
compares with 18.7 % for England. The proportion aged 65 and over was also slightly
above average at 17.2 % compared with 16.5 % for England.
Regional Profiles - Population and Migration - West Midlands, October 2011
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In the West Midlands, 57.4 % of pupils achieved five or more grades A*–C at GCSE
level or equivalent including English and mathematics in 2010/11, compared with 58.4
% for England as a whole. The percentage of the region’s population having no
qualifications in 2011 was 14.0 %, the second highest proportion in the UK, compared
with 11.7 % for the UK as a whole.
Migration - Key Stats
In 2011, half (49.8%) of the non-UK born population held a UK passport, and 45.6%
held only a non-UK passport. Nearly two thirds (72.1%) of the non-UK born population
resided in the metropolitan county of West Midlands. Between 2001 and 2011, the nonUK born population grew the most in Birmingham (77,063 additional non-UK born
residents).
Residents born in India represent the most numerous non-UK born group in the West
Midlands (99,717 residents) followed by residents born in Pakistan, Poland, Ireland,
and Jamaica.
In both 2001 and 2011, the West Midlands occupied the 3rd position in terms of the
population share of non-UK born residents out of the ten regions of England and
Wales. In terms of population numbers, it held the 4th position in 2011, down from 3rd
position in 2001.
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Quality of life and employment rate:
The employment rate in the region stood at 68.8 % in the first quarter of 2012, lower
than the UK rate of 70.5 %.
In April 2011, the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees on adult rates
who were resident in the West Midlands was £471, lower than the UK median of £501.
Gross disposable household income (GDHI) of the West Midlands residents was
£14,000 per head in 2010.
The West Midlands has the highest proportion of people with no qualifications and one
of the highest proportions of households living in relative poverty.
The percentage of the region’s population having no qualifications in 2010 was 14.0 %
compared with 10.7 % for the UK as a whole.
During the period 2007 -2010, 25% (1.3 million) were in households with incomes
below the poverty threshold, one of the highest percentages of all English regions.
Life expectancy at birth in the West Midlands is close to the UK average. The figures
were 77.9 years for males and 82.2 years for females in the three-year period 2008 to
2010 compared with 78.2 and 82.3 years respectively for the UK.
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Regional Profiles: Economy - West Midlands, May 2012
The West Midlands has one of the highest economic inactivity rates in England.
Birmingham in particular has a high unemployment rate and low employment rate. By
contrast, Solihull has a productivity level above the UK average.
The West Midlands economic inactivity rate was nearly 25 % of the population aged 16
to 64 in Q4 2011, 2 percentage points above the UK average of 23 %.
The unemployment rate was 9.3 % in the period October to December 2011, above the
UK average of 8.4 %. The model-based unemployment rates within the region ranged
from 13.1 % in Birmingham to 4.1 % in Stratford-on-Avon in the year ending September
2011.
The employment rates within the region ranged from 57.3 % in Birmingham (one of the
lowest in England) to 78.0 in East Staffordshire. The regional employment rate was
68.0 % in Q4 2011, below the average of 70.3 % for the UK.
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As of August 2013, unemployment is around 272,000 – nearly 1 in 10 are economically
inactive a 9.9% second only to the North East and with higher than national levels with
most unemployed being between 16-24 nationally.
In the second quarter of 2009 the West Midlands had the highest proportion of workingage population with no qualifications – 14.5 % – compared with the national figure for
England of 11.2 %.
Working-age population1 with no qualifications: by region, Q2 2009
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Productivity, as measured by gross value added (GVA) per hour worked, was 86 % of
the UK rate in 2010 – one of the lowest of the English regions.
The West Midlands contributes over 7 % of the UK’s GVA. The region’s headline GVA
was £93.1 billion in 2010.The latest subregional data (2009) show that the West
Midlands metropolitan area generated nearly half the region’s GVA (£45.8 billion).
Gross disposable household income (GDHI) of West Midlands residents was one of the
lowest among the English regions, at £14,000 per head in 2010.
Education
“The West Midlands faces a challenge in terms of its economic performance and its
social inclusivity agenda. The impending demographic decline, the low levels of skills in
the current workforce and the increasing number of jobs involving higher level skills
combine to present a bleak picture unless some way of unpicking the current patterns
can be found”.  Progression to Higher Education: in the West Midlands: Trends
in the participation of disadvantaged learners. Aim Higher Report.
Library of Birmingham
In terms of higher level qualifications the West Midlands performs poorly. In 2005
14.8% of its working population were educated to graduate level while the national
average was 17.9%. Of the 190,000 students registered in West Midlands HEIs in
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2005/6 (excluding the OU) 47% came from the region, and of those West Midlands
domiciled students completing in 2005 58% found employment locally.
The region has nine universities: Aston, Birmingham City, Coventry, Keele,
Staffordshire, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, University of
Wolverhampton and University of Worcester, as well as three university colleges.
Between them they have over 180,000 enrolled students producing 35,000 graduate
and 15,000 postgraduate qualifications annually.
Economic sectors: agriculture, industry, tertiary, tourism
In 2009 the West Midlands generated almost £91 billion gross value added (GVA),
which was 7.4 % of the UK total. i The total GVA was 2.7 % lower than in 2008, a
smaller decrease than seen in the UK as a whole (3.1 %). Sub-regionally (NUTS 36
level) in 2007, the area which produced the largest proportion of the region’s total GVA
was Birmingham, where just over a fifth (21 %) was generated. Staffordshire produced
the next highest proportion of GVA (13 %).
The West Midlands had lower productivity than the UK as a whole, and has been
diverging from the UK average since 2001, in a similar way to the North West, North
East and Yorkshire and The Humber regions. In 2009 labour productivity, as measured
by GVA per hour worked, was the third lowest of the 12 UK regions and countries.
‘Manufacturing’ accounted for nearly £14 billion (or 15 %) of the total GVA in the West
Midlands, which was higher than the proportion for the UK as a whole (at 12 %).
‘Wholesale and retail trade (including motor trade)’ accounted for 13 and 12 %
respectively. However, in broad terms the industry groups that contributed most to total
GVA in 2008 in the West Midlands were similar to those that contributed to the total UK
GVA – in both cases ‘real estate activities’ accounted for the largest proportion (22 %
and 25 % respectively).
The West Midlands has undergone major economic restructuring over the past two
decades, with the relative shares of employment and wealth generation transferring
from the manufacturing sector to service sectors. Employment in manufacturing in the
West Midlands has seen a notable decline since the late 1990s.
In the fourth quarter of 1996 manufacturing accounted for the biggest proportion of
workforce jobs in the West Midlands, with 22.4 % of the workforce employed in
‘manufacturing’ (575,500 jobs). The next largest proportions were for the ‘wholesale
and retail trade; repair of vehicles’ sector (17.3 %) and ‘human health and social work
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activities’ (9.6 %). ‘Wholesale and retail trade; repair of vehicles’ (15.9 %) and ‘human
health and social work activities’ (13.4 %) accounted for the largest proportions of
workforce jobs within the West Midlands in 2010.
ICT/CCI and economy
The region has over 200,000 SMEs, with Birmingham as home to 3,450 creative
businesses employing approx 20,000, whilst a strong games cluster near Coventry
represents 20% of the UK games productions. Creative industries employ more people
than construction or the manufacture, sale and repair of cars, and similar numbers to
the legal, accountancy and management consultancy professions combined.
The ICT business cluster in the West Midlands comprises more than 3,000 businesses
generating a turnover of £10 million and is host to global brands including IBM, Oracle,
Fujitsu, AT&T and Ricoh.
The number of businesses whose main income comes directly from digital cultural
heritage is targeted to grow through the new West Midlands Digital Cultural heritage
Demonstrator (described below). These businesses will also collaborate and work with
us on this “Regions of Knowledge” activity.
The region is home to several science parks and creative industries clusters based in
the area of Digbeth in Birmingham and the Birmingham Science Park along with the
Coventry Serious Games Institute.
The West Midlands region has:
• A national and international profile in Serious Games
• 20% of the UK Games production market
• Birmingham as ‘one of the world’s top five music hotspots’ [Billboard magazine]
• A growing Interactive Media sector with high profile blue-chip clients
• An expanding talent base in film and television production
• Employment growth in digital media at nearly double the average
Nationally the Creative and Cultural sectors account for 7.3% of the total UK economy,
comparable in size to the financial services sector. The Screen, Image & Sound Cluster
focuses on digital media, the high growth part of the Creative Industries. The sector
punches above its weight in terms of ‘place and profile’ as applications of digital media
run through everybody’s lives, from leisure & lifestyle to business & communication.
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The creative and cultural sectors have experienced significant growth in comparison to
the economy as a whole and this is projected to continue over the next ten years. The
projected employment growth for the UK economy is 0.39% per annum between 2007
and 2014 whereas the comparable growth rate for the creative and cultural sector is
1.05% per annum – three times higherii
As far back as the AWM Screen, Image & Sound Cluster report 2008, The Creative
Industries were recorded as accounting for 4.3% of all goods and services exported
from the UK, totalling £13Billion. OECD data showed that a greater share of the UK’s
GDP is made up of creative industry sales than any other country in the world,
including the USA.
The video games industry has now over-taken the film industry and rivals the music
sector in sales. In 2004 the global market was worth $25.4 billion, predicated to rise by
a further 16% by 20091. The UK is the third largest market for computer games, after
the USA and Japan, the UK games market was worth £1.35 billion in 2005. The games
market is expected to grow strongly, partly due to demographics; as gamers are
becoming older on average and many women are now joining the ranks of gamers.
The e-learning market is estimated to be worth £52.6 billion worldwide as of 2010.
Serious Games or games based learning, is a small but fast growing subset of this
market. There are also emerging innovations around lifelong learning and content
personalisation. The interactive media sector is difficult to measure, but the consumer
and commercial market is known to be growing strongly. Interactive advertising spend
in the UK was £1.4 billion in 2005. New market opportunities are expected from this
sub-sector. BBC, Channel 4 and others broadcasters will increasingly commission nontelevision digital media content, both programme spin-offs and on-line content in its
own right.
The UK film industry added an estimated £4.3 billion to the economy in 2006, a 39%
increase in two years1. The UK is a major international centre for film production and
post-production and had total exports of £967m in 2005. The DVD market is growing
strongly too. Our talent is highly regarded around the world. The increasing digitization
of the industry is creating opportunities by lowering the barriers of entry for production
and digital distribution. Filming in the Birmingham area grew by 40% from 2004 to
2005, bringing £15.6m into the local economy.
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The independent TV sector is showing strong growth with revenues in 2005/6 of £1.9
billion. New rules since 2003 on production companies retaining rights, has allowed
strong profits across the sector. UK exports of television programmes grew by 20%
between 2005 to 2006; up to £593 million1.The BBC is likely to play a unique role in
the broadcast TV market in stimulating growth in independent production, as its quotas
for independently commissioned work rise from 25% to 50%. In addition there are
emerging markets for niche television programming distributed via broadband and/or
online channels.
Radio is a durable sector; it reached 45 million people in the first quarter of 2006. It is
dominated by the BBC and a few major commercial operators such as GCap, Emap
Page 5 of 16 Screen, Image & Sound Cluster Strategic Plan 2008-2011 from AWM 1
March 08 and Chrysalis. Technological advances in DAB radio and the lower barriers
to entry for webcasting do however present opportunities for the future. As with
television, there are an increasing number of online niche radio channels generated by
sole traders, SMEs and community organisations.
The UK is the third largest market for recorded music in the world. We are second only
to the USA in terms of creating music and are the forth-largest music publisher in the
world. Falling retail sales of recorded music are being replaced by a boom in live
music, both through festival attendance and gigs. Digital technologies are changing the
face of both music production and distribution, presenting opportunities for the industry
to exploit new market niches and funding models in the future.
Animation, digital imaging & photography are smaller sectors which are none-the-less
important sub-sectors within the digital media industries.
The West Midlands has an above average market share in the film, games, serious
games and music sectors. It has an average share in radio, television, animation and
digital imaging. All the industries above have much growth potential within the region.
Research and development:
The West Midlands spent less on research and development than most other regions.
In 2008 almost £1.2 billion was spent in total, with 73 % of expenditure coming from
within businesses (£892 million), 0.3 % from government (£4 million) and 27 % from
higher education institutions (£334 million).
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Cultural heritage and economy:
There are 1,510 businesses in the cultural heritage sector in the UK in 2008iii, which
has increased from 1,430 in 2006iv; 9% have a turnover equal to or more than £1
million. In 2006, the sector employed 53,810 people in the UK. It employs 57,350 in
2008. Higher numbers are deployed in a voluntary capacity. Museums account for 59%
of the total workforce.
The annual turnover of Britain’s major museums and galleries exceeds £900 million.
Broadly £1 in every £1,000 in the UK economy can be directly related to the museum
and gallery sector. The major museums and galleries spend over £650 million a yearv
It is estimated that developers invested approximately £135 million in archaeological
investigations through the planning process in 2007/8vi
Investment in the area of digital media and also culture are increasingly being
recognized as strategically important for the region economic prosperity.
Recent
Investments include the £190m new library of Birmingham and the £70m Worcester
HIVE.
The SmartCulture work will help to collate and direct work in the region in this field.
This will result in long term benefits to our regional cluster through the increased
networks to collaborate on research and business activities. Through this work we
hope to develop and expand the digital cultural heritage value chains and so improve
bussiness competitiveness.
In addition and especially through our ERDF demonstrator we hope to show the value
of work done in SmartCulture to other sectors through transferable digital innovation.
The Regions of Knowledge work would help to take this message to other regions to
enable these benefits to be developed in the network.
The region has world renowned Cultural Assets including the Ironbridge Gorge a
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and The
town of Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of poet William Shakespeare.
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, the most visited gallery outside London. The
City council is currently building the largest public library in Europe which will adopt
SmartCulture approaches in its audience engagement.
Birmingham City Council also houses Digital Birmingham, the city's partnership working
to ensure that the benefits of digital technologies are available to all in the city.
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Birmingham is also a UK science city with one of its 3 key areas for research and
development being digital.
There are 214 museums and 307 libraries and 24 archives in the region. The new
Library of Birmingham will alone spend around £1.3m on digital media.
In this context the single largest imitative in the area of “digital access to cultural
resources” is the ERDF funded West Midlands Digital Cultural Heritage Demonstrator.
This project is led by the University of Birmingham, with partners: Birmingham City
Council (through the new Library), Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Ironbridge
Gorge Museums Trust and the new Worcester HIVE. The Worcester HIVE is a new
centre being built which will house Worcestershire’s history and records services along
with a public library, cultural exhibitions and events and council services, using this
fusion approach to engage all sectors of the population in both culture and education.
The demonstrator will develop exemplar digital applications for cultural resources in
collaboration with our partners and regional businesses. Together we aim to create
new value chains and raise innovation and knowledge exchange levels in novel digital
interactive technologies in creative media.
We have strong partnerships with the above organizations as well as a wide range of
cultural organizations and other HEIs including the Arts Council (which has a significant
digital media initiative) and the new Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) formed from a
number of municipal local authorities from the region. One of the LEP’s aims is to foster
Birmingham as a Creative City which aligns well with SmartCulture objectives.
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3.2. Key actors in the SmartCulture domain
England has since 1994 been subdivided into nine regions. One of these, London, has
an elected Assembly and Mayor, but the others have a relatively minor role: Regional
Development Agencies were abolished in 2012 although unelected "leader's boards"
continue as consultative forums. Below the region level and excluding London, England
has two different patterns of local government in use. In some areas there is a county
council responsible for services such as education, waste management and strategic
planning within a county, with several district councils responsible for services such as
housing, waste collection and local planning. These councils are elected in separate
elections. Some areas have only one level of local government, and these are dubbed
unitary authorities. The City of London and the Isles of Scilly are sui generis authorities,
pre-dating recent reforms of local government.
There are 193 District Councils in two-tier areas. The following table lists the two-tier
"shire" counties, metropolitan districts, London boroughs and unitary authorities:
Parishes
Below the district level, a district may be divided into several civil parishes. They also
have a consultative role in planning. Councils such as districts, counties and unitaries
are known as principal local authorities in order to differentiate them in their legal status
from parish and town councils, which are not uniform in their existence. Local councils
tend not to exist in metropolitan areas but there is nothing to stop their establishment.
For example, Birmingham has a parish, New Frankley.
Councillors and mayors
Cabinet-style council and directly elected mayors in England and Wales Councils have
historically had no split between executive and legislature. Functions are vested in the
council itself, and then exercised usually by committees or subcommittees of the
council. The post of leader was recognised, and leaders typically chair several
important committees, but had no special authority. The chair of the council itself is an
honorary position with no real power.
In 2000, Parliament passed the Local Government Act 2000 requiring councils to move
to an executive-based system.
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Several of the mayors are independents (notably in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough,
which in parliamentary elections are usually Labour Party strongholds). As a relatively
new concept within local government, this is arguably an under-developed part of local
municipal administration. In a related development, the Health and Social Care Act
2001, Police and Justice Act 2006, and 2006 local government white paper set out a
role for local government Overview and Scrutiny in creating greater local accountability
for a range of public-sector organisations.
Officers
Councillors cannot do the work of the council themselves, and so are responsible for
appointment and oversight of officers, who are delegated to perform most tasks. Local
authorities nowadays may appoint a 'Chief Executive Officer', with overall responsibility
for council employees, and who operates in conjunction with department heads. The
Chief Executive Officer position is weak compared to the council manager system seen
in other counties. In some areas, much of the work previously undertaken directly (in
direct service organisations) by council employees has been privatised.
Funding
Local councils are funded by a combination of central government grants, Council Tax
(a locally set tax based on house value), Business Rates, and fees and charges from
certain services including decriminalised parking enforcement. The proportion of
revenue that comes from Council Tax is low, meaning that if a council wishes to
increase its funding modestly, it has to put up Council Tax by a large amount. Central
government retains the right to "cap" Council Tax if it deems it to be too much. This is
an area of debate in British politics at the moment, with councils and central
government blaming each other for council tax rises.
Aggregate External Finance
Aggregate External Finance (AEF) refers to the total amount of money given by central
government to local government. It consists of the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), ringfenced and other specific grants, and redistributed business rates. A portion of the
RSG money paid to each authority is diverted to fund organisations that provide
improvement and research services to local government (this is referred to as the RSG
top-slice). The majority of these organisations are those that form the Local
Government Group.
With the coalition Government election to office in 2010, the UK underwent drastic
changes to both local authority and regional development. There were also large scale
cuts to the funding of creative and cultural sector programmes and to those agencies
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previously tasked with their support. The national network of regional development
agencies were closed, in the West Midlands this was Advantage West Midlands,
closed in March 2012.
With the closure of regional support, there was the initial outline of a ‘localism’ agenda
by the formation of Local Enterprise Partnerships.
In England,
a local
enterprise
partnership (LEP)
is
a
voluntary
partnership
between local authorities and businesses formed in 2011 by the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to help determine local economic priorities and
lead economic growth and job creation within its local area. They carry out some of the
functions previously carried out by the regional development agencies. There are 39
local enterprise partnerships in operation.
The LEP areas of Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Greater Manchester, Leeds City
Region, North Eastern, Sheffield City Region, and West of England were included in
the first wave of 'city deals' in 2012
LEPs were set up on a volunteer basis without any public funding and struggled to
make progress. A report by Michael Heseltine in October 2012, No Stone Unturned,
was largely accepted by Government, and proposed delegating a great deal from
central government to LEPs, including
• (From June 2013) a share of a £1,400m Local Growth Fund to generate growth,
allocated through competitive bidding;
• getting LEPs to draw up plans for local growth as the basis for negotiation on the
money in the Fund
• realigning the management of the EU Structural and Investment Funds in England to
follow the plans made by LEPs
The LEP’s that represent the West Midlands region are:
Greater Birmingham & Solihull: Covering the areas of Birmingham, Bromsgrove,
Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth and Wyre
Forrest.
http://centreofenterprise.com/
Black Country: Local authority areas Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall & Wolverhampton
http://www.blackcountrylep.co.uk/
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Coventry & Warwickshire
Local authority areas: Warwickshire, West Midlands (Part) Coventry.
http://www.cwlep.com/ and http://www.cwlep.com/contact#sthash.N01LrXS4.dpuf
Worcestershire
It is covering All of Worcestershire. Key sectors include Tourism (Focus on cultural
tourism)
http://www.wlep.co.uk/
These LEP’s also have some geographic overlap with the boundary of Staffordshire.
Local Government
The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions
varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning local government
in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom,
because England does not have a devolved parliament or regional assemblies, outside
Greater London.
The layers of elected local government vary.
In most areas there is a lower tier of government, civil parish, with limited functions.
Most civil parishes are in rural areas, but if the parish is a town the parish council may
be called a town council. In a few cases the parish is a city, and the parish council is
called a city council.
Metropolitan counties, and a few non-metropolitan counties, no longer have elected
councils or administrative functions, and their former functions are performed by
districts. Such counties remain ceremonial counties.
Local Government Offices within the West Midlands region, covered by the LEP’s are:
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/
http://www.coventry.gov.uk/
http://www.dudley.gov.uk/
http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/
http://www.solihull.gov.uk/
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https://www.walsall.gov.uk/
http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/home
http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/resident-home.aspx
http://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/wdc
The National governmental department is empowered with mandate for economic
political support for regions/ localities – with a mandate relevant to the development of
sectors and subsectors involved in SmartCulture.
BIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is a ministerial department
of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).
BIS has six small teams distributed across the country. These teams will provide a
point of contact for LEPs in their area. Specific Relationship Managers for each LEP
can
be
found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-
business-innovation-skills
DCMS (Department for Culture, Media & Sports)
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is here to help make Britain the
world’s most creative and exciting place to live, visit and do business. We protect and
promote our cultural and artistic heritage and help businesses and communities to
grow by investing in innovation and highlighting Britain as a fantastic place to visit.
Alongside this, we protect our deeply held beliefs in freedom and equality. We help to
give the UK a unique advantage in the global race for economic success.
DCMS is a ministerial department, supported by 44 agencies and public bodies.
It is responsible for:

making it easier for everyone to enjoy our national culture, play sport and have
access to world-leading mobile and online communications

making it easier for the media, creative, tourism and telecoms industries to grow
by reducing restrictions, providing advice and supporting innovation, while
protecting the interests of citizens
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
protecting free access to cultural institutions, art and broadcasting that
challenges and provokes, and funding our future elite athletes

the Government Art Collection, which places art in British government buildings
and official residences around the world, to promote British art and history while
contributing to cultural diplomacy
In 2013, DCMS priorities include:

supporting vibrant and sustainable arts and culture nationally by continuing to
fund arm’s length bodies like the Arts Council, giving incentives to the creative
industries and by sponsoring the UK city of culture programme (Derry Londonderry in 2013)

helping roll out the next generation of mobile communications (4G) and working
to transform the UK’s broadband network by 2015

sponsoring ongoing national and international campaigns promoting UK tourism
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-culture-media-sport
DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government)
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-localgovernment
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is the UK
Government department for communities and local government in England. It was
established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister, established in 2001. Its headquarters is located at Eland House, London.
There are corresponding departments in the Scottish Government, the Welsh
Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, responsible for communities and local
government in their respective jurisdictions.
The department is responsible for UK Government policy in the following areas, mainly
in England: building regulations, community cohesion, decentralisation, fire services
and community resilience, housing, local government, planning, race equality, the
Thames Gateway, urban regeneration.
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TSB (Technology Strategy Board)
The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is a UK public body operating at arm's length
from the Government reporting to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
(BIS).
The Technology Strategy Board has its roots as an advisory body within the former UK
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) established in 2004, before becoming an
independent body in July 2007 after the reorganisation of the DTI into the Department
for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) under Brown's government.
The original DTI organisation had its roots in the Innovation Review published by the
DTI in December 2003 and the Lambert Review. This reconfigured the major funding
mechanism as the Collaborative Research and Development Technology Programme,
transformed the pre-existing Faraday Partnerships into Knowledge Transfer Networks,
renamed the Teaching Company Scheme as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and set
up an Advisory Board made up of 12 people from business, venture capital and
regional government. These changes all took place in 2004 - with the Advisory Board
being appointed in October of that year.
This set up lasted until the 2006 Budget when Gordon Brown announced the intention
to set up the Technology Strategy Board as a "non-departmental public body"
operating at "arm's length" from the UK Government. This effectively moved the body
out of London and it was decided to locate it in Swindon. One consequence of this is
that the personnel were largely refreshed, and the decision was made to recruit
primarily those with business experience.
It is based in Swindon in the same site as most research councils, and the UK Space
Agency. It works closely with research councils, but from a more commercial angle,
less blue sky, and also with regional development agencies (disbanded) who each
have a Science and Industry Council.
Programmes
It has developed the Innovation Platforms - programmes which harness the activities
Government Departments use to address societal challenges to stimulate innovative
solutions within UK businesses.
It coordinates nano technology centres, and technology and innovation centres. It runs
the Small Business Research Initiative.
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The 2010 coalition budget announced that Innovation activity would transfer from
Regional Development Agencies to the TSB, including the Grant for Research &
Development and Innovation Vouchers.
Knowledge transfer
It runs the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network for companies in materials science.
It also runs the Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D), Knowledge Transfer
Networks (KTN) and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programmes.
It has developed an online collaboration platform, where members of the Knowledge
Transfer Networks and other groups concerned with innovation can meet, share
information and collaborate.
Research center and actors
Support for the ICT/Technology sectors, and in particular the ‘Games’ developer sector
was a key strategy for support under the Regional Development Agency – Advantage
West Midlands and aligned closely top their cluster model.
The engagement with the sector was led by the formation of COG – the Cluster
Opportunities Group. With the close of the UK RDA’s AWM closed in March 2012.
The legacy of the COG was continued in a small unfunded capacity by some of it’s key
members who have since formed the organisation DMB (Digital Media Businesses).
However, the remit for the COG included a wide perspective of the ‘Creative Industries’
and included cultural sectors such as Music, Radio and Cultural Tourism which the
DMB does not have represented specifically in it’s remit.
The former regional Screen WM agency was an regional private organisation
supported by state funding and funding from the BFI (British Film Institute) as well as a
mandate to distribute awards of Lottery Investment Fund for Film Production, Film &
Media Education, Film Archive & Audience Development. It also had a regional funding
initiative for Channel 4 Funds to develop cultural project collaborations with New Media
/Games (ICT).
When the UK government closed the UK Film Council, it’s national supporting body, it
also closed the regional screen agencies. The remaining funding support and remit
was given to a newly formed organisation Creative England who maintained the remit
for support of Film & TV production but with no regional focus. Creative England are
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also included in various local development strategy groups such as the Birmingham
City Council.
Research & Cluster actors in the field of SmartCulture are no longer coordinated by
either National, regional or local agency/ departments with a mandate for coordinated
regional development. Instead there are independent research activities and projects
which often do not cross reference.
This lack of a focal point for strategic development and ensuring duplication is avoided,
or a more regional collaborative approach involving education, policy and business has
been raised as a threat to development in this area through the initial questions and
research in the SmartCulture project interviews.
Those institutions, organisations and projects engaged in this area are:
Universities:
The West Midlands region is home to 13 Higher Education Institutions with
Birmingham’s 3 universities and 2 university colleges make it the largest centre of
Higher education outside of London in the UK.
In the digital arena, research groups include University of Birmingham’s (UOB)
Heritage and Cultural learning hub specifically focused on digital cultural heritage and
the Universities Human Computer Interaction Group. Through the Centre of Urban and
Regional Studies at University of Birmingham, research strengths are in industrial
economics and the study of clusters, including recent nationally published work on the
creative industries.
Also, the region includes major relevant research groups such as the Digital Lab at
Warwick University, the Media & Culture groups at Birmingham City University and the
Serious Games Institute (SGI) at Coventry. There is also some activity within the
Science Park (Aston) and Wolverhampton Science park and it’s close working with
University of Wolverhampton and it’s technology corridor.
The University of Birmingham is a member of the Universitas 21 group of worldwide
research intensive universities and recently hosted the international conference on
“digital cultural heritage” in 2011 with over 500 participants.
Birmingham City University has two major collaborative projects that also contribute to
the research and knowledge base for the sectors;
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Eastside Projects:
Eastside Projects (EP) is an exhibition space with many differences. It is a free, public
space that is being imagined and organised by artists. We commission and present
experimental contemporary art exhibitions, and propose ways in which art may be
useful to society. EP is a questioning structure that in turn produces more questions
and also, of course, possible answers. Our ambition is to incorporate the
methodologies of art-making at all scales and functions of the organisation.
They work collaboratively towards change and do so to support the cultural growth of
Birmingham. Their mission statement outlines the purpose “We do not make art for the
public. We are the public that makes art. The artist run space is not a stop gap. The
artist run space is a public good”.
Eastside Projects is an artist-run space as public gallery, not for profit company Limited
by guarantee and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, in
partnership with Birmingham City University, with further support from Paul Hamlyn
Foundation Breakthrough Fund, and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
BCU – TEE (Technology, Engineering and the Environment)
TEE was formed in early 2009 by consolidating three existing centres, the Technology
Innovation Centre; the Department of Computing; and The Birmingham School of the
Built Environment.
Today, the Faculty comprises four schools that, together, are able to respond
dynamically to the multiple modern technological challenges posed by fast-paced
industries.
Their shared vision is to create a powerful centre of technological excellence and
innovation, to educate to the highest quality in technologies and engineering and equip
students with the technical skills to contribute to the workplace as well as to the wider
industry.
Their links to industry allow students to become involved in the latest research or make
a real contribution to business.
They also offer international links allowing them to explore further the emerging
technologies, which are crucial for knowledge-sharing. They also offer opportunities for
overseas exchange.
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About 4,000 students are currently enrolled on our courses - and record numbers of
students are applying to study here and become part of our modern, supportive
community.
Through a vast choice of accredited courses supported by more than 300 staff, plus
vigorous research activities, TEE has gained a reputation as the West Midlands' chief
hub of knowledge, technology and skills-transfer into industry.
The schools have been recognised as leaders of education in national surveys and
education league tables:

Planning has the best overall student satisfaction rate in the country, scoring 96
% in the 2009 National Student Survey.

General Engineering is ranked in the top 20 and Mechanical Engineering is
ranked in the top 30 in the UK, according to the 2010 Guardian League Table.

Building and Town and Country Planning are ranked in the top 30 in the country
in the Independent Complete University Guide 2010.

TEE are ranked 10th in the UK for Land and Property Management provision
according to the Independent Complete University Guide 2011. Town Planning
is ranked 25th, and Building is 29th.
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/employability-statement
Warwick University – Digital Lab
The Digital Lab is a multi-disciplinary research centre combining WMG’s (Warwick
Manufacturing Group) expertise with that in underpinning sciences including
psychology, medicine, computer science and mathematics. Businesses wishing to
engage in hi-tech R&D are encouraged to come and discover the potential for costeffective research at the Lab.
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the West Midlands region can access
some of our expertise and leading-edge technology free of charge. Additionally SMEs
with modest R&D budgets will be able to take that assistance further to develop
bespoke solutions.
Warwick University – WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group)
WMG was founded by Professor Lord Bhattacharyya in 1980 to reinvigorate
manufacturing. From its inception WMG’s mission has been to improve the
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competitiveness of organisations around the world through the application of value
adding innovation, new technologies and skills deployment, bringing academic rigour to
industrial and organisational practice. WMG are an international role model for how
universities and business can successfully work together. Today we are one of the
world’s leading research groups, with over 450 people working across five buildings on
the Warwick campus plus collaborative centres in six countries. We have an annual
programme of £150m which includes industrial and in-kind support.
WMG are at the forefront of innovative technology, leading major multi-partner projects
to create and develop exciting new processes and products that can lead to major
breakthroughs and be of huge benefit to organisations. As such we are carrying out
applied research in fields such as low carbon mobility, healthcare and business.
These multi-partner projects have seen us working across a wide range of sectors and
our field of expertise now extends well beyond traditional manufacturing, automotive
and aerospace sectors and encompasses areas as diverse as construction, health,
agriculture, mining, banking and telecommunications.
Coventry University - Institute for Creative Enterprise
The Institute for Creative Enterprise (ICE) brings together researchers, graduates,
businesses and enterprise support professionals to collaborate, share ideas and to
help grow the region’s cultural and creative sectors.
The Institute has its own building and facilities - close to the University's Technology
Park site - providing space for creative enterprises for meetings, hotdesking and
development. The building was originally funded by Advantage West Midlands.
As well as creative business tenants, ICE is home to postgraduate courses in Creative
Practice (Digital Media), Dance Making and Performance, Media Production and
Performance Innovation and the Creative Enterprise project, all run by the Coventry
School of Art and Design. ICE is also the centre for research in digital culture and
creative industries and society.
CE (Creative Enterprise)
Is a new support initiative, part funded by the ERDF, aimed at creative graduates, new
enterprises and established businesses based within the West Midlands with a
corresponding West Midlands postcode (if you are unsure of your eligibility check our
West Midlands region map). We are offering a range of free services and opportunities,
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including networking events, workshops, mentoring, consultancy, business advice and
guidance and workspace.
CREATIVE PIE
Creative PIE is an annual conference focusing on how creatives do business, how they
develop, innovate and thrive.
The conference is free to attend and open to small creative businesses, new start ups
and graduates based in the West Midlands. Attendees will be from the arts, media and
design sectors and include businesses which have both a commercial and not-for-profit
focus. The conference aims to provide information, contacts and inspiration for all
attendees.
The event is now in its second year. It originally ran as a one day conference. The
expansion to two days is to help capitalize on the networking potential of the event. Full
details of the content of the conference, as it develops, are on the Creative PIE 2013
page
Planned sessions include:

Big data: looking at how developments in data collection can help businesses
do market research more effectively.

The value of art: what is the value of art and creativity and how can you make
your commercial case.

How I did it: Creative Entrepreneurs speak out.

Finance & Fundraising. This sessions explores fundraising opportunities,
including sponsorship, crowd funding
Networking: building relationships and making opportunities.
Birmingham City University – NTI
New Technology Institute Birmingham is a School within the Faculty of Performance,
Media and English at Birmingham City University.
In 2011, NTI Birmingham's web design and development services were integrated into
the University's CICT department, with NTI Birmingham shifting its focus instead on
running its Adobe and Apple short training courses and growing suite of postgraduate
training courses, such as Gamer Camp.
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In early 2010, NTI Birmingham (primarily a training and conferencing centre at the time)
merged with the Digbeth-based production house Screen Media Lab. Screen Media
Lab was set up in the early 2000's to produce websites and video through in-house
studios Media Content Lab and Notion Studio respectively, as well as a variety of
training through Media Skills.
NTI delivers:

Industry-focused postgraduate training in games development, media, film and
production (more on the latter soon).

1 to 4 day training courses in Adobe and Apple software.

Specially created, 3 to 5 day creative media workshops for 13 to 15 year olds
during school holidays.

A popular business network for the region's animation industry, Animation
Forum West Midlands.

Insight Out, a support scheme for business start-ups.
SGI (Serious Games Institute) Coventry
The Serious Games Institute is an internationally leading centre for excellence in
serious games applied research, business and study.
Founded in 2007, as part of regional development funding, the Serious Games Institute
has developed into an international brand for excellence in its field, with new overseas
branches in Singapore and South Africa and a commercial spin out company Serious
Games International which has attracted £2 million in loan investments.
The SGI also boasts the development services of a serious games studio, the mobile
applications lab and a purpose-built teaching lab.
The Research Division has so far supported the main strands of applied research,
consultancy and events, including Second Wednesday events (2008-present) and
IEEE VS-Games international conference (2009-present), Europe’s first Masters
Programme and Doctoral School in Serious Games.
The Institute has a very successful track record of securing funding as a partner in a
wide portfolio of projects being funded through European Union, European Regional
Development, Technology Strategy Board, Prime Ministers Initiative Fund, Higher
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Education Funding Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council,
Department for Transport and many others.
The Research Division currently holds 23 projects, including 13 European Union
funded projects, including the Scientific Coordination of European Commission
Network of Excellence in Serious Games (GALA), European Commission FP7 STREP
MASELTOV and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Centre (EPSRC)
Energy and Digital Economy Programme: Transforming Energy Demand in Buildings
through Digital Innovation (BuildTEDDI).
The group also have a significant publication record with over 100 peer reviewed
technical reports, conference papers and journal articles.
There are over 192 academic, industrial and governmental partners on the funded
projects and a cluster of 31 companies.
The Applied Research and Development Group is headed by Professor Sara de
Freitas and includes expertise in areas of Cognitive Science, Learning Design,
Pedagogy and e-Learning, Computer Science, Immersive Learning Environments,
Multimodal Interfaces, Haptics, Open Innovation and Crowd sourcing, Big Data, 3D
Modelling, Graphics and Serious Game design and evaluation.
Projects include:
EduGameLab
The EduGameLab project targets parents and teachers and develops concrete,
specific solutions for their problems concerning serious games. Different (EC) surveys
show that children are more and more using ICT and ICT based serious games. These
surveys also describe that only 10% of the serious games are used for educational
programmes in schools. Therefore proven positive benefits of serious game use remain
limited to the private situation of children and are not deployed to achieve educational
objectives and priorities. Research shows that improvement of the use of serious
games in education largely depends on the attitude, skills and knowledge of teachers.
Curiously enough neither the digital illiteracy nor the position of parents is taken into
consideration while children and their use of serious games provides for an excellent
link between school and home and between formal, informal and non-formal learning.
The SGI has been developing a ratings tool for games in this project.
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Touch Digital
Touch Digital is an ERDF funded project based at the Serious Games Institute at
Coventry University Technology Park and delivered in partnership with Aston
University.
Touch Digital’s aim is to help West Midlands SMEs to understand and integrate digital
technologies into their business. Through funding from the European Regional
Development Fund we can provide eligible West Midlands SMEs with five days expert
advice and practical support at no financial cost to their business.
The Touch Digital interactive technology experts can work with businesses to explore
ideas, to develop existing technologies and to provide real practical help and ideas.
We’ll also be running a programme of free technology-focused events and networking
sessions and will be launching the exciting new Touch Digital Tech Lab during June
2013.
VRU (Visual Research Unit) BCU /BIAD (Birmingham Institute Of Art And Design)
The Visualisation Research Unit (VRU) was established by the UCE Birmingham
Institute of Art and Design in 2004 as an applied research unit to develop the use of
digital media in creative practice. The Unit's remit has been to create facilities and
produce research outputs in a variety of forms that reflect this new thinking about what
and how art could be created through digital media. The emphasis of the Unit's work is
on collaboration between creativity and technology, and on putting the technologies we
have, and are developing, into creative use. Based in the Department of Art at BIAD,
the Unit is a significant capital resource, with comprehensive motion capture facilities,
animation capacity, supercomputing for data heavy processors and HD television
production facilities. The equipment is supported by well-trained technical and creative
staff, who are engaged in a broad range of practices that will help support the
programme the VRU can offer.
Research projects and collaborations include:
e-Science for the Visual Arts
On July 20th 2007, the VRU will be running a Methods Network workshop on real-time
collaborative art making in response to the feedback from the e-Science workshops run
last year. The VRU specialises in developing and applying technologies in the Visual
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and Performing Arts as part of its work in the Department of Art and this workshop is
focussed on both of these aims, exploring technologies that can be adapted for use in
the arts and networking technologies being developed for use in the blurred area
between the visual and performing arts.
The VRU has run a series of workshops in November 2006 on the topic of e-Science
for the Visual Arts, as part of a national scheme in the Arts & Humanities to improve
understanding of e-Science technologies and encourage the application of them in
research practice and the wider arts community.
Motion Capture
The motion capture system is an exo-skeleton based system called 'Gypsy', made by
Animazoo (www.animazoo.com). The Unit has three full suits, one torso (suit without
legs), and one MIDI interface torso. The acquisition of the suits has been linked to the
development of a commercial relationship with the small company that produced them,
providing R&D, critical feedback, training and new product development in partnership
with the inventors. The system is complex, and requires support from the Unit to
operate, but the results are on a par with anything else offered in world of motion
capture, with the added benefit of a number of direct research opportunities.
The system has already been demonstrated for use with dancers and athletes, in areas
like human movement analysis and motor skill learning in addition to the applications
for animation and gaming.
In addition to the more traditional applications for motion capture the VRU are currently
engaged in a number of activities exploring more abstract visual outputs from the suits.
This work is examining the process and the potentials of using physicality to control
and influence visual outputs.
University Of Wolverhampton – Science Park
Wolverhampton Science Park Ltd was formed in 1993 as a joint venture between the
University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton City Council.
The company being renamed University of Wolverhampton Science Park Ltd in 2012.
University of Wolverhampton Science Park has become the home for around 100
businesses working in a broad range of technological and creative disciplines including
software
development,
consultancy,
environmental
photography and
management,
videography,
graphics,
engineering
design
website design,
and
water
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technology, training and education, biocidal coatings, healthcare and business support
services
Deliver the following services:

Office accommodation and workshop / laboratory areas for companies working
in technology, knowledge-based, or creative sectors.

Conference and meeting facilities for both tenant organisations and clients from
outside the Science Park.

Business support services - in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton
and other providers.
Birmingham Science Park – Aston
Birmingham Science Park Aston was founded in 1982 and as such is the UK’s third
oldest science park. Located in its urban location within central Birmingham, it offers
250,0000 sq ft of accommodation over 14 acres.
Birmingham Science Park Aston is wholly owned by Birmingham City Council. To give
the Park a new dimension, provide clarity and pave the way for the £35 million Digital
Plaza development, from 2013 it is being presented as two campuses; the Science &
Technology Campus and the Innovation Birmingham Campus.
Innovation Birmingham Campus; The base for Birmingham’s tech community
The Innovation Birmingham team is actively looking to work with and bring together the
public and private sectors, creating interfaces for people with ideas, people with
technologies, people with expertise and experience, and people with money. It is a
one-stop-shop for innovators, entrepreneurs and investors looking to develop or fund
tech start-ups with high growth potential.
The Innovation Birmingham strategy is focused on a service offering for founders of
new technology ventures, as well as more established tech businesses. The campus
facilities include the Entrepreneurs for the Future (e4f) multi-occupancy start-up centre
with hot-desking facilities and a wide range of flexible office units (115-15,000 sq ft).
However, the campus is far from just bricks and mortar; the team actively nurtures an
interactive and supportive community within the place. The Campus strategy is about
encouraging people to visit, engage with the businesses based there, and attract new
tenants to the Park. By creating a wide range of valuable opportunities, the missing
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aspects of a successful business puzzle can be solved, helping innovators and tech
entrepreneurs to succeed.
• Business support for start-ups and growing businesses
• 80+ annual networking events, conferences and meet-ups
• State-of-the-art conference and meeting room facilities
• High quality offices in flexible licences and leases with 24/7 access and security
based at Faraday Wharf
Start-up Support
Aimed at supporting Birmingham’s entrepreneurial tech community, Innovation
Birmingham Campus runs a robust start-up support centre offering a number of
packages under its Entrepreneurs for the Future (e4f) banner.
e4f represents the heart of Birmingham’s tech scene, offering a creative, collaborative
and community-led environment that supports start-ups and Entrepreneurs. Offering
free business support, access to mentors and funding, e4f is the perfect location to
launch your business.
Education actors and institutions
The West Midlands region is home to 13 Higher Education Institutions with
Birmingham’s 3 universities and 2 university colleges make it the largest centre of
Higher education outside of London in the UK.
In Birmingham there are:
University Of Birmingham
2014 League Table Ranking 17
Founded in 1900 by Joseph Chamberlain, this was England’s first civic university,
where students from all religions and backgrounds were accepted on an equal basis.
Birmingham was the first independent civic university built on a campus model, the first
with a Medical School, a Business School, a purpose built students' union, and a
women's halls of residence.

27,406 total registered students.
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
17,706 undergraduates (64.6%).

8,535 postgraduates (31.1%).

1,165 sub-degree students (4.3%).

Female students 54.7%; male students 45.3%.

Mature students 29.8%.

International students 18.3%, from 131 countries.

Students from state schools 81%; students from independent schools 19%.
Research Standards

Birmingham was ranked fifth in the UK for the quality of research in the 2008
Research Assessment Exercise.

Ranked in the top 100 out of over 8,000 universities in the world, in both the
academic ranking of world universities and other world university rankings.

Chosen as the first in a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres to be
launched around the country.

Selected as the UK’s higher education Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) centre which will promote these subject areas throughout
England and Wales.

Birmingham was ranked in the top five for its research in Primary Care, Cancer
Studies, Psychology, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Music, European Studies
and Physics.

Research informs the teaching. Many academics are global experts in their
fields.

Area of study aligned with SmartCulture: Heritage Management MA/Diploma, World
Heritage Studies MA, Archaeology, Heritage and Environment PhD/PhD by Distance
Learning/MA by Research.
Birmingham City University

The University’s contribution to the education of the citizens of Birmingham and
beyond stretches back though a succession of predecessor institutions over
160 years.

The University enjoys historical strengths in the creative and performing arts:
the Birmingham Government School of Design – the first college of design
outside London – was opened in 1843 and Birmingham School of Music (later
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Birmingham Conservatoire) in 1886. Both were later incorporated into the
University.

University status was achieved in 1992, and the new name of Birmingham City
University was adopted in 2007, reflecting the University’s commitment to, and
pride in, its home city.

Around 23,500 students from 80 countries.
Area of study aligned with SmartCulture
Media and Creative Enterprise – MA
Creative Industries and Cultural Policy – MA
Digital Broadcast Technology - BSc (Hons)
Digital Broadcast Technology – MSc
Digital Media Technology - BSc (Hons)
Events and Exhibition Management – MA
Future Media: Pro - MA / MSc
Media and Communication (New Media) - BA (Hons)
Media and Cultural Studies - MPhil / PhD
Video Game Enterprise and Production (Gamer Camp: Biz) – MSc
Aston University

Total undergraduates (approximate) 8,000.

1,500 postgraduate students.
Newman University Birmingham
Formed in 1968 to train teachers, Newman University has expanded to provide a range
of single and combined honours degrees, higher degrees and work-based foundation
degrees.
Total places 2,800 (in total, or about 800 new places per year at UG level).
University College Birmingham
The origins of the University can be traced back to the late 19th century.
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It has an established UK and international reputation as a leading provider of
vocational management education.
It has longstanding association with University of Birmingham which accredits
University College Birmingham Foundation and Undergraduate Degrees and
Postgraduate qualifications.
There are over 1,100 international HE students.
In the West Midlands
University Of Warwick
The university was given its Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1965. It is situated on a
campus which straddles the boundary between the Coventry and the County of
Warwickshire.
The idea for a university in Coventry was mooted after the Second World War but it
was a partnership of the city and the county which brought the university into being.
The university initially admitted graduate students in 1964 and took its first 450
undergraduates in October 1965. In October 2011 the university had over 24,600
students.
Coventry University
The University traces its history back to 1843 and the establishment of the School of
Design.
There are 13% of International students for a total of 24,000.
The courses related to SmartCulture adomain are:
-Digital Media and Culture MA PgCert PgDip
-Digital Games and Business Innovation MSc
-Serious Games
-Multimedia Computing BSc (Hons)
University Of Wolverhampton
2010 League Table Ranking 102, it proposes courses of BSc (Hons) Computing Digital
Media Development (Top-up) and BDes (Hons) Games and Digital Media (top-up).
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University Of Worcester
2014 League Table Ranking 109, it proposes courses of: Creative Digital Media BA
(Hons), Archaeology and Heritage Studies BA (Hons), Computer Games Design &
Development BSc (Hons).
Staffordshire University
2014 League Table Ranking 113, the university is a large regional institution with over
17,000 students from all over the region, UK and the world. A further 9,000 are enrolled
on Staffordshire University awards at partner institutions overseas.
The courses are covering the following domains: Digital Design and Technologies
MPhil, PhD, Digital Media Production Foundation Degree, Creative Futures: Heritage
and Culture MA.
Birmingham Ormaston Academy
Birmingham Ormiston Academy is an independent state-funded 14-19 Academy
specialising in Creative, Digital and Performing Arts.
The Academy is now open in a brand new landmark building, geographically placed in
an area at the hub of the digital and creative industries. It has superb facilities for
academic, vocational and extra-curricular activities and will be at the forefront of the
development of creative and digital arts.
BOA is a regional academy admitting students not only from Birmingham but also the
surrounding metropolitan boroughs and wider West Midlands region.
BOA is sponsored by Ormiston Trust, Birmingham City University and partnered with
Maverick TV and the BRIT School.
Specialist Courses: Broadcast Media, Game Development
Economic actors
In 2010 Birmingham Arts Partnership commissioned a wide ranging report
vii
which
highlighted the economic value of Culture & Cultural Tourism to Birmingham
specifically, but taking it’s research from visitor data across the West Midlands.
The key findings show Birmingham’s main city based cultural institutions contribute
over £271 million to the region’s economy every year, based on almost 2 million
attendances which are responsible for generating an additional visitor spend (AVS) of
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£40 million. As well as demonstrating the value in economic and social terms of
investment in the arts, the report’s authors also point to the potential of Birmingham’s
cultural sector to generate yet further significant expenditure.
Other key findings in the Study include:

For every £1 of funding by Birmingham City Council, city centre venues and
companies provide a return on investment (ROI) of £29;

After accounting for investment from Arts Council England, it represents a ROI
ratio of 1:11;

Two million people in the West Midlands have been to a cultural event in
Birmingham, including 1.3 million in the last year;

The average visitor spend for those arriving from outside the region was £43
per person (region £17 and city £10);

Almost another million people would consider attending a city-based arts
organisation. This untapped market has the potential to generate up to an
additional £24m AVS for the West Midlands economy;

The arts employ significantly more people than mechanical engineering, motor
vehicles or printing and publishing;

Nearly half of those surveyed believe the city’s cultural provision is an extra
reason for friends and relations to come and visit them;

Three-quarters believe the cultural offer makes Birmingham a truly international
city;

Over two-thirds agree that the city’s cultural provision exposes them to cultures
outside their own life experience;

Nearly four-fifths believe the city’s arts provide opportunities to learn new
things.
Despite these figures, there has been a shift in priorities by the loss of the RDA
support, wider economic development support and funding and through local authority
cuts in reaction to Government reductions in subsidy to local authorities.
These cuts are huge and in many ways have undermined the progressive stance that
Birmingham and the wider West Midlands led on in it’s Creative and Cultural Industry
profile nationally.
Birmingham City Council is facing an extremely tough financial challenge. In 2010, as
part of the Spending Review, the government announced its plan for reducing the
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national financial deficit. Funding to local authorities will be reduced by 28% from 2011
to 2015 after taking account of inflation and, in fact, some grants have been stopped
altogether. Some large cities, including Birmingham, have been hit hard.
In the last two years, the Government has reduced its grants to Birmingham City
Council by over £140m. That is a reduction of 14%.
For 2013/14 general grants have been cut by a further £27m. Over a six-year period,
from 2010/11 to 2016/17, it is forecast that the general Government grants to
Birmingham City Council will reduce by at least £300m.
UK Creative and Cultural sectors account for 7.3% of the total UK economy,
comparable in size to the financial services sector. The Screen, Image & Sound Cluster
focuses on digital media, the high growth part of the Creative Industries. The sector
punches above its weight in terms of ‘place and profile’ as applications of digital media
run through everybody’s lives, from leisure & lifestyle to business & communication.
Economic actors therefore are no longer aligned to a strategic ‘regional’ development
or cluster model. The support is centralized government and EU support via
Government departments such as DCMS, BIS & DCLG where financial support is
delivered via ‘Local’ government, individual local authorities throughout the West
Midlands ‘Region’ and localized offices or departments of National agenciesor
institutions such as UKTI (UK Trade & Investment).
http://www.ukti.gov.uk/uktihome/aboutukti.html
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their
success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look
to the UK as their global partner of choice.
UKTI has professional advisers both within the UK and across more than 100
international markets.
UKTI has a customer commitment to helping its UK and international customers by
providing a range of services, to a high standard and improve customer service by
listening to customer feedback.
We also have a co-ordination role across government to establish a more systematic
approach to relationships with companies which are the most economically significant
investors and exporters.
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There is little activity or focus that acts to disseminate, fund or support a regional
cohesive strategy. Instead the support from national economic policy is either
centralized or centralized funding is given to local departments for spend to meet a
national priority.
Some departments /agencies or support organisations cross both economic support
with political mandate; BIS, TSB.
On a local level businesses are supported by organisations including:
British Chamber Of Commerce Group (Both regional and local in scope – eg Black
Country & Birmingham)
Birmingham Chamber Of Commerce
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is steeped in history having been established for
nearly 200 years but, like the business environment over the decades, it has changed
and adapted accordingly. The group now comprises:
• Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
• Burton & District Chamber of Commerce
• Chase Chamber of Commerce
• Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber of Commerce
• Solihull Chamber of Commerce
• British American Business Council
• Chamber Executive Club
• Institute of Asian Businesses
• Future Faces
Today’s Chamber is a modern, innovative, membership-based business support
organisation that exists to connect its members to opportunity. Birmingham Chamber is
an accredited member of the British Chambers of Commerce and over the years has
established itself to become the prominent independent business voice in Birmingham
and the West Midlands.
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
Free legal advice helpline. 24/7 support on all matters and available for all
colleagues
Birmingham is one of 6 designated Science Cities.
In 2005 The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, has designate six
'Science Cities' to lead the development of deeper links between business and the
science base and ensure that science, technology and innovation succeed in becoming
the engine of economic growth.
Birmingham Science City will catalyse and support activity that creates wealth and
opportunity by exploiting and maximising the impact of the technical expertise and R&D
excellence in Birmingham and its environs. We will draw on our networks to marshal
the strengths and assets which exist and seize partnership, demonstration and funding
opportunities to make a major contribution to developing a thriving, knowledge-based
economy.
In particular, Birmingham Science City will:

Work collaboratively with the research base, business and public sectors,
utilizing existing networks and partnerships.

Work closely with the economic development aims of the Greater Birmingham
and Solihull LEP in particular but also the LEPs of other near geographies
where mutually desirable.

Drive for and support a thriving innovation ecosystem in support of a productive
knowledge economy.

Maintain focus on sectors of recognised strength and opportunity

Promote research and innovation strengths to business, investors and the
public to create opportunities in the knowledge economy.

Maintain a long-term vision, of contributing to the economic restructuring and
people’s quality of life through science, technology and innovation.
Birmingham will focus on supporting and catalysing partnership and actions in three
areas of activity – examples of each is shown in the case studies section of this
website:
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
Developing a thriving Innovation Ecosystem

Collaborative projects to stimulate specific sectors (currently Low Carbon,
Innovative Healthcare and Digital)

Marketing, engaging, communicating with/ for local Innovation Community
The impetus generated by the Cluster Opportnuities Group (COG) under the regional
development agency AWM was maintained by some core members and has recently
formed the basis of a new businesses (Digital Sector) support organization called
Digital Media Businesses (DMB)
Digital Media Businesses is a cluster of individuals, SMEs and other organisations with
an interest in the Digital Media sector in the West Midlands. (DMB) has three core
aims:

To help and support, develop and grow, an energetic, exciting and compelling
creative and digital sector

To foster strategic partnerships between digital businesses, focussing on
Birmingham and surrounding areas, effectively combining specialisms to deliver
complex digital projects

To have a common secretariat that can access national, European and world
wide opportunities representing businesses as consortia as well as individuals
Contact: www.digitalmediabusinesses.co.uk
Digital Birmingham
is a Birmingham City Council initiative and part of a city wide strategic partnership of
more than 40 public, private and voluntary organisations.
It was established in 2006 as the driving force to ensure that the benefits of digital and
new emerging technologies are available to all people, businesses and sectors in the
city. This is key to accelerating Birmingham and the region's economic and sustainable
growth, as well as promoting greater inclusion and quality of life.
Through its investment in technology, infrastructure and world class connectivity
programme it is now recognised as a leading digital city and has grown a strong
stakeholder group that spans commercial, public sector and academic organisations.
DB are continuing to ensure that the city maintains its digital leadership as well as
extend this approach across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise
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Partnership (LEP) so that as a region, we stimulate innovation led growth, deliver better
services and achieve greater transparency and efficiencies.
‘Having established the city's digital credentials, we are now driving forward
Birmingham's Smart City approach, which is looking at the significant benefits to be
achieved through the integration of technology into a strategic approach across all
mainstream city initiatives in the areas of mobility, economy, people, living and
governance. A Smart City Commission, led by Cllr. James McKay (Cabinet Member for
Green, Safe and Smart city), provides the leadership, vision, expert knowledge and
strategic direction to oversee the development of the Smart City programme and
ensure that we future proof the city, so that it is adaptable, resilient and responsive to
meet the challenges ahead’.
Smart City development
We are developing specifications and programmes of work to help progress
Birmingham's Smart City ambitions.

Support the Smart City Commission, which provides the leadership and
governance for Birmingham's Smart City activities.

Involvement in European and national Smart City initiatives and projects such
as EU funded project Smart Spaces.

Collaborative R&D programmes of work with Universities such as Birmingham
City University looking at prototype platforms and solutions for future Smart
Cities.

Developing frameworks, standards and city metrics for a Smart City, which
includes making data open and accessible as a key city asset.
World class digital connectivity
In line with the Big City Plan, and the Enterprise Zone, Digital Birmingham is
developing a world class digital connectivity programme that will be key to accelerating
economic growth, creating new jobs and inward investment.

The Digital Districts programme of ultrafast broadband speed will transform
sections of the city, acting as a catalyst for growth.

City wide next generation high speed wireless technologies to respond to the
need for on the move high speed mobile services.
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
Exploring the opportunities for a shared Public Service Network (PSN), across
the region to reduce costs and improve network performance.
Developing the talent pool for innovation and skills
The seven key sectors in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP strategy for growth
relies on businesses having the right skills and knowledge to exploit digital
technologies and infrastructure ad unlock innovation in their business practices;
Equally citizens need to be online in order for example to access the benefits of job
opportunities and best deals and develop essential ICT skills to meet employer
requirements and help them to become 'Digital by Default'. Current activities to support
this strand:

Hello Business sector events and hackathons.

Virgin Media Pioneers online community to support young entrepreneurs.

Go ON Birmingham Campaign to create 2,012 digital champions to help make
our citizens 'Digital by Default'.

DISCOVER EU funded project to develop digital skills of carers.

Development of information channels such as Looking Local to support digital
inclusion.
Contact: www.birmingham.gov.uk
Institute of Directors (IOD)
Is a national independent association of business leaders reflecting the views of it’s
business members when the government is reviewing policy, legislation or seeking the
views of the wider business community.network.
They have been supporting businesses and the people who run them since 1903. As
the UK’s longest running organisation for professional leaders and are dedicated to
supporting our approximately 36,000 members, encouraging entrepreneurial activity
and promoting responsible business practice for the benefit of the business community
and society as a whole.
There are also economic cluster centres that have built up it’s creative & cultural
industries around physical spaces. These have become catalists for economic planning
for the CCI’s and the wider economic civic development plans. Specifically they
include:
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The Custard Factory
http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/
The Custard Factory is an arts and media production centre in Birmingham, England.
Located on the redeveloped site of the Bird's Custard factory in the industrial district of
Digbeth, it is home to a community of businesses, primarily with an artistic and media
slant, but also including entertainment venues and regional offices of national
charitable organisations.
The Custard Factory complex is set in five acres (20,000 m²) of factory buildings,
originally constructed by Sir Alfred Frederick Bird (1849–1922), the son of Alfred Bird
(1811–1878), the inventor of egg-free instant custard.
After the Bird company's departure to Banbury in 1964, the buildings were redeveloped
from 1992, in two initial phases. The architect for the redevelopment project was
Birmingham-based Glenn Howells Architects. The redevelopment of the Custard
Factory began in January 1992 when the project was given £800,000 as a City Grant
Award. This public sector funding levered in £1.6 million of private sector investment for
the refurbishment of 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of redundant buildings, providing 145
units for use by artists, designers and communicators. The first phase created around
300 jobs, half of which were previously unemployed. By the completion of the Custard
Factory project, it is anticipated that a total of 1,000 jobs will be created.
Phase one consisted of the refurbishment of Scott House which is now home to a
community of hundreds of media companies, artists and small creative enterprises.
The loading bay was turned into a lake around which the developers installed around
200 studio workshops above the ground floor - plus on the ground floor a café, meeting
rooms, dance studios, holistic therapy rooms, art display cases in the foyer and a larger
gallery space called "The Gallery" at the rear, a record and clothes shop, sculpture (a
huge iron dragon crawls up the exterior of the Medicine Bar), and fountains within a
central pool area which is sometimes emptied to allow for dance music events. The
Medicine Bar and Kitchen have provided a stage for many musicians, DJs and rappers.
A 220-seat theatre was also provided, inspired by the Custard Factory Theatrical
Company who first asked for space at the Custard Factory before the project
commenced.
Phase two - originally named 'The Greenhouse', but now 'Gibb Square' after the Gibb
Street location - was completed opposite the Custard Factory in 2002. It focuses on
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new media and media businesses. It includes a hundred studio/offices, a ring of
poolside shops, galleries and restaurants plus the Green Man, a 40 ft (12 m) high
sculpture by Tawny Gray - a huge structure made from vegetation and stone, standing
next to a large water feature and overlooking the alleyway that divides the Custard
Factory from the Gibb Square development.
Zellig
In March 2007, the regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands,
announced new funding for the Custard Factory of £9.6m, to open 100 new office and
workspace units. The result was Zellig (former Devonshire House), a restored grade II
listed building, featuring a new sculpture, the Deluge, by sculptress Toin Adams and
opened in May 2010.
The presence of the Custard Factory has enticed two media training agencies to locate
nearby. The old Trades Union Studies Centre, very near, is now a media and arts
annexe of South Birmingham College with a new building alongside it. In 2005, the
VIVID media centre moved from the Jewellery Quarter to a site very near the Custard
Factory.
About 800 yards (730 m) away from the Factory is the new "Progress Works" complex,
opened in 2005 as part of the Custard Factory quarter, on Heath Mill Lane. "The Bond"
complex is also a short walk away.
Three-quarters of a mile north is BIAD, the largest British university art & design
teaching and research centre outside London.
Cultural actors
The region has world renowned Cultural Assets including the Ironbridge Gorge a
UNESCO World Heritage Sites and birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and The
town of Stratford upon Avon, birthplace of poet William Shakespeare.
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Europe and Birmingham
Museums and Art Gallery, the most visited gallery outside London. The City council is
currently building the largest public library in Europe which will adopt SmartCulture
approaches in its audience engagement.
Birmingham City Council also houses Digital Birmingham, the city's partnership working
to ensure that the benefits of digital technologies are available to all in the city.
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There are 214 museums and 307 libraries and 24 archives in the region. The new
Library of Birmingham will alone spend around £1.3m on digital media.
In this context the single largest imitative in the area of “digital access to cultural
resources” is the ERDF funded West Midlands Digital Cultural Heritage Demonstrator.
This project is led by the University of Birmingham, with partners: Birmingham City
Council (through the new Library), Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Ironbridge
Gorge Museums Trust and the new Worcester HIVE. The Worcester HIVE is a new
centre being built which will house Worcestershire’s history and records services along
with a public library, cultural exhibitions and events and council services, using this
fusion approach to engage all sectors of the population in both culture and education.
Networks.
Responsibility for the development of Museums & Libraries was held by MLA
(Museums ,Libraries & Archives Council) until disbanded in 2012 – Funding support
and functions relating to museums, libraries and archives were transferred on 1
October 2011 to the Arts Council England and the National Archives.
Arts Council England
ACE was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three
separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body
of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The arts funding system in England
underwent considerable reorganisation in 2003 when all of the regional arts boards
were subsumed into Arts Council England. The boundaries of the regional offices are
now co-terminous with the standard English Regions.
It is a government-funded body dedicated to promoting the performing, visual and
literary arts in England. Since 1994, Arts Council England has been responsible for
distributing lottery funding. This investment has helped to transform the building stock
of arts organisations and to create lots of additional high quality arts activity.
Support for the Museums sector
Renaissance
Major partner museums

Re-launched the Renaissance programme following the Selwood review of
2009 and in early 2012 announced the 16 major partner museums to replace
the former hubs and hub partnerships.

The Major partner museums receive between £500,000 and £2 million each,
totalling approximately £21 million per year. The funding is aimed at supporting
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them to be even more ambitious and contribute to museum leadership across
the country.
Strategic support fund

From March 2013 87 projects awarded a share of £17.8 million for the second
round of the Strategic support fund, a programme focusing on any gaps
(geographical or otherwise) or development opportunities across the sector.
Museum development fund

A programme of national museum development support for smaller museums
totalling £3 million per year. This has provided a network of nine providers
across the country, in most cases run out of Major partner museums.
National programmes

A
suite
of
national,
sector-wide
projects
and
programmes,
totalling
approximately £3.25 million per year. This supports Accreditation and
Designation development, the V&A purchase grant fund, the PRISM fund,
subject specialist networks, support for Collections Trust and Culture24, and
also the campaigns Museums at Night and Kids in Museums.
Support for Archives
Designation

Designation identifies the pre-eminent collections of national and international
importance held in England's non-national museums, libraries and archives,
based on their quality and significance.
Funding
V&A Purchase Grant Fund

The V&A Purchase Grant Fund contributes towards the acquisition of objects
relating to the arts, literature and history by museums, galleries, record
repositories and specialist libraries in England and Wales which are not funded
by central government.
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PRISM fund

The fund for the Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM fund)
supports the acquisition and / or conservation of material objects which provide
an important contribution to our understanding of science, industry or
technology.
Grants for the arts

Grants for the arts is an open access funding programme for all types of
organisation delivering arts activities (including museums, libraries and
archives).
Cultural property
Government Indemnity Scheme

The Government Indemnity Scheme offers an alternative to the cost of
commercial insurance and is available to museums, galleries and libraries
within the UK when borrowing works of art and objects for exhibitions and for
long-term loan when particular security and environmental conditions are met.
Acceptance in Lieu

The Acceptance in Lieu scheme enables taxpayers to transfer important works
of art and other important heritage objects into public ownership while paying
Inheritance Tax, or one of its earlier forms.
Export Licensing

The Export Licensing Unit issues, on behalf of the Secretary of State for
Culture, licences to export cultural goods.
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art
The Reviewing Committee's terms of reference are:

to advise on the principles which should govern the control of export of objects
of cultural interest and the operation of the export control system generally

to advise the Secretary of State on all cases where refusal of an export licence
for an object of cultural interest is suggested on grounds of national importance

to advise in cases where a special Exchequer grant in needed towards the
purchase of an object that would otherwise be exported
Contact: http://birminghamculture.org/
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The West Midlands has had a vibrant and varied cultural history. Many world class
institutions and heritage sites have their origins here or are based here.
The music heritage and in particular popular pop and rock music, has been a leading
centre of creativity since the 1950s with international artists such as
The Spencer Davis Group (Steve Winwood), Traffic, The Moody Blues, The Move,
ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), Black Sabbath, founder members of Led Zeppelin and
later emergence as a centre for Reggae & Bhangra drawing on it’s incredibly diverse
community demographic influences.
It has a wealth of world class music venues Birmingham's current music venues
include

Symphony Hall

ICC

The National Indoor Arena

O2 Academy Birmingham,

the National Exhibition Centre

The CBSO Centre

The Glee Club

Birmingham Conservatoire

mac (Midlands Arts Centre) at Cannon Hill Park

The Custard Factory

the Drum Arts Centre

The Jam House,
The internationally-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's home venue
is Symphony Hall, which in acoustic terms is widely considered to be one of the
greatest concert halls of the 20th century and also hosts concerts by many visiting
orchestras.
Other professional orchestras based in the city include the Birmingham Contemporary
Music Group, a chamber orchestra specialising in modern music with some world
premieres; the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, who give concert performances under music
director Barry Wordsworth in addition to playing for the Birmingham Royal Ballet; and
Ex Cathedra, one of the country's oldest and most respected early-music and Baroque
period instrument ensembles.
Other key cultural heritage attractions include:
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Birmingham Hippodrome
http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/
- Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts
a wide variety of other performances including visiting opera and ballet companies,
touring West End shows, pantomime and drama.
Every summer, the Hippodrome usually houses a major West End touring show, some
of these consist of Starlight Express, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cats, Mary Poppins and
We Will Rock You. Every year, the Hippodrome houses a pantomime from the
company QDOS - the entertainer Brian Conley, 'Loose Woman' Lynda Bellingham and
Puppet Basil Brush have been confirmed as the stars of Cinderella for 2011/12. The
theatre's Chief Executive is Stuart Griffiths.
With a regular annual attendance of over 500,000, the Hippodrome is the busiest single
theatre in the United Kingdom,[1] and the busiest venue for dance outside London.
Symphony Hall / Town Hall
Symphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue in Birmingham, England opened in 1991,
It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hosts around 270
events a year. It was completed at a cost of £30 million. The hall's interior is modelled
upon the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The venue,
managed alongside Town Hall, presents a programme of jazz, world, folk, rock, pop
and classical concerts, organ recitals, spoken word, dance, educational and community
performances, and is also used for conferences and business events. The Symphony
Hall, widely considered one of the finest in the world.
Birmingham Town Hall
It is a Grade I listed concert hall and venue for popular assemblies opened in 1834 and
situated in Victoria Square, Birmingham.
It was created as a home for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival established in
1784, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the General Hospital, after St Philip's
Church (later to become a Cathedral) became too small to hold the festival, and for
public meetings.
The hall underwent a major renovation between 2002 and 2008. It now hosts a diverse
programme of events including jazz, world, folk, rock, pop and classical concerts, organ
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recitals, spoken word, dance, family, educational and community performances, as well
as annual general meetings, product launches, conferences, dinners, fashion shows,
graduation ceremonies and broadcasts.
Library Of Birmingham
The new Library of Birmingham opened in September 2013. It is the largest lending in
Europe with a local authority investment of £188m.
Designed by Dutch architect Francine Houben, it has an amphitheatre, gardens and
public spaces. The library is a huge and important development housing 400,000+
books, National Collection of Photography, World Class Archive and one of the largest
Shakespeare Collections in the world in the re-housed Shakespeare Memorial Room
originally built in 1882. It is also be home to a BFI Mediatheque, providing free access
to the National Film Archive.
The SmartCulture partners University Of Birmingham have been working closely with
the development and Birmingham City Council and developed innovative touch screen
tables inside the library.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
BM&AG is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has a collection of
international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, archaeology,
ethnography, local history and industrial history.
It is run by Birmingham Museums Trust, the largest independent museums trust in the
United Kingdom, which also runs eight other museums around the city. Entrance to the
Museum and Art Gallery is free, but some major exhibitions in the Gas Hall incur an
entrance fee.
In April 2012, Birmingham Museums and Art Galley joined forces with Thinktank,
Birmingham Science Museum to form the UK’s largest independent museums trust.
This new city wide trust means that visitors to all venues can take advantage of even
more educational and entertaining events and activities, ranging from arts and crafts to
history and culture from around the world.
Other Birmingham cultural centres /assets include:

Birmingham Repertory Theatre http://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/

The Drum http://www.the-drum.org.uk/
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
Mac (Midlands Art Centre) http://www.macarts.co.uk/

Birmingham Royal Ballet http://www.brb.org.uk/

Sampad http://www.sampad.org.uk/

Birmingham Opera Company http://www.birminghamopera.org.uk/

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra http://www.cbso.co.uk/

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group http://www.bcmg.org.uk/

IKON http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/

Fierce http://www.wearefierce.org/
Other West Midlands cultural centers /assets & festivals include:
The Artrix, Bromsgrove http://www.artrix.co.uk/
The courtyard Hereford http://www.courtyard.org.uk/ home of the Film Festival
Borderlines (http://www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk/) The UK’s largest rural film
festival, Borderlines Film Festival (1 – 17 March), springs into a second decade with its
distinctive brand of the very best of cinema from around the world and close to home.
This year the Festival comprises a record 90 separate films and events in over 200
screenings in 39 venues of all shapes and sizes over 2,000 square miles of
Herefordshire, Shropshire and the Welsh borders.
Flatpack Film Festival Flatpack is a festival which takes over venues across
Birmingham every March. It draws people from far and wide with a mixture of films,
performances, contraptions and surprises, and has been described as “magnificently
eclectic” (Time Out), “joyously inventive” (the Guardian) and “the UK’s most creatively
curated film festival” (the Independent). The festival takes place across numerous
venues in Digbeth, a former industrial area of the city that is now Birmingham's art
district.[1] Major venues to screen films include the Electric Cinema, the Ikon Gallery
and mac (Birmingham). Flatpack incorporates several festivals within a festival,
including Film Bug, Colourbox and Unpacked. Film Bug is made in conjunction with
Colmore Business District and screens a diverse programme of features and shorts
across unusual locations in Birmingham's commercial centre. Colourbox hosts a
collection of family friendly events for a younger audience. Unpacked is the stream of
the festival aimed at industry guests and students, it features workshops and topical
discussions.
Flatpack Festival is supported by Arts Council England, Creative England and
Marketing Birmingham
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Lighthouse Media Centre, Wolverhampton
http://light-house.co.uk/
Since 1987 Light House inhabits large, partly-purpose-built accommodation, is an
independent company and employs 7 full time staff and a small team of part time staff
and volunteers. There are exhibitions, films, educational activities, conferences and
events. In addition, there are two major annual festivals and a myriad of activities that
develop and support the growing creative industries in the City and region. The
emphasis is still on giving opportunities for active involvement for everyone. With their
continued support, Light House will play an increasingly important part in the social,
cultural and economic life of the City and the wider region into the future.
Birmingham Foursquare (Formerly Artsfest)
Between 1997 and 2012 ArtsFest brought together free short demonstrations of dance,
music, film and theatre to concert halls, theatres, and open-air stages in various parts
of central Birmingham. The main location was Centenary Square with events in
Chamberlain Square, Victoria Square, Brindleyplace, Eastside, the Custard Factory,
and many others. ArtsFest was organised by Birmingham City Council and sponsored
by commercial and non-commercial organisations.
http://visitbirmingham.com/what-to-do/4-squares-weekender/
Stoke Your Fires – Festival, Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire.
http://www.stokeyourfires.co.uk/
The festival takes place annually at various venues across the city centre and focuses
on inspiring people, promoting local talent and creating opportunities for the whole
sector, by delivering a fascinating programme of innovation, creativity and
entrepreneurship.
Ironbridge Gorge Museum
http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/
In 1986, the Ironbridge Gorge became one of the first groups of 7 UK sites to be
awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. The designation of the Ironbridge Gorge
as a World Heritage Site recognised the area’s unique contribution to the birth of the
Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the impact of which was felt across the world.
It was the achievements of pioneering industrialists including Abraham Darby, William
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Reynolds and John Wilkinson that led to the Ironbridge Gorge becoming by the close of
the 18th century the most technologically advanced area in the world. The surviving
built and natural environment with its museums, monuments and artefacts, including
the world famous Iron Bridge of 1779, serve to remind us of this area’s unique
contribution to the history and development of industrialised society.
The Hive, Worcester
http://www.thehiveworcester.org/
Costing £60-million, The Hive was the subject of a complex Private finance initiative
programme, which brought together the designers with the building contractors
Galliford Try Ltd and the mechanical and electrical engineering consultants Max
Fordham LLP. Originally developed in Australia in the 1980s, PFI is a method of
procurring the design and construction of major public buildings by using private sector
funding and contracting services. The Hive's joint commissioning clients were the
University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council. Funding was also
provided by the National Lottery and the British government's Department for Culture
Media & Sport and Department for Education.

Opened July 2012

The Hive received 471,816 visitors in its first six months of operation

Is the first of its kind in Europe

Houses 12 miles of archive collections

Winner of two international awards for the building's design and sustainability

Contains a quarter of a million books

Anticipating over a million visitors per year

Over a million books issued in the building's first year of opening

10,000m2 of public space, over five floors

800 study stations

Over 26,000 records of historic monuments and buildings

Landmark, distinctive design
Cultural Networks
There have been hundreds of networks across CCI & ICT sectors and sub sector
specialisms. A great many of these were supported in some way by either funding, an
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association or as a functioning engagement tool to specific cultural , economic or
strategic development plan or have been set up independently in the form of Trade
Associations.
Since the change of government and the reduction in regional support however, these
numbers have fallen dramatically and engagement in one cohesive place or
representation and access to a sector, sub sector or cluster has become increasingly
difficult.
Those networks that do exist are largely ‘intentional communities’ of interest and do not
appear to adhere to cluster, sector or standard industrial classification models as they
are not formed around policy or funding – therefore the measuring of support is less
appears relevant to them as the generation of ideas, KTP and the collaborative
generation of ‘work’ rather than increase of employment as a statistic or aim.
Key networks that facilitate a cross pollination of sectors and ideas are:
Creative Networks
Creative Networks is Birmingham City University’s Faculty of Technology, Engineering
and the Environment (TEE) monthly networking event for creative professionals
throughout the West Midlands. It’s run and hosted by the Faculty’s School of Digital
Media Technology.
Creative Networks brings together all parties involved in screen and sound-based
media in the West Midlands. Promoting both successful business development and
collaboration, it seeks to contribute to the establishment of a strong, long-term, screen
and sound-based creative industry in the region. This is achieved through increasing
knowledge sharing and use of innovative technologies, creative practice and business
processes.
Events are held on the last Thursday of each month, regularly attracting up to 100
attendees or more. Creative Networks provides an excellent opportunity for you to
meet and collaborate with likeminded professionals from the West Midlands screen and
sound based cluster. It’s the largest networking event in the West Midlands and has
been running for nine years.
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Producers Forum
Started in 2003 and supported by funding via RDA, Screen agency and other regional
sources, Producers Forum is an independent organisation serving the vibrant
community of filmmakers and content producers, in Birmingham, the West Midlands.
It offers regular networking events as well as industry focused events and support via
mentoring and discussion based programmes.
Animation Forum West Midlands
(AKA 'AFWM') is a free-to-join, support network for animators and those working
generally within the animation sector, in the West Midlands region.
Initially established in 2006 following Advantage West Midlands funding, the project is
non-profit and managed on a day-to-day basis by Birmingham City University. It is
currently funded by Creative England and Birmingham City University (as of 2013).
AFWM members of all levels of experience can benefit from the Forum's networking
events, animation master classes and screening nights. In addition, AFWM's website
and highly active Facebook group and Twitter feeds are helping to build a more
cohesive animation sector in the region.
Birmingham Screen Image Network
Established Sept 2011 – (BSIN) is a network for practitioners of moving image
production. It is aimed at those who produce video, film and other associated moving
image media.
BSIN meets monthly and is intended as a free informal networking opportunity for
people to pitch, promote, share ideas, ask questions and mutually benefit from those
around the table.
Birmingham Music Network
It is a Music Networking organisation, leading the way by working with the local music
community to stimulate growth, inspire, and share knowledge. We offer practical based
industry experience and are not genre specific.
The Music Network is a voluntary, not for profit, social enterprise organisation seeking
charitable status. “we”, “our” and “us” means The Music Network. We are working for
the benefit of the wider music community and encourage others to do the same.
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Since 2000, The Music Network has pulled together a community of independent music
organisations, based in the West Midlands. We offer access to some of the most
innovative and exciting new contemporary music being produced today.
The BMN & BSIN networks are hosted by Birmingham City University and currently
have over 7000 online subscriber CCI members.
3.3 Public Policies and Initiatives in SmartCulture domain
As described earlier in this report, regional policy and support for sector initiatives in
the field of SmartCulture have been drastically reduced and in recent years are
constantly shifting as a result.
Investment in Creative and Cultural industries was largely determined by the Regional
Development Agency (RDA) model. In the West Midlands this was through Advantage
West Midlands.
In the United Kingdom regional development agencies (RDAs) were nine nondepartmental public bodies established for the purpose of development, primarily
economic, of England's Government Office regions between 1998 and 2000. There
was one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England. Similar activities were
carried out in Wales by the Welsh Government Department of Economy and Transport,
in Northern Ireland by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and in
Scotland by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
In June 2010 the UK government announced the abolition of the RDAs which took
place on 31 March 2012, with a view to reducing the government deficit and similar
economic development being undertaken by local councils and local enterprise
partnerships (LEPs). There was no direct replacement for the RDAs as LEPs do not
receive any funding from central government and local councils have not received an
equivalent injection of income from central funds, having been called upon to make
savings and support similar initiatives.
The regions development followed the ‘Cluster’ model and creative industries were
catagorised as Screen, Image & Sound.
Previous funding and investment in this area included the Enterprise Capital Funds
(ECF) provides co-investment schemes for innovative SMEs. Around 25% of
businesses supported by ECF are creative companies. Other examples of specific
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schemes include the Advantage Creative Fund in the West Midlands, the Creative
Advantage Fund in Birmingham or the Wales Creative IP Fund.
Set up with funding from Advantage West Midlands in 2003, the Advantage Creative
Fund (ACF) make equity investments up to € 280,000 in any creative business.79 The
Fund provides support for drafting the business plan and in return takes a small equity
stake. ACF is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the
EU Cohesion Policy. ACF has drawn down a total of € 7.4 million from investors during
it’s operation.
Since the demise of some of the key agencies and regional development organisations
in the region (And in the UK) such as AWM, the film & television regional development
agency Screen WM and the business development and support organisation Business
Link, there is no clear focus on CCI, Creative Industries or the development within the
ICT cross sector collaborations in the region. More importantly there is little or no
regional support for independent grant funding development work.
The space for this development and therefore the building of strategic partnerships has
focused increasingly on R&D through Higher Education Institutions such as University
Of Birmingham.
Investment via FP7
The objective of FP7 is to reinforce the scientific and technological base of European
industry and foster its international competitiveness. With a budget of over € 50 billion,
for 2007-2013, it is built around five major specific pillars: cooperation between industry
and universities in key technology areas; fundamental research “at the frontiers of
science”; mobility for researchers; the development of the knowledge economy and
supporting a new energy policy.
The programme has supported R&D in relation to the technological challenges and
opportunities for some creative sub-sectors. It has mainly benefitted the audiovisual
and media sectors so far.
The CReATE project involves several research institutes and creative companies in
four European regions (Baden-Wüttemberg, Rhône-Alpes, Piemonte and West
Midlands) with a view to promoting ICT-based innovations in the creative industries
(including the audiovisual sector).
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University Of Birmingham
The Digital Humanities Hub (known outwardly as do.collaboration) harnesses the
power of digital technologies to enrich learning experiences in the spheres of heritage
and culture.
Working in cross-disciplinary, cross-sector partnerships across the creative economy,
the expertise of Hub teams enables them to rise to the challenges of massive 2D and
3D data collection, analysis and visualisation for audiences accessing leading edge
content on multi-touch, multi-user tables and walls in public spaces, on mobile devices
or at home or work via the Internet.
Their aim is to design digital outputs that enable diverse groups of users to gain
intuitive access to a vast wealth of information.
The Chowen and Garfield Weston Foundation Digital Prototyping Hall is a globally
unique resource for user-testing beta and alpha versions of the team’s multiple outputs,
allowing for the tracking, analysis and visualisation of user groups’ movements and
digital interactions. As such, the efficacy of the Hub’s innovative outputs will be
evidence based, ensuring that learning experiences are tailored to users’ needs and
expectations whether they are engaging alone or collectively.
Local support in the form of funding for CCI /Arts projects is formed of two key
organisations:
Birmingham City Council – Cultural Commissioning Team/Services.
Meeting the local authority mandated cultural aims, specifically around Young Peoples
Cultural Entitlement (Creative Futures 11) BCC have key aims drawn from the cultural
Strategy /Council Plan that

Birmingham to be a continually surprising city where the vibrancy and diversity
of culture inspire the people who live, work in and visit the city, and bring
economic success and international recognition.

Enjoy a High Quality of Life – benefit from good housing and renowned cultural
and leisure opportunities.
This is the overarching aim for Cultural Services supported by;

Succeed economically – benefit from education, training, jobs and investment
Stay safe in a clean, green city – living in safe and clean neighbourhoods
Be Healthy – enjoy long and healthy lives
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
Make a contribution – value one another and play an active part in the
community
Birmingham’s Cultural strategy- expresses the shared priorities of the partners within
the Birmingham Cultural Partnership. For the purposes of the strategy Culture is
defined as including arts, museums, heritage, sport, sporting events, libraries, archives,
creative industries, film and tourism. The benefits of participation in cultural activities
can produce a range of individual and group outcomes including a sense of identify and
belonging, social and community cohesion, civic engagement, economic impact,
development
of
transferable
skills;
increased
knowledge,
experience
and
understanding of the world we live in and improved health and wellbeing.
Birmingham Arts Survey - Since 1999 the Birmingham Arts Survey has helped
demonstrate the range and scale of arts activity in Birmingham, numbers of people
involved and the importance of the arts to the city's economy. This data continues to be
vital to advocate for the arts and cultural life of Birmingham, it's economic and social
impact.
West Midlands Museums Association
http://www.museumsassociation.org/members-free-entry/west-midlands
The Museums Association (MA) is a professional membership organisation based in
London for museum, gallery and heritage professionals, museums, galleries and
heritage organisations, and companies that work in the museum, gallery and heritage
sector of the United Kingdom. It also offers international membership.
The association is the oldest museum association in the world and was started in 1889
by a small group of museums to protect the interests of museums and galleries. The
inaugural meeting was held at the invitation of the Council of the Yorkshire
Philosophical Society in York on 20 June 1889.
The Marches Network
http://marchesnetwork.org.uk/
The MARCHES Network (formerly the Marches Curators Group) is a long-standing
partnership
of
museums
in
the
counties
of
Herefordshire,
Worcestershire,
Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire, and Wolverhampton Arts and Museums
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Service. Together they form a powerful network that is responsive to local needs and to
the priorities of partners and other agencies, which they share. Their shared expertise
and connections enable them to provide services in hard to reach and isolated
communities by aligning others’ agendas with their ability to support people to
understand collections and explore their stories. They also have strong relationships
with smaller and independent museums across the area.
Marketing Birmingham
Marketing Birmingham is the city’s strategic marketing partnership and the driving force
behind its growing reputation as a place to visit, meet and invest.
They operate the city’s leisure and business tourism programmes; Visit and Meet
Birmingham as well as inward investment programme Business Birmingham.
They have a clear vision for the future. It is one where our city is a thriving economic
hub and a pleasure to visit time and again. A city that’s proud of its story and confident
of its future.
To bring this vision to life they put partnership to work, bringing together some of the
area’s biggest companies and most influential players to create real opportunities for
the region’s growth.
Marketing Birmingham has a high-profile board of 14 Non-Executive Directors drawn
from the public and private sectors. The company is funded by the public and private
sectors, including Birmingham City Council, European Regional Development Funding
and some 400 local companies.
Objectives

Attract investment in to Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull, helping to
create jobs and growth in the area

Increase the value and volume of the visitor economy by helping to diversify
and promote its offer

Deliver significant economic impact by attracting major events and conferences
to the area, in line with sectors being targeted for inward investment

Strengthen the image and profile of Birmingham as an investment and visitor
destination
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Policies financial tools and projects in ICT and CCI domain
Digital access is a National government priority spearheaded by the Digital Inclusion
agenda.
This is also a priority for the Midlands authorities with some having taken greater steps
as civic authorities than others.
Leading on Birmingham’s agenda is Digital Birmingham
Digital Birmingham ( http://www.digitalbirmingham.co.uk/about ) was established in
2006 as the driving force to ensure that the benefits of digital and new emerging
technologies are available to all people, businesses and sectors in the city. This is key
to accelerating Birmingham and the region's economic and sustainable growth, as well
as promoting greater inclusion and quality of life.
Through its investment in technology, infrastructure and world class connectivity
programme it is now recognised as a leading digital city and has grown a strong
stakeholder group that spans commercial, public sector and academic organisations.
We are continuing to ensure that the city maintains its digital leadership as well as
extend this approach across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP) so that as a region, we stimulate innovation led growth, deliver better
services and achieve greater transparency and efficiencies.
Having established the city's digital credentials, we are now driving forward
Birmingham's Smart City approach, which is looking at the significant benefits to be
achieved through the integration of technology into a strategic approach across all
mainstream city initiatives in the areas of mobility, economy, people, living and
governance. A Smart City Commission, led by Cllr. James McKay (Cabinet Member for
Green, Safe and Smart city), provides the leadership, vision, expert knowledge and
strategic direction to oversee the development of the Smart City programme and
ensure that we future proof the city, so that it is adaptable, resilient and responsive to
meet the challenges ahead.
Creative England – Digital Investment
Business Investment Fund
Supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, this £1 million pot is available
in the form of interest free loans of between £60,000 and £100,000. It is open to SMEs
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who are looking to develop new software, applications and content for the following
expanding markets:

Cross Platform TV development

feature film production

Healthcare

Government Services

Games, Interactive Entertainment and Mobile Content

Business To Business

E-Learning

Mobile applications
Creative England’s Business Investment Fund 2 is open to SMEs based in the North
West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, West Midlands and the far South West
(Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol and Bath).
It can offer companies very preferable terms – interest free loans and deferred
repayments as well as working with successful applicants to ensure the business gets
everything it needs in terms of advice and support to make the project work.
3.4 Application of ICT’s (Good practice models in the field of
SmartCulture)
Digital Heritage Demonstrator – University Of Birmingham
The Digital Heritage Demonstrator project
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/digitalhumanitieshub/demonstrator/index.aspx
The £2.4 million ERDF funded West Midlands Digital Heritage Demonstrator project is
half way through.
Working in partnership with four of the region’s key heritage organisations; the new
Library of Birmingham, The Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Ironbridge Gorge
Museum Trust and The Worcester Hive, the project aims to demonstrate how
collaborative projects exploring the use of digital technology with the Cultural and
Heritage sector can develop new markets and increase profits for business.
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Alongside the dedicated on-site technical development team, the project enlists the
skills and expertise of a wide range of additional academics from across the University
of Birmingham including the School of Computer Science, the Human Computer
Interaction Research Centre and the School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer
Engineering.
Based in the purpose built do.collaboration Hub at the University of Birmingham, the
project offers tailored support from a wide range of experts in the field of digital
technology and innovation and provide access to a suite of innovative multi-user, 3D
multi-touch technologies, mobile devices and tablets, advanced user-testing facilities
and augmented reality tools, all integrated into a unique digital prototyping lab.
Digital Humanities Hub – University Of Birmingham
The Digital Humanities Hub (known outwardly as do.collaboration) harnesses the
power of digital technologies to enrich learning experiences in the spheres of heritage
and culture.
Working in cross-disciplinary, cross-sector partnerships across the creative economy,
the expertise of Hub teams enables them to rise to the challenges of massive 2D and
3D data collection, analysis and visualisation for audiences accessing leading edge
content on multi-touch, multi-user tables and walls in public spaces, on mobile devices
or at home or work via the Internet.
Our aim is to design digital outputs that enable diverse groups of users to gain intuitive
access to a vast wealth of information.
The Chowen and Garfield Weston Foundation Digital Prototyping Hall is a globally
unique resource for user-testing beta and alpha versions of the team’s multiple outputs,
allowing for the tracking, analysis and visualisation of user groups’ movements and
digital interactions. As such, the efficacy of the Hub’s innovative outputs will be
evidence based, ensuring that learning experiences are tailored to users’ needs and
expectations whether they are engaging alone or collectively.
Serious Games Institute (SGI)
Touch Digital is an ERDF funded project based at the Serious Games Institute at
Coventry University Technology Park and delivered in partnership with Aston
University.
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Touch Digital’s aim is to help West Midlands SMEs to understand and integrate digital
technologies into their business. Through funding from the European Regional
Development Fund we can provide eligible West Midlands SMEs with five days expert
advice and practical support at no financial cost to their business.
The Touch Digital interactive technology experts can work with businesses to explore
ideas, to develop existing technologies and to provide real practical help and ideas.
We’ll also be running a programme of free technology-focused events and networking
sessions and will be launching the exciting new Touch Digital Tech Lab during June
2013.
Arts Council – Catalyst Arts
Catalyst is a £100 million culture sector wide private giving investment scheme aimed
at helping cultural organisations diversify their income streams and access more
funding from private sources. The scheme is made up of investment from Arts Council
England, Heritage Lottery Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS).
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Digital Graffiti Project
http://bmagblog.org/2013/08/08/digital-graffiti-project/
Over the past two months BMAG has played host to a four day digital graffiti project
involving Nikki Pugh (project lead), Dr Gretchen Larson (research academic from Kings
College London) and Ben Eaton (the technical specialist from Invisible Flock).
The aim of the project was to use interactive digital technology within a gallery space in
order to understand if and how it can be used as a channel to express an audiences’
voice.
Two types of technology were used in the project; the first was Graffiti Research Lab’s
L.A.S.E.R. Tag system and the second was an alternative system using a Kinect
sensor outputted with Processing. Both systems required slightly different user
interactions either with a laser pen or own hand and each produced different end
results which were projected onto gallery walls and artwork. The L.A.S.E.R. Tag
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created sharper lines with a paint drip affect while the Kinect system produced more
fluid curved lines.
The first few days of the project were spent testing the L.A.S.E.R. Tag system in a
variety of galleries within BMAG. This system required the participant to draw with a
laser pen onto an area of the gallery and the results were projected back onto the wall.
Digital artwork ‘Core’ - Ironbridge Gorge Museum
A large-scale digital artwork in celebration of the Olympics has been unveiled in
Shropshire.
Entitled Core, the installation at Ironbridge Gorge Enginuity Museum is part of the 2012
Cultural Olympiad.
Created by Chicago-based artist Kurt Hentschlager, Core was funded by a grant of
almost £100,000 from Arts Council England.
It features ever-changing computer-generated video projections of humanoid figures
inside giant virtual aquariums.
Some 33m (108ft) long, the installation includes five screens featuring distinct groups
of identical figures and an ambient soundtrack.
SAMPAD – Mandala project
http://www.sampad.org.uk/event/mandala
MANDALA dazzling FREE outdoor performance fusing international and British Asian
music and dance with spectacular 3D digital projections.
Town Hall, Birmingham and Nottingham Council House will be magically illuminated
with colour and light to tell a story that connects the past with the present.
The buildings will be brought to life with stunning digital projections and visual effects
triggered by the live dance, music and audience interaction.
MANDALA (Sanskrit for ‘circle’) will unite exciting British Asian dancers Aakash Odedra
and Devika Rao with BBOY’S ATTIC and a company of artists, merging the beautiful
forms of classical Asian dance with edgy, urban attitude.
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With a powerful soundtrack, featuring the music of world-class artists Anoushka
Shankar and Zakir Hussain, and a special live appearance by multi award-winning
tabla artist, Talvin Singh, MANDALA will be the free outdoor multimedia spectacle not
to miss!
MANDALA is a bold, new collaboration between sampad South Asian arts and leading
arts & technology company, seeper.
Black Country Attelier – TCT Bright Minds UK
A unique and free initiative that will see hundreds of school children get hands-on
experience at the two day 3D printing spectacular that is TCT Show + Personalize
2013.
See how this revolutionary technology is applied in real life with hundreds of 3D Printed
projects under one roof: from industries as diverse as aerospace, film, jewellery,
engineering and medicine.
The projects include:

A hands on workshop in 3D Modelling using Computer Aided Design and 3D
Printing

A personalised 3D Printed product for each of your students to take home

An optional guided tour of the TCT Show + Personalize 2013, led up an
industry expert who will highlight to your students innovative projects currently
being developed by designers and researchers.

A project pack for each of your students to create a personalized record of their
day, and follow up resources.
1
Regional Profiles: Economy – West Midlands, May 2012-Office for National Statistics May 2012
Creative & Cultural Skills, (2008). An Independent Assessment of the Growth Potential of
Apprenticeships with Specific Regard to the Creative and Cultural Industries. Creative & Cultural Skills
1
Creative & Cultural Skills, (2008). The Creative and Cultural Industries:
Impact and Footprint 2008. Creative & Cultural Skills
1
Creative & Cultural Skills, (2007). The Creative Blueprint:
The Sector Skills Agreement for the Creative and Cultural Industries – The Skills Needs Assessment.
Creative & Cultural Skills.
1
Travers, T. (2006). Museums and Galleries in Britain: Economic, Social and Creative Impacts.
London School of Economics
1
English Heritage, (2008). Heritage Counts 2008. English Heritage
1
1
Birmingham’s Cultural Capital - Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (MHM) 2010
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4. Tuscany Region - Siena (Italy)
4.1 Introduction of the Regional context (Siena)
Siena is an Italian municipality located in the Region of Tuscany. The area of its
Province is about 3.820,98 km², and it is composed of 36 municipalities, as you can
see in Image 1.
Image 1: Map of the municipalities in the Province of Siena.
In particular, Montalcino (243,85 km²), Asciano (215,64 km²) and Castelnuovo
Berardenga (177,11 km²) are the widest areas, while Siena has a surface of 118,53
km².
This territory is renown especially for its historical, artistic, cultural and landscape
heritage, which hosts 4 Unesco sites: San Gimignano, Pienza, the Val D’Orcia and the
historical city centre of Siena.
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Image 2: San Gimignano – photo from www.sitiunesco.it
Image 2: Pienza – photo from www.sitiunesco.it
Image 3: Val d'Orcia – photo from www.sitiunesco.it
Siena has been for centuries, and still is, an artistic and cultural centre of primary
importance, thanks to its extraordinary heritage and to the architectural influence of the
Gothic style, which has shaped the city in all its aspects.
History, architecture and arts are essential features in the identity of the city and in
every day life: they are recognizable in the monuments like Piazza del Campo, the
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Cathedral (Duomo), the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital, the Palazzo Comunale and
the Mangia Tower.
The seventeen Contradas are characteristic elements of the city: their intense social
and cultural activities take place throughout the whole year. Moreover, two times a year
(on the 2nd of July and on the 16th of August) the city organizes the Palio, the ancient
medieval joust which is for all the people of Siena one of the most engaging and
exciting event of the city life.
Siena is also a very important University centre: its University has more than 750 years
of history and it is a pole of excellence concerning education and research in many
disciplines. The University for Foreigners too, represents one of the main gateways
through which students from all over the world have the opportunity to get in touch and
learn the language and culture of Italy.
Another distinctive element of the city is the Monte dei Paschi di Siena: founded in
1472, it is considered the most ancient bank of the world which is still active.
Furthermore, Siena is a centre of primary interest in the field of life sciences,
biotechnologies and pharmacy, as well as for the “food and wine” sector.
The population of the Province of Siena is composed of 266.522 residents, and
specifically 138.949 women (52,1%) and 127.573 men (47,9%).
Graph 1: Trend of the resident population
Source: Province of Siena – ISTAT datas up to December, 31st of every year – TUTTITALIA.IT elaboration
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The Municipality of Siena is first for population density, with 445 inhabitants/km² and a
total of 52.839 inhabitants; it is followed by Poggibonsi (pop. density 410/km², 28.952
inhabitants) and Colle di Val d'Elsa (pop. Density 231,13/km², 21.264 inhabitants).
The migration data is also interesting: it represents the number of changes of
residence from and to the Province of Siena (see table 1).
The 10,9% of the total resident population is composed of foreign people who reside in
the sienese territory; on January, 1st 2011 they were 29.648 (15.940 women and
13.708 men).
The most numerous foreign community is the one coming from Romania, which
represents the 20,3% of the total; it is followed by the Albanian community (19,5%) and
Moroccan community (4,0%).
In the classification of the province, the municipalities who host the highest number of
foreign residents are Siena (4.934 foreigners), Poggibonsi (3.175) and Colle di Val
d'Elsa (2.575).
Table 1: Flows of Migration
Registered
Cancelled
Migration
Year
FROM
1 Jan-
other
31 Dec municipa
For
FROM
abroad
lities
other
reasons
TO
other
Balance
TO
municip abroad
For other
reasons
with foreign
countries
Total
Migration
Balance
alities
2009
7,546
2,895
131
7,105
436
443
+2,459
+2,588
2010
7,398
2,598
134
7,042
452
562
+2,146
+2,074
5,652
1,568
127
5,423
359
572
+1,209
+993
1,778
514
114
1,711
132
458
+382
+105
2011
(¹)
2011
(²)
Source: Province of Siena - ISTAT datas up to December, 31st of every year –
TUTTITALIA.IT elaboration
st
th
(¹) pre-census demographic balance 2011 (from January, 1 to October, 8 )
th
st
(²) post-census demographic balance 2011 (from October, 9 to December, 31 )
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Graph 2: Trend of the population with foreign citizenship – 2011
Source: Province of Siena – ISTAT datas up to January, 1st – TUTTITALIA.IT
Graph 3: Distribution by region of citizenship - foreign people who reside in Province of Siena
st,
up to January, 1 2011 are 29.648 and represent 10,9% of the total population.
Source: Province of Siena – ISTAT datas up to January, 1st – TUTTITALIA.IT
Dividing the population by age ranges (young 0-14 years old; adults 15-64 years old;
elderly over 65 years old), it is possible to underline that in the territory of the Province,
in the year 2011, we can find the phenomenon of “regressive population”, with 194,0
elderly people every 100 young people.
Regarding the employment rate, the total of workers is 64,3% (114.000); specifically,
female employment is 57,2% (50.000), while male employment is 71,7% (64.000).
The total rate of unemployment is 6,6% (8.000); female rate of unemployment is 7,4%
(4.000) and male rate of unemployment is 5,9% (4.000).
In the field of education, there are 297 schools of all grades in the province of Siena,
some of which are public and some private. 58 of them are in the municipality of Siena.
Also, Siena has two universities, the University of Siena (UNISI) and the University for
Foreigners of Siena (UNISTRASI).
Unisi consists of 38 Departments, which can be gathered in 4 areas:
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-Area of Experimental Sciences
-Area of Biomedical and Medical Sciences
-Area of Literature, History, Philosophy and Arts
-Area of Economics, Law and Political Sciences
The teaching staff consists of 862 units. The overall number of researchers, (including
PhD) amounts to 1027:
-
The number of PhDs up to December 31st are 504,
-
Postdoctoral students are 238
-
The research grant recipients are 285.
In 2011 this Institution allocated a total of 12.173.314,79 euros for research,
3.791.137,59 of which were destined to research grants and 8.382.177,20 to PhD
grants. The value of financial sources per professor is 14.122,18 euros.
The University of Siena is also second in the ranking of the medium-size Italian public
universities in 2010/2011, according to a Classification made by Censis (table 2).
Table 2: Classification from the Censis 2010/2011 research on Italian Universities -Ranking of
the top three medium size public universities (from 10,000 to 20,000 students)
University Services Grant
Facilities
Web
Internationalization
Average
Trento
101
110
92
107
103
101.4
Siena
105
94
110
86
89
99.0
Sassari
88
100
104
94
89
96.2
Source: Censis
The rankings are the result of 5 indicators: services (dining halls, accommodations,
sports facilities, etc.), grants (scholarships/fellowships), university facilities (classrooms,
libraries, and laboratories), web and internationalization.
CENSIS produces every year another analysis among Italian faculties, based on the
following indicators: PRODUCTIVITY, RESEARCH, TEACHING and INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS. The faculties of Siena University received the following evaluations:
Law faculty: 1st place among Italian law faculties
Literature and Philosophy: 2nd place
Economics: 3rd place
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Political Sciences: 4th place
Pharmacy: 9th place
Engineering: 9th place
Medicine and Surgery: 13th place
The Unistrasi – University for Foreigners of Siena offers the perfect setting for study
and scientific research, in which different languages, cultures and identities live
together in harmony. It has a strong tendency to international mobility, in a perspective
of exchange and mutual enhancement, which can only stimulate the quality of teaching
and research.
As far as research and development are concerned, Siena and its province are
running to the title of European Capital of Culture 2019. Moreover, both the Universities
of Siena are also active in the creation of spinoffs to launch new high-tech companies
in the field of cultural and digital sectors. Up to 2011 there is a total number of 17 spinoffs: 10 of them are ICT related, 2 are CCI related.
Regarding the postdoctoral research grants, 12 of them (238) are related to CCI and
ICT sectors. There are 8 University Research Centres, 4 of which are active in the field
of CCI and 2 in the field of ICT.
Regarding the economic framework of the province of Siena, below you can find the
datas related to the gross domestic product of the main economic sectors. As it can be
seen in the table below, the total GDP in the province of Siena is higher than the
national average GDP. The most productive sector is “services”, which amounts to the
73,4% of the overall GDP. Despite the low percentage on the total GDP (5,2%),
agriculture in Siena is nonetheless quite developed compared to the national
percentage of this sector (2,0%).
Table 3: GDP per economic sectors
Source: Unioncamere – Tagliacarne
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The services sector is the one with the highest number of employees, with 73,000
people employed in this sector in 2011.
Regarding the modes of transportation within Tuscany and the Province of Siena,
By train, the city's station connects to Florence, Empoli, Grosseto and Chiusi, while by
car the city's key locations are easy to reach through the bypass “Tangenziale Ovest.”
Regarding the means to travel internationally:
- the closest airports are Galilei Airport in Pisa and Vespucci Airport in Florence;
- the closest train stations are Saint Maria Novella in Florence - temporary hub of Italian
express lines and stopping point for those heading to or from Germany, Austria, France
etc. - and Pisa Central Station – transit station for trains from France via Rome.
The closest points of access to intercontinental transportation hubs are FCO Fiumicino
Airport in Rome – 260 km from Siena – and Livorno international port – 130 km from
here.
For those travelling on foot, there is Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route that
crosses the province of Siena for a comprehensive 120 kilometres and is heavily
frequented by tourists.
Within the Province of Siena there are 431 hotels, most (around 58%) of which are 3star; there are 2,366 non hotel residencies, and a total number of 2,797
accommodations. We have a total number of 29,020 beds in hotels and 34,868 beds in
non-hotel residencies (63888 beds overall).
Table 4: Flows of tourism in 2011
Source: Osservatorio Turistico – Province of Siena
Tourists in the province of Siena during 2011 are 1,555,520 with 4,999,078 overnight
stays. This means an increase for both categories from 2010 (+7,1% arrivals, +3,19%
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overnight stays). The average length stays is 3.21 days (3.46 days for tourists from
other countries, 2.95 for Italian tourists).
According to a research made by Il Sole 24 Ore in 2011, which compares the quality
of life in the 107 Italian provinces (based on the following indicators: Standard of living,
Business and jobs, Services/Environment/Health, Population, Law and order, Leisure
time), Siena is in 8th place in the ranking, losing three positions from the previous year.
As far as the environmental sustainability is concerned, in 2011 the Province of Siena
has launched the Siena Carbon Free project which aims at achieving zero emissions
by 2015, that is, an absorption capacity of emissions equal to the new emissions
produced in the Province of Siena.
In November 2011 the Siena Carbon Free project – that was born from the
collaboration between the Province of Siena, APEA (the Province Energy and
Environmental Agency) and the University of Siena- has been awarded two prizes in
Seoul at the Liveable Communities Awards promoted since 1997 by the United Nations
Environmental Programme: the Silver Award in the Project category for the most
innovative projects implemented at the local level, and the Bronze Award in the Whole
City category for projects encompassing a whole range of different but interrelated
issues, such as landscape, art, life quality, environment and urban planning. While
similar programs have been implemented in the past in the United States and in
Scandinavia, no such programs can be found in Mediterranean countries so far. The
Siena Carbon Free project could be easily replicated at different aggregate levels and
might represent a pilot project for future applications for the whole Tuscany Region.
Overall economic impact of the CCIs and ICTs
Concerning the economic impact of CCI and ICT sectors, we consider the data related
to the added value produced by the CCI, by the artistic heritage sector and by the
entertainment and performing arts sector.
Even if the most productive field is the one of handicraft, the music sector is also
interesting because it is actually more productive than the average of the Region.
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Table 5 Added Value of the cultural industry at current prices and percentage of the total
economy
Comparing the data of 2011 with those of 2010, it is possible to see a growth in the
total added value, even if there is a reduction of the added value in the sectors of
cultural industries and performing and entertainment sector.
Table 6: Value added produced by the culture industry at current prices by type of industry and
its impact on added value. Years 2010-2011. Figures in millions of euro
Creative
Cultural
Historical and
Performing
Total
%
industries
industries
artistic
arts,
Percentage
heritage
entertainment
of total
value added
2010
186
96.1
6.7
13.9
302.8
4.4
2011
174.3
124.1
7.3
11.9
317.5
4.5
Source: Unioncamere and Fondazione Symbola
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Export of products of manufacturing activities in 2011 amounts to 1.154.725.346 Euros;
the data are particularly relevant if we consider that the total volume of exports of the
same year is 1.166.086.205 Euros. Export of products of artistic activities, sport,
entertaining and leisure activities presents a percentage change of 115.6% over the
previous year.
The volume of import of products of manufacturing activities and of services of
information and communication presents a slight decrease, in line with the data of total
imports amounting to -0.4% change compared with previous year. The import of
products of artistic, sport, entertaining and leisure activities presents an increase of
20,3% in 2011, compared with 2010.
Table 7: Imports and exports 2011 and % change from 2011 to 2010 by sector in economic
activity
Sector
Export
Year 2011
Import
Var.% 2011-
Year 2011
Var.% 2011-2010
2010
Products of
1,154,725,346
6.3
498,639,655
-0.5
163,132
-38.8
464,193
-0.6
6,726,603
115.6
1,955,696
20.3
1,166,086,205
6.6
507,637,198
-0.4
manufacturing
activities
Products of the
activities of information
services and
communication
Artistic, sports,
entertainment and
recreation activity
Total
Source: elaboration of Istat data
The tables below show the number of businesses registered to the cultural productive
system and the number of employed in this sector.
The subsectors that present an higher number of enterprises are those of art crafts,
with 626 businesses on December 31, 2011, and architecture, with 561 businesses.
Concerning the number of employees, the most significant data pertain to the
handicraft subsector.
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The percentage of the total economy is 7% with regard to the number of registered
enterprises and 5.5% with regard to the number of employees.
st
Table 8: Number of enterprises registered in the cultural production system at 31 December
2011
Table 9: Employees in the cultural production system. Year 2011 (in thousands).
The table below shows the number of European patent applications published by EPO
(European Patent Office) between 1999 and 2012. The applications related to CCI and
ICT sectors are actually a very small part of the total.
Table 10: Number of European patent applications
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As stated in art.114 of the Italian Constitution, the Italian Republic:
“is composed of Municipalities, Provinces, metropolitan cities, Regions and the
National Government. Municipalities, Provinces, the metropolitan cities and the
Regions are autonomous entities provided by their personal statutes, powers and
functions, according to the principles stated by the Constitutions”29.
Thus administrative organisation is divided into 4 levels that have the jurisdiction
according to their territorial level.
With the exception of the metropolitan cities, not yet created, the other local entities are
the 20 Italian Regions (among which 15 with ordinary statute and 5 with special
statute), the 110 Provinces and the 8092 Municipalities.
Also regarding cultural and heritage administration, there are different levels: national,
regional, provincial and municipal level.
MIBAC
In 1998 the Legislative Decree n.368 of October 20 instituted the new Ministry for
Cultural Heritage and Activities, which has the authority for Antiquities and Fine Arts,
Academies and Libraries, National Archives, Publishing and Cultural Circulation. We
may add to this list Sport Activities, Sport plant design, and other artistic expressions
such as: Cinema, Theatre, Dance, Music, Performing Arts.
Contact: http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/MiBAC/index.html
Direzione Regionale MIBAC - Regional Unit MIBAC
The regional units for Cultural and Landscape Heritage are peripheral offices of the
Ministry for Cultural heritage and activities, established to coordinate protection and
enhancement of Cultural heritage at a regional level. They also serve as institutional
reference points for the relationships between Ministry, Superintendence, Institutions
and Local governments.
29
Cost., 8/11/2001, n.114
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Contact: http://www.toscana.beniculturali.it/
Superintendence of Tuscany
The Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany is a peripheral
organization of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, which has the function
of protecting the archaeological heritage in its area of jurisdiction and of cooperating
with the Region and the local governments for its enhancement.
The Superintendence carries out protection, conservation, research and promotion of
the archaeological heritage of the whole region. It also conducts protection and
precautionary activities in the area of the region, often in collaboration with local
administrations, and conducts excavations on the main archaeological sites of the
region.
Contact: http://www.archeotoscana.beniculturali.it/
Superintendence BAP Siena and Grosseto
The Superintendence for the Architectural Heritage and Landscape of Siena and
Grosseto is a peripheral organization of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities,
which has the function of protecting the architectural and landscape heritage in its area
of jurisdiction and of cooperating with the Region and the local governments for its
enhancement.
Contact: http://www.sbap-si.beniculturali.it/
Superintendence BSAE Siena and Grosseto
The Superintendence for the Historical, Artistic and Ethnic-Anthropological Heritage of
Siena and Grosseto is a peripheral organization of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage
and Activities, which has the function of protecting the Historical, Artistic and EthnicAnthropological Heritage in its area of jurisdiction and of cooperating with the Region
and the local governments for its enhancement.
Contact:http://www.spsae-si.beniculturali.it/
Region Tuscany
Within the Regional Council there is the Department for Cultural Policies, projects for
culture of memory, cultural enhancement of landscape.
A further regional organization is the General Unit for Educational Policies and Cultural
Heritage, specialized in educational and labour policies, educational activities for
children, right to university and school education, cultural heritage and landscape,
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museums, archives, cultural activities and institution, protection of library heritage,
performing arts, sport and associations.
Contact: http://www.regione.toscana.it/home
Province of Siena
Provinces contribute to the enhancement and promotion of cultural heritage and
activities, fostering its fruition by the citizens. The Province of Siena promotes culture in
its broadest sense, supporting the citizens in their cultural decisions and helping the
development of society. The activity of promotion of the cultural heritage is part of the
policies aimed at protecting rights to citizenship, social cohesion and life quality. Within
the Provincial Council, one of the members is Councillor for Culture and Sport.
Contact:http://www.provincia.siena.it/
Council of Siena
Each of the 36 municipalities within the Province of Siena has in its Council a
Councillor for Culture that manages cultural activities and heritage in its area of
jurisdiction.
Moreover, he usually cooperates with a General Cultural Unit, which also monitors his
efforts.
Contact:http://www.comune.siena.it/
“Toscana Life Sciences” Scientific Park
Toscana Life Sciences Foundation is a non-profit organization, started in 2005, aimed
at promoting projects related to research and industrial application.
The Scientific Park is one of the most important projects of the Foundation and it offers
services, facilities and financial opportunities to support new enterprises in the fields of
pharmacy, biotechnology and biomedical technology. The activity of the incubated
companies is favoured by the presence of facilities, technological platforms and
specific tools. The Park hosts 27 subjects, including incubated companies, non-profit
research teams and services companies.
Contact:http://www.toscanalifesciences.info/it/
University Complex of Colle Val d’Elsa
It was established in 2002 thanks to the Memarondum of Understanding signed by the
University of Siena and the Municipality of Colle Val d’Elsa, and it is a centre for the
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promotion of innovation in industry, agriculture and environment. Its activities are aimed
at developing faculties, courses for the professional advancement and research
centres.
Research activities include: innovative materials, technologies for bio fuel production,
eco-save innovations, use of solar energy, analysis of local food productive processes,
definition of protocols for the restoration of historical and art objects, consulting and
measuring activities and chemical analysis.
It also provides logistical, operating and financial support, also through agreements
with national and foreign research centres and educational institutes.
Contact:http://www.puc.unisi.it/
University of Siena
The University of Siena was the first in Italy to define a “Plan for Resarch”, through
which it supports research activities at a local level and high-quality projects. The Plan
is divided into four main areas of intervention: experimental sciences; biomedical and
medical sciences; Literature, History, Philosophy and Arts; Economics, Law and
Political Sciences.
Technological Centre of Torrita di Siena
The Centre is managed by A.p.s.lo S.r.l. agency, which falls under the Provincial
Administration. The Municipality of Torrita di Siena assigned the hosting structure to
the agency on a free loan. The agency published the bid in 2009, and seven
enterprises related to CCI sectors obtained the spaces.
The Centre takes also part in a network which includes other innovating actors
belonging to the local economic fabric (University of Siena, private research centres,
local companies).
It also has partnerships with important national and international players. The Centre
operates in various fields: automotive, info mobility, aerospace, digital cinema,
precision farming, engineering, prototyping, industrialization, railway, wireless, GPS
systems.
Contact:http://www.apea.siena.it/
Liaison Office
The Liaison Office promotes and coordinates initiatives between University, institutions
and companies, fostering processes of technological transfer and enhancing research
activities. The office conducts economic analysis, supplies business support services,
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provides administrative support for regional and national projects; it also organises the
procedures for creating spin-offs. The following list of spin-offs is updated to 2011:
 Archeòtipo s.r.l.
 ATS Archaeolandscapes Tech&Survey s.r.l.
 Biosuma s.r.l.
 CGT-Spinoff s.r.l.
 Ecobiopolis s.r.l.
 Flecta s.r.l.
 Green Time s.r.l.
 Loading Lab s.r.l.
 NOXAMET s.r.l.
 QuestIT s.r.l.
 Sensia s.r.l.
 Serge s.r.l.
 SienaBiografix s.r.l.
 T4A s.r.l.
 TerraData Environmetrics s.r.l.
 Viditrust s.r.l.
 WaveComm s.r.l
Contact:http://www3.unisi.it/v0/portale.html?fld=6841
Eurobic Toscana Sud Spa
Established in 1989 on the Provincial initiative, it has the aim of fostering economic
development and employment in the local area, through enhancing local assets. The
centre is specialized in planning and consultancy activities concerning EU
programmes, national, regional and EU funds, and promoting local projects and socioeconomic researches. It also organizes training courses, some with fee and some
funded by the European Social Fund, and it includes a network of help desks for equal
opportunities.
Contact: http://www.bictoscanasud.it/
Educational actors and institution
The city of Siena and its Province are characterized by the presence of various
institutions operating in CCI and ICT sectors. The main actor is the University of Siena
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that, within its faculties and departments, includes labs and research centers, masters
and Ph.D programs, courses for the professional advancement and postgraduate
schools. All of these realities focus both on the promotion, implementation and
research related to the application of high technology to the cultural heritage and on the
development of ICT sectors. Moreover, the University supports recent graduates who
want to start up a business: it provides them with training projects designed to develop
creativity and flexibility and to prepare them for their careers in an international
dimension.
Also the University for Foreigners of Siena makes a considerable effort in this sector,
with degrees and master courses.
As far as the education provided in CCI and ICT sectors is concerned, the University
of Siena offers many opportunities, in particular the Faculties of Literature and
Philosophy, Engineering and Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences fall within
this sector.
Contact:http://www.unisi.it/
Within the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, in 2011 the following degree
courses are active:
1 Cultural Heritage Sciences
2 Media Studies
3 Conservation and Management of Archaeological Heritage (University Branch
of Grosseto)
4 Archaeology and Sciences of Classical Antiquities
5 Persuasive Communication and new media
6 Documentary and Historical Research
7 History, sources and texts: From the Old age to the contemporary age
(University Branch of Arezzo)
There is also a first level master: “Manuscript Informatics - Digital Edition” and five
second level masters
 Preventive Archaeology
 Archaeology and Territory: enhancement systems for parks and archeological areas
 Geotechnologies for Archaeology
 Conservation and Management of Archaeological, Historical and Artistic Heritage
 Studies on Ancient Books and Training of Librarian Manager
As far as the Post-graduate education is concerned, The Faculty offers a PH.D School:
 Riccardo Francovich: History and Archaeology of the Middle Ages, Institutions and
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Archive
3 courses for the Professional Advancement
 Web design for cultural institutions
 Cataloguing of ancient books (manuscripts and printed books)
 Management of projects and databases in the field of digital publishing (branch
of Arezzo)
and 1 Post-graduate School:
 Historical and Artistic Heritage
Contact:http://www.lett.unisi.it/
Within the Faculty of Engineering, in 2011 there are 2 degree courses:
 Computer Engineering
 Engineering with specialism in automation
and 2 second cycle degree courses
 Computer Engineering
 Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering
Concerning post-graduate training, a Ph.D School is activated in:
 Information Engineering and Science
Contact:http://www.diism.unisi.it/it
Lastly, the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences has a Ph.D
School in: Sciences and Technologies application in Environment
Contact:http://www.smfn.unisi.it/smfn/index.php
9 of the 38 University Departments can be included in the CCI and ICT sectors, with
their labs and research centers:
Within the Department of Archeology and History of Arts 8 labs are active:
 Lab of Computer Science application in Medieval Archeology (LIIAM)
 Archaeometrics Lab
 Lab of Environmental Archeology
 Lab of Landscape Archeology and Remote Sensing
 Lab of Spatial Analysis and Computer Science Application in Archeology
 Lab of Architecture Archaeology and Medieval City-planning
 Lab of Computer Science application in Iconography and Iconology
 Medieval Archaeology
While within the Department of History 1 lab is active:
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 Geography Lab
Contact:http://www.archeoarti.unisi.it/
Within the Department of Chemistry an area focuses on research for the application
of surface investigation techniques in cultural heritage, which uses an innovative
methodology for examining the chemical composition of artefacts. This methodology is
based on the use of Tof_SIMS (surface analysis technique) combined with other more
established investigation methods in the field of cultural heritage protection.
Contact:http://www.dbcf.unisi.it/it
Within the Department of Earth Sciences there are 24 labs, 8 of which belong to the
field of CCI and ICT.
 Laboratory of Experimental Archaeology
 Laboratory Archaeozoology
 Laboratory of Geological mapping
 Laboratory of Digital Design and Computer Graphics
 Geophysical Laboratory
 Laboratory of Hydrogeology, GIS and modelling for hydrogeology
 Laboratory of Scientific Illustration
 Laboratory of didactic collections and museum activities
Contact:http://www.dsfta.unisi.it/it
Within the Department of Information Engineering 2 labs are active:
 Lab of Systems and Robotics
 Lab of Applied Electromagnetism
Contact:http://www.diism.unisi.it/it
Also within the Department of Media Studies there are 2 labs:
 Interaction Design Area
 Research Center in Ergonomics
Contact:http://www.disco.unisi.it/
Within the Department of Education Science, Humanities and Intercultural
Communication there are 7 lab structures:
 Audiovisual Intercultural Digital Research - DAVID
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 LAB.OR, Lab of History and Goldsmithry Technique
 Lab of History and Conservation of Architecture
 Lab of Contemporary History : “The Twentieth Century, images, memories,
history”
 Lab of Literary, Artistic and Performing Arts Disciplines
 Laboratory for the study of sustainability
 Transformative research Laboratory – T.Re.Lab
Beside all these training structures, the University offers two programmes designed for
recent graduates, providing them with knowledge skills and instruments useful for
planning one’s professional career.
Contact:http://www.dsfuci.unisi.it/it
Also the University for Foreigners of Siena offers a training programme in the field of
CCI and ICT, with a degree course, two second cycle degree courses and a second
level master, specifically:
Degree course: Italian Language and Culture/teaching of Italian to foreigners
Second cycle degree:
 Linguistics and intercultural communication
 Textual Skills for publishing, teaching and tourist promotion
Second Level masters: Master in editorial design for the Italian language L2
Research Centers: Research and Services Center FAST
The University also promotes orientation and information activities by means of
dedicated structures, in order to increase the motivation and awareness of those
students who have to choose their field of studies. These structures are:
 Job Placement
 FiXo
Contact:http://www.unistrasi.it/
The Province of Siena plans and manages the educational programmes in order to fill
the citizens’ need of learning professional skills, in the perspective of enhancing
employment and placement in the labour market. In particular, it aims to young and
adult unemployed and to workingmen and women, through refresh and retaining
courses; it also aims to teenagers between 15 and 18, through orientation activities and
triennial qualifying courses. The main aim is to enhance and strengthen the local
economic system through the development of enterprises and the strengthening of
human capital.
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The measures taken by the Province of Siena for the promotion of vocational training
and professional advancement of the employed and the un-employed are:

Formative voucher, given to individuals upon presentation of a project. In
2011, 294 vouchers were produced, with the aim of increasing the skills of
those who work in local enterprises and the schooling of adults, of
promoting post-graduate training and the retraining of the unemployed.
Table 1 extracted from Rapporto di metà mandato (Intermediate report), Province of Siena,
2009 – 2011
Type of intervention
N. voucher assigned for year
Total funding
2009
2010
2011
627
86
198
806,000.00
-
17
-
108,600.00
57
35
35
193,459.00
postgraduate
55
60
61
322,596.00
Voucher for the qualification /
102
-
-
154,000.00
Voucher for the adaptation of
workers' skills
Business
voucher
L.236/93
with notice of regional issuance
Voucher for the recovery of
qualification
Voucher
for
training
requalification of unemployed
Total funded voucher
1,594,655.00
Data relating to different types of activities funded through training vouchers. years 2009-2011
 ILA (Individual Learning Account) CARD, a formative prepaid credit card,
designed to help finance one’s individual training. In 2011, 501 people
(unemployed, employed and people who benefit from unemployment insurance,
redundancy workers or disabled workers) benefited from this grant, after an
interview with qualified operators.
 Services for vocational training
In 2011, with the support of European Social Fund, the Province of Siena funded 45
projects of vocational training.
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Table 2 extracted from Rapporto di metà mandato, Province of Siena, 2009 – 2011
Adult Education: type of
intervention
Axis I: Interventions addressed
to workers
Axis II: Interventions addressed
to unemployed
Axis III: Interventions for social
inclusion
Axis IV: post-diploma and post
training
Total (164 projects)
N. funded courses per year
Total funding
2009
2010
2011
31
9
6
1,378,151.15
36
11
35
3,642,222.15
4
3
0
372,000.00
10
15
4
1,360,440.50
81
38
45
6,752,813.80
Data relating to the interventions for vocational training. Years 2009-2011
In particular, as far as the ICT sector is concerned, the Province of Siena organizes
courses in Computer Science that release European certifications. In 2011, 78 courses
of various level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) were activated in the area of the
province. 40 of these aim at professionals and 38 aim at unemployed. The courses
focus on the following topics: Word, Internet, Spreadsheet, Database, Power Point,
Cad 2D and 3D, Photoshop, Web-Site Development.
Overall, the public expense addressed to the above-mentioned courses is 330,000
euros, 160,000 assigned to the activities for the unemployed and 170,000 to those for
the employed.
The Region of Tuscany has activated a Web Learning Platform, named “Project
T.R.I.O. - Technology, Research, Innovation, Orientation”, which provides everyone
with training services and products easily accessible, and for free. 1600 educational
products are available on the platform, designed to increase people’s skills and
allowing them to acquire professional certifications.
In order to use the services and view the educational programme, one has to sign up to
the web-site www.progettotrio.it.
At the end of 2011, the website counted 4,815 users residing in Siena.
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Economic actors
One of the main strengths of the province is the presence of excellent actors in the field
of research and technology. The intersection between demand and supply is favoured
by an Innovation desk within the Apslo agency.
Below are shown the main structures working in the fields of innovation and cultural
management in the area of Siena.
Gruppo MAASI
The company originated from Massimi Sistemi, a service company to business, born in
2008 with the aim of supplying quality-oriented services that could meet the needs of
medium and large enterprises. As a result of a close partnership during 2009, Massimi
Sistemi purchased in 2010 the national magazine Coelum Astronomia, expanding its
activities also in the publishing-scientific industry, with both products and services Still
during 2010 a subsidiary was founded, addressed, on the other hand, to the market of
small and medium sized businesses, Maasi Retail S.r.l., with which the MAASI Group
was formally established.
The group consists in four operating units:
The Information and Communication Technology Department was the first Business
Unit born in the society and today represents the Technological Core of of the Group.
Therefore, it mainly deals with technical aspects related to information, starting from its
communication and elaboration.
The Press Services Department, that is the Business Unit dedicated to the area of
publishing and printing services, was formally established in 2010, after the complete
acquisition of the magazine Coelum Astronomia, the most popular magazine in Italy in
the field of Astronomy.
The Marketing and Communication Department provides Marketing studies, product
placement, image and Communication plans, market studies, but also works on the
accessibility of information, coordination of graphic design projects and branding.
The area Education and Events often operates to complement, or with a close
connection to the other three Business Units of the Group. It focuses in producing
training and educational material to organize and deliver training courses, certifications
and more. It also deals with organizing events, exhibitions, happenings, business
meetings, trade shows, conferences.
Contact:http://www.maasi.eu/
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Bassmart s.r.l.
BassmArt is an organization specialized in implementing high-tech projects and
services for the history and artistic heritage, culture and leisure.
It is a global consultant for developing cultural projects, where it supports the customer
by assisting in their choices of technology, strategy and growth.
The company works with the following targets:

Museums

Cultural Institutions

Sports Associations

Public Administration

Trade Show Exhibition Areas

Companies
Its offer is characterized by the following integrated technological solutions:

E-ticketing

Call center and activities focused upon CMR

Management and strategic event consultancy

E-commerce

Merchandising

Multimedia Products

Interactive multimedia information points for museums and exhibitions

Learning experiences focused on the use of new means of communication

Rechargeable fidelity cards

Apps for tourism, cultural heritage and e-commerce
Contact:http://www.bassmart.it/
Opa Duomo
With an activity documented as of 1180, the Opera della Metropolitana di Siena is one
of the oldest institutions in Italy and in Europe. On the institutional level, it appears
already well-defined as of the mid XIII century, endowed with an autonomous
bureaucratic structure, a substantial patrimony of landed property, and an
administrative headquarters.
The magnificent complex of the Cathedral of Siena, its Duomo, houses a series of
some of the most important monuments of the European artistic panorama. With its
more than one million visitors every year, the Cathedral without a doubt represents the
fulcrum of the entire complex, while other significant elements include the Crypt, the
Baptistery and the Museo dell'Opera, all part of the impressive mass formed by the
"Duomo Vecchio" (Old Cathedral), and the "Duomo Nuovo" (New Cathedral).
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Today, the Opera della Metropolitana di Siena is a non-profit organisation of social
utility, having legal personality and the following organs: Board of Administration,
Rector and Secretary.
Contact:http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/
Galleria Continua
Galleria Continua opened in San Gimignano (Italy) in 1990, the result of the initiative of
three friends: Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo. Occupying a former
cinema, Galleria Continua established itself and thrived in an entirely unexpected
location, away from the big cities and the ultramodern urban centres, in a town - San
Gimignano - steeped in history, timeless, magnificent. This choice of location provided
scope for the development of new forms of dialogue and symbiosis between
unexpected geographies: rural and industrial, local and global, art from the past and
the art of today, famous artists and emerging ones. The gallery's presence in an area
that is in a certain sense "forgotten" but which has a spirit and significant history of its
own, has enabled it to create a reputation as a centre capable of producing exciting
and challenging contemporary work where it is least expected, unhampered by the
spatial and temporal restrictions of classic contemporary art institutions. Remaining
faithful to a spirit of perpetual evolution and committed to interesting as broad a public
as possible in contemporary art, in the course of twenty years Galleria Continua has
created a strong identity for itself through its ties and experiences. That identity is
grounded in two values - generosity and altruism - which lie at the heart of all its
dealings with artists, the general public and its development as a whole. Galleria
Continua is all about a desire for continuity between ages, the aspiration to having a
part in writing the history of the present, a history that is sensitive to contemporary
creative practices and which cherishes the link between past and future, and between
different and unusual individuals and geographies.
In 2005 Galleria Continua has also opened a new exhibition space in Beijing, China,
the aim being to promote international contemporary art in a nation where it is little
seen and to encourage new forms of cultural exchange.
Galleria Continua Beijing performs a particularly intense cultural mediation role, offering
Chinese art-lovers the chance to visit exhibitions in which international-level artists
devise projects specifically for the gallery space and reflect upon their experiences.
The underlying thread of Galleria Continua's activities in Beijing, as it is in San
Gimignano, is to discover new artists and to provide showcases that bring together
spheres of creativity and various different cultures.
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On October 21 2007, Galleria Continua inaugurated a new peculiar site for
contemporary creation in the Parisian countryside. Guided by the rhythm of the
seasons, Le Moulin hosts many times a year projects and exhibitions of monumental
art works by artists from the five continents.
Renovated, the site, a former factory of 10,000 m2 embraces its new artistic life with,
during its first three years of activity, already 30,000 visitors from all over the world.
Since 2008, Galleria Continua launched a new kind of exhibition experience with
Sphères, a collective show with different international galleries invited every year. This
project allows the visitor to see several international artists.
Contact:http://www.galleriacontinua.com/
Cultural actors
The Cultural Actors of Siena and Province are many and of different nature.
First of all, within the city and its territory there are 9 cinemas and 22 theatres, the
Certosa di Pontignano, the Congress Centre of the University of Siena, who has been
dealing with congress tourism for years.
European Capital of Culture Candidacy
In 2011 the city of Siena presented its candidacy for European Capital of Culture for
the year 2019, together with its Province. The bid is promoted by a Committee of
Promoters, composed of leading cultural experts in the city and the province. The
management and the practical organization of the process of candidacy are entrusted
to a team that, under the guidance of the Director, Prof. Pierluigi Sacco, will present the
pre-selection bid book in September 2013.
Contact:www.2019si.eu
Palio and Contrade
There is not a certain date for the origins of the Palio. Between the thirteenth and
fourteenth century, the Palio was the solemn and conclusive moment to celebrate the
feast of the Assumption in mid-August. It was a Palio in a different form, a stake in the
long run (so called alla lunga), which started from one of the city doorways and
reached the ancient Cathedral The winner received a prize, the "pallium," a Great
Banner of precious cloth, which gives its name to the festival still nowadays. In the
early decades of the seventeenth century the Palio concludes his transfer process in
Piazza del Campo and its transformation into a popular festival. In these same years
(1644) some regulations are established, which are still valid today. A century later the
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area of the City is divided into seventeen Contrade with boundaries established by the
Proclamation of Violante of Bavaria, Governor of the City (1729): Istrice, Montone,
Civetta, Leocorno, Torre, Onda, Oca, Selva, Chiocciola, Tartuca, Aquila, Pantera,
Giraffa, Bruco, Drago, Nicchio e Lupa.
Contact:http://www.magistratodellecontrade.it/
Unesco Sites
Among the provinces of Tuscany, Siena boasts the highest number of sites recognized
by UNESCO:
 San Gimignano, Old Town declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990
 Siena, Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995
 Pienza, Old Town UNESCO World Heritage in 1996
 The Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage in 2004
Schools and Academies of Music

Fondazione Accademia Musicale Chigiana was founded in 1932 by Count
Chigi Saracini, a passionate patron of music who created advanced courses in
Siena, hosting internationally renowned teachers and students from all
continents. Thanks to the particular origins and to the model of culture and
development and promotion of music, the Academy of Siena is internationally
recognized as one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Italy. Since
1923 the Accademy has organized a season of concerts in winter, called Micat
in Vertice. The Academy is also synonymous with Settimana Musicale Senese
(Sienese Music Week), the festival which is part of the extensive concert
program of Estate Chigiana.
Contact:http://www.chigiana.it/

Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali Rinaldo Franci di Siena, is an institution
of Higher Education in Art and Music (AFAM). Born in 1834 as a music school
affiliated with the Municipal Band. In 1985 it became a municipal institution
similar to the Conservatory. Today it is one of the institutions involved in the
redevelopment of Italian Music Institutions. The institute is configured as a
leading forum for advanced training, specialization and research in arts and
music. Since 2004 the Acedemy has organized second level courses and, since
2010, the first level courses.
Contact: http://www.istitutofranci.com/
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
Music Ensamble
Contact http://www.musicensemble.it/

Scuola di Musica Diapason
Contact:http://www.circolodiapason.it/
Festival
During 2011, at least 10 music festivals are organized in Siena and its Province:
 Settimana Musicale senese (Accademia Chigiana)
 Micat in Vertice (Accademia Chigiana)
 Maestri Chigiani in Terra di Siena (within Estate Musicale Chigiana); organized
in collaboration with the municipalities of the territory, it provides for a series of
concerts of teachers in some of the most popular tourist destinations of the
province, including Pienza, San Gimignano, Sovicille, but also that of Grosseto.
 Siena Jazz (Siena)
 Siena guitar festival (Siena)
 Siena Music Festival (Siena)
 Torrita Blues (Torrita di Siena)
 All that Jazz (Buonconvento)
 Sarteano Jazz & Blues (Sarteano)
 Festa della Musica (Chianciano Terme)
 Hartvest Festival (Prati della Fortezzadi Montalcino)
 Live Rock Festival (Acquaviva di Montepulciano)
There is also a film festival:
 Terre di Siena film festival
and a documentary film festival
 Festa del documentario sociale e di costume
and a festival of performing arts:
 Sienafestival_Festival contemporaneamente Barocco (Siena, music, theatre,
photography and cinema)
Fondazione Musei Senesi
The Fondazione Musei Senesi is the first participatory foundation in its field in Italy. It
consists of 43 museums in the area spanning the entire civilization of Sienese
Province, from the Etruscan origin to the contemporary, in the most diverse aspects of
historical, artistic, archaeological, scientific, naturalistic and ethnographic property. The
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Foundation, born in 2003, was conceived with the aim of promoting the knowledge of
this extraordinary legacy, putting it in a network and integrating it into a unique museum
system. In 2010, after few years of experimentation that led to the creation and launch
of the managing body of the museum system of Siena, the Foundation implemented a
reorganization plan that marked a turning point and a challenge for the future. It has
redefined its structure and its mission, becoming "Cultural District area" in order to
achieve a more participatory management model, which can enhance the specificity
and objectives of local communities and administrations of each area of the Province.
Today the network's museums host 300 thousand paying visitors a year; private
donations increased by 30% in four years and self-financing reaches 77%. The
experience of the Fondazione Musei Senesi demonstrates that it can be a way to
create job and social, educational and economic development; it is possible to create
accessible museums, capable of delivering cultural services of quality, in which the
visitor is at the center of all activities.
Contact:http://www.museisenesi.org/Home.aspx
Museums
Siena and its province have about 47 museums. In addition to those belonging to the
Fondazione Musei Senesi, scattered between the city and its territory (43) and divided
into four categories (History and Art, Archaeology, Science and Technology,
Anthropology and Ethnography), there are other important museums:
 Complesso museale di Santa Maria della Scala which includes, in addition to
the rooms of the former Hospital (Pellegrinaio, Cappella del Manto, Sagrestia
Vecchia, Cappella della Madonna, Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata,
oratories of Santa Caterina della Notte e di Santa Maria sotto le Volte), the
Archaeological Museum housed in the striking passages, the Museum of
Children's Art, the Contemporary Art Centre / SMS Contemporanea, the Library
and Photo Library “Giuliano Briganti” and numerous spaces (approximately
6,000 square meters ) destined to temporary exhibitions and conferences.
Contact:http://www.santamariadellascala.com

Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana is one of the oldest private museums
established in Italy. It was founded in 1869 with the consent of the Ministry of
Education. The venue is very particular and the collection is stored in the rooms
derived from the closure of the first three bays of the right isle of the so-called
"Duomo Nuovo", whose construction began in 1339 and was interrupted after
the plague of 1348.
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Contact:http://www.operaduomo.siena.it/

Pinacoteca Nazionale houses works by the greatest Sienese artists from the
thirteenth to the seventeenth century. The museum was inaugurated in the
Palazzo Buonsignori and Palazzo Brigidi in 1932 under scientific direction of
Cesare Brandi. The original nucleus of the gallery was founded by two sienese
scholars who collected, between 1750 and 1810, paintings by the most
important painters of Siena. During the nineteenth century the nucleus was
expanded and reorganized with the contributions of the Collection Spannocchi
and the paintings of the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital.
Contact: http://pinacotecanazionale.siena.it/

Museo delle Biccherne dell'Archivio di Stato di Siena is located in the State
Archives of Siena. The works are exhibited in five rooms, three of which are
also rooms used for storage archives.
Contact: http://archiviostato.si.it
Siena Art Institute
The Siena Art Institute Onlus is a non-profit organization for the arts which houses
artists from all disciplines interested in the intersection between art and city life.
The institute offers study abroad experiences for college students and graduates in art
and writing, intensive summer and winter courses, programs for the community, a
summer program of artistic residencies, grants for specific projects and a Program for
visiting artists.
Contact:: http://www.sienaart.org/
Policies, financial tools and projects in ICT domain
Regarding the management of cultural policies, the National Government has the
exclusive legislative power in general education standards, in the intellectual property,
conservation of the environment, ecosystem and cultural heritage.
The Regions have the legislative power in matter of concurrent legislation such as
education, professions, scientific and technological research, support for innovation in
the productive sectors, communication organization, promotion of cultural and
environmental heritage and planning of cultural activities.
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Region of Tuscany
With the Regional Law 21/2010 stated by the Regional Council, the field of intervention
has been enlarged, and the number of subjects recipients by law for financial
contribution from the Region has been expanded.
The cultural plan is the mean used by the Region for planning the interventions in the
field of cultural and environmental goods, cultural institutions, places and activities. The
starting data which permit its writing come from the monitoring activity produced by
specific sectorial tools. The main sources for the development of cultural strategies are:
 “L’attività di spettacolo in Toscana. Monitoraggio dell’intervento regionale nel
settore dello spettacolo”, published by the regional offices until 2010, which is
composed of both data of the yearly local projects, and data of regional projects
of production.
 “Rapporto 2010. Musei della Toscana”, report realized by the Museum sector,
archeological areas, enhancement of cultural heritage and culture of memory,
which investigates the museum system of Tuscany through the implementation
af database which contain historic data, analyzed since 2004.
 “Monitoraggio delle biblioteche pubbliche toscane. Rapporto 2008-2009”,
realized by the regional offices and published on the official website of the
Tuscany Region in 2010, thanks to the activities of statistical survey of the
network of libraries.
 It is now in course the planning of an information system for the evaluation of
investments, based on the database of investments and on the database of the
intervention on the field of museums, performances, libraries and archives.
The Regional Council presents every year the “documents of monitoring and
evaluation, which describe the state of realization and the results of the actuation of
plans and programs”, as stated in article 10 bis, copmma 3 of the Regional Law
49/9930.
The Province
On the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Region and the
Province of Siena on October, 30, 2012, the interventions individuated for the
development of the territory of the province of Siena are the following:
30
Regione Toscana, Piano della cultura 2012-2015
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 Center of Competence of Torrita di Siena
The Memorandum implies to carry on the activities established with the Center of
Competence. The hub of Torrita di Siena was created to give advance-engineering
support to the enterprises, and to help them throughout the whole innovation process.
The field of intervention is transversal and at the moment the clients of the Center
operate in different fields: from mechanics to camp rest, from fashion to renewable
energy up to plastics and other.
 Hub of electronic processing of payments management and ICT cluster
The main aim is to realize a Study Center of national relevance, which involves the
Municipality of Siena, the University of Siena and the leader enterprises of that sector.
It should identify and analyze useful models and tools for the traceability of financial
transactions. The territory could become the promoter of a production sector, which is
crucial in the fight against tax evasion; the Memorandum implies the integration in the
project with the initiatives that the Region carries out to support the ICT sector.
 Connectivity of the area
In order to overcome the digital divide, the memorandum calls for reaching all the areas
of the province through the means of technological infrastructures.
Cultural Heritage)
Archives
The City of Siena and its Province have many important historic archives. In addition to
the National Archive, in the city of Siena there are at least 9 other archives. Between
2011 and 2012 a monitoring of these institutions was carried out, particularly of the
historic municipal archives of the Province that are part of the documentary network of
Siena – Redos, a catalogue collecting the information about all the documents
belonging to the libraries of the network.
Regarding the National Archive of Siena, the last census about the digitization of the
preserved documents is updated at September 2012. The percentage of the digital
documents is about 1% of the total. Some data about the land register and the
cartography emerge from the census: 2299 files are already digitalized and 757 are
incomplete. Concerning the Diplomatic Archive, 227 files are digitalized and 6754 are
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pending. Regarding the so called “different documentary type”, 367 files are digitized
and 11.277 are pending; on the other hand, the section pertaining photography is not
digitized yet.
The Sienese Library System
The Sienese library Service is a service for the digitization of management functions of
44 libraries in the Province; it allows consultation of a series of catalogues (with over
1.000.000 of records). The digitized data are related to: monographs, periodicals,
electronic resources, video and audio materials, lists of authors, archive material,
drawings and prints belonging to the University Libraries and to the libraries of the
Province of Siena. The process of library digitization started in 2001. Funds came from
different sources: self-financing, external funds and co-financing through projects with
regional, national, European and extra-European authorities.
The Sienese Library system has also developed a good proficiency in the management
and organization of institutional archives and special collection.
The libraries house bibliographic and documentary archives of Italian and international
culture personalities (including Luciano Bellosi, Fabrizio De André, Riccardo
Francovich, Franco Fortini and others).
Fourteen archive groups have already been catalogued and are available online. Some
of them were partly digitized and are freely accessible through the portal DigitUS
(Digital Collections of the University of Siena). DigitUS has 21 collections, 5 of which
are related to historic and ancient book collections owned by the University Library,
plus 3 documentary collections owned by the “Accademia dei Fisiocritici” library and 13
museum collections of the Sistema Museale di Ateneo (University Museum System),
for a total number of 1.928 documents.
Other archive groups are partially digitalized (De André, Fortini, Raissa Calza, La
Volpe, Goodwin), and are available on request, according to consultation constraints.
The total amount is 40.165.
Contact:http://www.retedocumentaria.siena.it
The Academic Librarian System (SBA)
The SBA has been managing the OPAC (the academic electronic catalogue) for 20
years. This catalogue includes also files about the bibliographical heritage of some
municipal libraries. The OPAC at 31/12/2012 includes:
 800.469 monographic records;
 36.373 ancient books' records;
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 560.942 spogli's records;
 29.426 periodicals’ records;
 29.675 electronic magazines’records;
 12.511 electronic resources' records;
 1.201 tables of contents of digitized books identified by OCR;
Regarding the investment for the digitization, the SBA has employed 20 volunteers
from the National Civil Service paid by the Ministry. Each volunteer receives a monthly
wage of 433.80€, so the total expenditure for the human resources has been 34.704€.
In the project also the libraries' organic staff has been involved: 1 FTE Cat. D1 (36.000
Euros per year) and 2 FTE Cat. C3 (32.000 Euros per year) that have trained the
volunteers and they have prepared the documents for digitization.
In 2007 a digital camera was bought for the digitization and it has cost about 30.000€.
Contact:http://www.asb.unisi.it/sbs/
Briganti Library
The library owns about 18000 books. This heritage has been completely digitized. At
the beginning, the Nexus Information System S.r.l. of Florence looked after the
cataloguing. From June 2010, the cataloguing was managed internally and the
bibliographic data were inserted in the SBS catalogue of the municipal libraries. The
Municipality of Siena financed the procedure entirely, and an agreement was activated
with the University of Siena that is still in force.
Contact:http://www.santamariadellascala.com
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Table1: digitizing libraries
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Educational Institute of Musical studies “Rinaldo Franci”
The digitization project of the bibliographic, disco graphic and multimedia data is still in
progress. Now the catalogue includes:
 more than 6000 records of documents in the digitized inventory for loan and
consultation;
 801 records of documents included in the SBS (Academic Librarian System) of
the University of Siena;
The total investment for the digitization project from 2010 to 2012 amounts to
29.000,00 Euros.
Contact: http://www.istitutofranci.com/
Siena Jazz Foundation
Siena Jazz Foundation is a non-profit cultural institution, founded on September 9th,
1977. It has always been involved in the promotion, dissemination and teaching of jazz
music and his contemporary derivations.
Since its birth, Siena Jazz has been recognized as a qualified educational reality and
as a national focus point for the enhancement, high qualification, vocational training
and for the promotion of young jazz musicians.
Siena jazz promotes Italian young jazz in Europe and in the world. It is also a partner of
the I.A.S.J. – International Association of Schools of Jazz, an association that includes
the most important schools of jazz in the world.
Contact:http://www.sienajazz.it/
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Table 2: Digitalization of Siena jazz's material
NB - Digitizing means the effective transfer of the items in a digital format.
Example: Passing an LP to CD or hard disk.
- Indexing means the successful indexing of the item, which allows its availability and
provides information on it.
- All numbers related to the amount shall be considered approximate.
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The Superintendence for the Historical, Artistic and Ethnic-Anthropological
Heritage of Siena and its Province (SBSAE)
The Catalogue Office SBSAE collects data about the cultural heritage from the area of
jurisdiction. It was founded in 1969 and in 1975, with the creation of MIBAC, it became
autonomous and it turned into ICCDC.
After that, in accordance with the D.P.R. 13/12/1975 n. 805 “ha elaborato la
metodologia
generale
per
lo
sviluppo
della
catalogazione
territoriale
e
contemporaneamente ha promosso e coordinato l’attività esecutiva di catalogazione e
di documentazione” (it elaborated the general methodology for the development of
territorial catalogation and, at the same time, it encouraged and coordinated the
executive activity of catalogation and research).
In the nineties, with the changes brought by IT, it was necessary to create a new
structure for the informative data.
At the moment, the ICCD makes the rules for the compilation of the catalogue's record,
of the inventory's record and of the Authority files.
The Superintendence has divided cultural heritage in four classes:
1. chattels;
2. real estate;
3. real urban-territorial;
4. archives;
Each model is structured to get uniform information about registry, preservative and
administrative data.
From 2006, with the ARTPAST project funded by MIBAC, the digitization of the paper
data and the standardization of the data already digitized were completed.
Currently there are 80.000 records in the Catalogue Office SBSAE of Siena and
Grosseto.
All data are merged in the Catalogue's General Information System (SIGEC WEB),
which collects the information from the Ministry and other Institutions (the Region,
Local Authorities, Ecclesiastical Authorities).
The SIGEC system is composed of four connected subsets: alphanumeric, multimedia,
cartographic, user.
In particular, concerning the digitization of museum heritage of Siena and its Province,
these local museums have been classified:
- Asciano: the Museo Amos Cassioli;
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- Casole d'Elsa: the Museo Archeologico e della Collegiata;
- Castiglione d’Orcia: the Sala d’Arte San Giovanni;
- Montepulciano: the Museo Civico Pinacoteca Crociani;
- Pienza: the Museo Diocesano;

Siena: the Accademia dei Fisiocritici, the Musei delle Contrade (n.10), the
Opera della Metropolitana, the Pinacoteca Nazionale, the Villa Brandi of
Vignano.
Fondazione Musei Senesi
The Fondazione Musei Senesi, born in 2003, has been founded for promoting the
knowledge of the Siena area and of its extraordinary heritage, consolidating and
developing the museum system created in the '90s by the Province of Siena, thanks to
the support of the Superintendence, the Municipalities, the Dioceses, the Monte dei
Paschi Bank and Foundation, the University and the Chamber of Commerce.
Since its foundation Fondazione Musei Senesi has produced digital images related to
outfitting and collections of items, works, evidences that belongs to its photographic
archive. The data sheets are for the most part under the responsibility of the
proprietary authorities (municipalities, curia, superintendence). For this reason, at this
moment Fondazione Musei Senesi owns 100 gigabyte of digitized archive images. The
images were produced and digitized thanks to external funds and include a partial
archive inherited from the previous museum system. As for the historic and art
museums, the digitized heritage amounts to 40%. Fifty high resolution images,
belonging to the museums, have flowed into google art project platform.
As for archaeological, scientific and ethnographic museums the digital archive includes
only the best-known and studied items, given the large number of preserved items in
museums and storages.
Santa Maria della Scala
In 2002 a project about the information system and the electronic cataloguing of the
historical-artistic heritage of the Santa Maria della Scala was carried out; the project
was proposed again in 2008, but it has never been concluded due to the lack of
financial and human resources.
The aim of the project was creating the general informatics catalogue of the museum,
in order to protect and manage heritage and to make data accessible for scientific
research.
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Another purpose of the project was the strengthening of the scientific and technical
partnership with the SBSAE of Siena and Grosseto and with the Superintendence of
Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany, through the integration of the artworks' data in the
general catalogues of these Institutions.
The preliminary phase should have been the overall standardization of data, in order to
simplify the following phases of research and reorganization of the same data.
This data collection should have been managed by informatics stations placed in the
museum and uploaded on internet to support knowledge of heritage and to encourage
cultural actions through technological innovation. It should have included more than
5000 records with photos and images.
The total expenditure for the project in 2002 amounted to 269.820,00 euros.
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5. Sofia District (Bulgaria)
5.1 Introduction of the Regional context
The administrative breakdown of the country is in essence designed to meet the EU
requirements in the course of the accession process. Level 2 includes 6 planning
regions, which are not a part of the country’s administrative structure, but are formed
mainly for the purposes of economic planning. At level 3, the administrative breakdown
comprises 28 oblasti (regions). The next level includes 262 obshtini (municipalities),
which are the smallest administrative units with local self-government.31
Sofia Municipality [Stolichna Obshtina or the Metropolitan Municipality] consists of 38
towns and villages, including 4 cities: Sofia, Bankia, Buhovo and Novi Iskar and 34
villages.
Sofia is divided into 24 administrative districts. The district mayors, appointed by the
Mayor of Sofia Municipality, are responsible for the daily management of each district,
providing administrative services to citizens, public work, sanitation and others.
Sofia Municipality is an administrative-territorial unit, which has also the statute of a
region (in terms of the national administrative division, not in terms of EU regions).
Sofia municipality is a legal entity with its own property - public and private, and its own
31
NUTS 1: Northern and Eastern Bulgaria; South-Western and South Central Bulgaria.
At NUTS 2 are defined 6 regions: 1. North-Western; 2. North-Central; 3. North-Eastern; 4. South-Eastern;
5. South-Western, with major cities Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Kjustendil, Pernik; 6. South-Central.
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budget. The bodies of the municipal government develop and implement strategic
programs
and
plans
for
community
development,
economic
development,
environmental issues, healthcare, social services, education and cultural policies,
public utility services, public safety, urban planning. The mandate of the Municipal
Council and the Mayor is 4 years; the council and the mayor are elected at local
elections. The Municipal Council elects permanent and ad hoc committees on specific
issues and tasks. The mayor as executive leading the executive activities of the
municipality responsible for compliance with public policy, the implementation of the
budget, long-term programs and has other specific functions. The municipal
administration is structured in functional and sectoral departments and divisions led by
direction of members elected by the Municipal Council on a proposal from the deputy
mayors.
Sofia is the capital city (since 1879) and the biggest city in Bulgaria, as well as the 15th
biggest city in the European Union with a population of 1,300,000 permanent residents
(1/6 of the country’s population). Administratively, the municipality is divided into 24
districts, each run by a district mayor.
-
Territory: 1349 sq. km, including 3 other cities and 34 villages. The urbanized
territories are 245.5 sq. km.
-
Population: 1,300,000; 65% are between 18 to 64 years old.
-
Universities: 20 out of the 42 universities in the country are located in the capital
city; over 100 000 students enroll annually. Forty-five percent of the working
force in Sofia is with tertiary education.
According to 2012 data,[3] the city has a population of 1,241,396 and the whole Capital
Municipality of 1,301,683.[4]
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The Municipality of Sofia is a unique juncture of four global transport destinations: the
inter-continental diagonal main Northwest-Southeast route (London-Budapest-SofiaIstanbul-Calcutta), the meridian-bound Euro-African main route (Helsinki-MoscowSofia-Thessalonica-Cairo), the diagonal Euro-African main route (Tunis-Duras-SofiaBucharest-Odessa-Omsk) and the emerging transport corridor around the 40th parallel
from the Caspian Sea via the Black Sea towards the Adriatic Sea (Potti-Varna-SofiaSkopje-Duras).
Three of the Pan-European Transport Corridors cross on the area of Sofia District:
-
Corridor No. 4 – Budapest-Vidin-Sofia-Thessalonica (Istanbul);
-
Corridor No. 8 – Duras-Skopje-Sofia-Burgas-Varna;
-
Corridor No. 10- Belgrade-Sofia-Plovdiv-Istanbul.
Sofia is a city with rich cultural heritage; the city’s history can be traced to the Neolithic
age. The city center is located above the center of the ancient Serdika settlement.
There are also close to 1400 cultural monuments on the territory of the city. The
Boyana Church, famous for its medieval murals, and protected by UNESCO as a World
Heritage Site, is also located in Sofia (www.boyanachurch.org).
Sofia is:

A creative city: almost 7% of the workforce in Sofia is engaged in creative and
cultural industries, as opposed to an European average of 2.7%.

A city of communications: with half of the municipality’s territory providing free
quality Wi Fi, it is among the best connected cities in the world.

A multilingual and multicultural city: with over 20 foreign languages taught in
both primary and secondary public schools (the attainment target being B2),
Sofia ranks first in terms of range of language choice in Europe.

An economically mature city: “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2013”
ranks Sofia the 9th major European city with best economic potential. Sofia is
the only city where expenditure on R&D is approximate to the European targets.

A tourist centre: in June 2013, TripAdvisor rated Sofia most affordable key
tourist city in the world.

A long-term time horizon: Sofia is the first municipality in Bulgaria to have
developed and adopted a cultural development strategy until 2023.
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Sofia has the most developed cultural infrastructure in the country: theatres, art
galleries, concert halls, museums, libraries, movie theatres, and multiplexes; however,
this infrastructure must be constantly upgraded and put to better use.
SOFIA AND THE SOUTH-WEST REGION

An enormous human resource: 2,128,000 inhabitants, or 29% of the country’s
population

48.2% of the national GDP – the only region in Bulgaria with a slow but
constant growth in GDP since 2007

60 R&D institutes - the leading region in Bulgaria interms of R&D spending

Home to 25% of all Bulgarian cultural monuments and 50% of those with
national significance are located here

Part of European cultural corridors: Western Trans-Balkan Corridor; Via
Diagonalis, Via Militaris, The Green Belt

39.5% of the region’s territory is protected by Nature 2000

Two UNESCO cultural heritage sites: the Boyana Church and the Rila
Monastery, one intangible-UNESCO-cultural-heritage tradition– Bistrishki babi

and 3 more applications for the same status: the National Fair of Folk Art
(Koprivshtica), the Surva carnival games (Pernik) and the two-voice singing
tradition in the towns of Nedelino and Satovcha.

50 museums

30 theatres with 42 stages

530 community centers (chitalishte)

12 libraries over 200,000 books

20 universities with 107,516 students from 79 countries. The region has
already achieved the 2020 targets regarding school drop-out rates and
population share with tertiary education.

More than 1000 registered cultural and artistic non-profit organizations

More than 300 Orthodox temples and chapels, more than 40 monasteries (built
between the 4th c. and nowadays), Sofia’s Synagogue, several mosques,
temples of other faiths and denominations.
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Overal economic impact of the CCIs in Sofia
Sofia is a national cultural and ICT center, and a leading city in the development of
creative and cultural industries (CCIs);

49% of the ICTs are concentrated in the city (9846 SMEs).

The ICT and CCI enterprises are 9.59% of all SMEs in Sofia (data as of 2009), i.e.,
every tenth SME is an ICT or CCI enterprise.

Sofia concentrates also 58% of the total workforce in the CCI sector; for 20082009, there is an increase of 6.6% of employment in the CCIs.

As of 2009, 93 323 people, which is 3.4% of the overall workforce in the country,
are employed in the CCI sector; the figures for Sofia are, respectively, 54 293 or
6.7% of all people employed in the city.

The value added produced by the CCIs in Sofia for 2009 is almost two times that of
the national average: respectively, 7.5% for 2008 and 6.6% for 2009.

Leading industries involve the film industry (96.75%) and computer and video
games (90.35%).
Number of enterprises in the CCIs in Sofia (source: Observatory of Cultural Economics)
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
0,0
cultural
heritage
2010/2008
design
film industry
software and
computer
games
cultural heritage
design
film industry
software and
computer games
70,3
66,7
45,9
44,1
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Percentage of people employed in CCIs in Sofia (incl. cultural tourism)
The major indicators of economic significance of the CCI – added value, employment,
turnover, number of enterprises, and direct foreign investments show a concentration
between 49% and 92% in the city of Sofia. These figures give grounds to designate
Sofia a city of cultural and creative industries, or it would be even more precise to
name it "creative Sofia".
CCIs make for 4,1% (2008) and 3,7% (2009) of the added value (according to factor
expenses) in the economy of the country. For the period under monitoring (2009-2011),
this is an average indicator of 3,9% added value, which is within the upper limit –
usually the added value is between 2%-4% according to most of the European
cartography in the past years. For Sofia’s economy, however, the added value
accumulated from the CCI for the same period is almost twice as high: 7,5% (2008)
and 6,6% (2009). This is a logical reflection of the fact that in Sofia is created 77,5% of
the added value of the CCI. Leading sub-sectors in the CCIs in the capital city, with
more than 90% concentration with regard to the creation of added value are the film
industry, and the software and video games with 90,35%. 32
32
The data is from a study carried out by a team of the Observatory of Cultural Economics (OEC) with the support of Sofia
Municipality. Data was also provided by the National Statistical Institute, gathered in accordance with a methodology developed
by the Observatory. The team of the Observatory involves Associate Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova – leader of the research, Diana
Andreeva – Director of the OEC, Tanya Aleksandrova-Kisova – NSI, Irina Ivancheva – expert international cultural policy. The
research was conducted during the period January 2011 - September 2011, and the data reflect the period 2008-2010.
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A study conducted within the project Effective Partnerships for Sustainable
Development of Sofia, funded by the Operational Program Administrative Capacity,
and implemented by Sofia Municipality found that 59% of the city residents identify
cultural heritage as defining the city’s cultural landscape and traditions. Subsectors
identified by the respondents as key for the city’s cultural and creative life are
architecture, archaeological monuments, historic and religious monuments, and
museums. Museums ‘The Largo,’ as well as the underground museum under the St.
Sofia Church are identified as the landmarks of the city.
CULTURAL ROUTES AND LANDMARKS IN SOFIA
The yellow pavement (zhaltite paveta)
The yellow pavement is the most typical
symbol of the city, located in the very heart
of Sofia, near the President’s Office. The
central street goes by the Archeological
Museum, the former Communist Party
House and the National Bank, leading to
the former Royal Palace, now the National
Art Gallery. On the other side of the street
is the classical Bulgaria Grand Hotel with
its Vienese style cafe. One of the main
sights is the Russian church – a
magnificent example of a Byzantine style cathedral, surrounded by picturesque garden.
The yellow pavement surrounds the Parliament Square (Narodno Sabranie), with the
famous Tsar Liberator monument. At the end of the street, is Sofia University.
Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the St.
Sofia Church
The golden domed Alexander Nevski
Cathedral is one of the most impressive
monuments of Orthodox Christianity. It is one
of the biggest in Europe. In its crypt is the
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Iconographic Museum, housing thousands of Orthodox icons created throughout the
centuries.
Next to the Cathedral is the St. Sofia Church. It is a typical basilica surrounded by a
garden with 2 monuments – the St. George monument and the national poet Ivan
Vazov monument, made of a Vitosha mountain rock. At the back of the church is the
Sofia Municipality building and Moscovska Street with some of the most beautiful art
deco houses of the Bulgarian elite created before WWII. Round the corner is the
International Art Gallery with some Matisse, Dega and Rodin masterpieces.
The National Theater
The National Theater is one of the most
beautiful neo-baroque buildings in Sofia.
Opened in 1907, it was destroyed by the
Anglo-American bombing of Sofia in 194344. It was restored after WWII.
Sveta Nedelya
The St. Nedlya Square forms a religious
center of the city: 300 m away is the
Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Theology
Department of Sofia University, the Banya
Bashi Mosque and the Synagogue. In its
backyard of the Square is the most ancient
building in Sofia: the St. George rotunda from the 4th century. It was built by Emperor
Constantine.
Borisovata Gradina and the Ariana lake
The favourite relax zone of Sofia is the
main park, called Borisovata Gradina. It
starts at the famous Orlov Most (Eagles
Bridge) – the former Eastern gate of the
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city. There is the Ariana Lake. It is surrounded by modern style cafes and restaurants.
On its banks is the National Stadium Vassil Levski with the National Sports Museum.
The Vitosha Mountain and the Lyulin Mountain
Sofia is surrounded by the big Vitosha and Lulin mountains. Mount Vitosha rises at
2090 meters above sea level. Only 10 km from downtown Sofia, it offers facilities for
skiing, climbing, walking, biking all year long. The Lyulin Mountain is famous for its spa
resorts and mineral water springs.
Sofia’s Sveta Gora (Sofia Minor Mount Athos)
One of the hidden treasures of Sofia is The Small Sveta Gora or The Little Jerusalem.
This is the name of a tiny zone with some 14 Orthodox monasteries. They are situated
in picturesque mountain villages surrounding the city of Sofia. The Holy Orthodox
monasteries forming the monastery complex known as "Sofia Minor Mount Athos" (in
order to distinguish it from the "big" Holy Mountain of Athos in Greece), were
established mainly in the 13th and 14th century, often with the active support of
Bulgarian kings. The complex has been developed and acquired its present
appearance for several centuries, while also becoming the most important cultural historical center of its time.
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5.2 Key actors in SmartCulture domain:
Political actors and institutions:
STRUCTURE OF THE MUNICIPAL BODIES
SOFIA MUNICIPALITY MAYOR
Ms. Yordanka Fandakova
SOFIA MUNICIPALITY
Deputy Mayor for Culture, Education, Sports, and Prevention
of Addictions
Mr. Todor Chobanov, PhD
Culture Directorate, Head of Directorate
Ms Galina Bezhanska
Culture Directorate, Experts
District Mayor Offices / Culture Experts
1. Sofia Municipality
Sofia Municipality is an administrative and territorial unit.Its management is a mixture of
the self-government of the citizens and the operation of the state policy for the
development of the capital. The territory of the municipality also includes 4 towns Sofia, Bankya, Novi Iskar, Buhovo, and 34 villages.
Sofia municipality is a legal entity. It has the right to own real estate property and
movables. The municipality can conduct economic activities and establish enterprises.
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It can also participate in joint ventures, provided that its liability does not surpass its
share. The municipality can invest estates and unused funds, except for the subsidies
granted by the state budget.
Contact: http://www.sofia.bg/
2. Sofia Municipal Council
The Municipal Council of Sofia Municipality is the local parliament of the city. It is a
collective body, with 61 members directly elected at local elections every four years.
The Municipal Council is constituted and works on the basis of several regulative
documents: the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, the European Charter of Local
Self-government, the Law on Local Self-government and Local Administration, the
current national legislation, as well as the Council’s Statute and Internal Rules. The
Council works through standing and ad hoc committees, and holds regular sessions, in
coordination with the administration of Sofia Municipality.
The Council adopts the strategic development plans of the Municipality, the municipal
budget, and other documents.
The Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Science and Cultural Diversity works
closely on developing and adopting the municipal strategies for culture and education.
Contact:http://sofiacouncil.bg/
3. Directorate Culture of Sofia Municipality
Functions and responsibilities:

Prepares the Cultural Calendar of the Municipality of Sofia, cultural events,
festivals, and initiatives, including international participation, and events with
national institutions, unions, regional administrations and others.

Coordinates the activities of the Municipal Funding Programme "Culture".

Involved in the organization of the official events of the cultural calendar of
Sofia Municipality.

Conducts research, analysis and prepares expert opinions and proposals for
the organization of events in different cultural areas and in the cultural centers
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on the territory of the city; coordinates artistic activities of municipal cultural
institutions.

Prepares reports, opinions and expertise on issues of culture, coordinated
plans for the activities of various cultural institutions - theaters, galleries,
cultural centers and adopt reports on their activities.

Coordinates and promotes the activities of the municipal cultural institutions theaters, galleries, cultural centers.
Contact: http://www.sofia.bg/tu1.asp?napr=95
Each of the districts in Sofia has a District Cultural Center, funded and run by the
district administration. The 24 Cultural Centers work to implement the strategic
programs and plans of the Municipality; they organize and carry out cultural events,
education initiatives, etc.
4. MINISTRY OF CULTURE
Directorate Cultural Heritage
The Municipality works closely with the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for
developing and implementing national policies and strategic initiatives in the culture
sector, including the cultural and creative industries.
The National Fund "Culture" was created based on the Law for the Protection and
Development of Culture and became operational in November 2000. The Fund
"Culture" supports the development of Bulgarian culture by funding various arts,
cultural activities and artists.
NF "Culture" work based on the Rules for the structure and operation of the Fund and
the Board. The Fund publishes open calls for proposals, with eligible candidates all
cultural organizations including non-profit organizations and individual cultural
operators. Applicants submit their proposals for each competition. Subsidizing NFC
may not exceed 80% of the cost of the project. The National Fund "Culture" is
managed by the Management Board. At the beginning of each financial year, the
Management Board adopts a plan to subsidize certain areas of culture under different
programs.
Contact: http://mc.government.bg/page.php?p=58&s=424&sp=428&t=0&z=0
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5. Regional Centre for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South
Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO
The Regional Centre for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was established
on the basis of an agreement between UNESCO and the Government of the Republic
of Bulgaria, signed in 25 October 2010 the Centre covers the countries of Southeastern
Europe:
Albania,
Armania,
Bosnia
and
Herzegovina,
Bulgaria,
Croatia, Montenegro, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia
and Turkey.
The main objectives of the center are:

to promote the UNESCO Convention on protection of intangible cultural heritage
and contribute to its implementation in the subregion of South East Europe;

to achieve more active participation of different communities, groups and
individuals in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Southeast Europe;

develop the capabilities of Member States of UNESCO in Southeast Europe for the
protection of intangible cultural heritage;

to coordinate, exchange and disseminate information relating to the safeguarding of
intangible cultural heritage in the subregion;

to promote regional and international cooperation for the protection of intangible
cultural heritage.
Website: http://en.unesco-centerbg.org/view/post/32
BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
1. The Institute of Information and Communication Technologies at the Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences - (IICT) was founded on July 1, 2010 as a successor of the
Institute for Parallel Processing (IPP), Institute of Information Technologies (IIT) and
Institute of Computer and Communication Systems (ICCS).
The Institute of Information and Communication Technologies conducts research in the
following fields:

Computer Networks and Architectures

Parallel Algorithms

Scientific Computations

Mathematical Methods for Sensor Data Processing
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
Linguistic Modelling

Information Technologies for Security

Grid Technologies and Applications

Technologies for Knowledge Management and Processing

Modelling and Optimization

Signal Processing and Pattern Recognition

Information Processes and Decision Support Systems

Intelligent systems

Embedded Intelligent Technologies

Communication Systems and Services
Contact and info at: (http://www.iict.bas.bg/EN/index.html)
2. The Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences is a leading Bulgarian centre for research and interdisciplinary applications.
Since its establishment in 1947 it has been conducting an efficient, long-range,
consistent policy related to the fundamental trends in the development of mathematics,
informatics and IT.
IMI—BAS plays the role of a coordinator and a catalyst of research in the country. The
Institute has a total staff of 209 (183 researchers, including 113 full and associate
professors) in 14 departments. It has close connections with other research,
educational and decision making centres in Bulgaria and abroad. IMI—BAS experts
participate in the development of strategies, programmes, projects, training and
instruction of more than 10 ministries and national agencies including the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Science, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public
Works, the Ministry of Culture, etc. The Institute is a partner in the development of
national projects of 12 scientific and cultural institutions, and has regional collaboration
with over 15 universities and research institutes in South-East Europe.
IMI—BAS has a hi-tech research infrastructure (including modern mobile studio for
digitization of museum and immovable objects, powerful file servers, highly productive
specialised workstations and peripherals). Its scientific team includes highly qualified
specialists – researchers in the field of ICT, digitization, software applications and
presentation of cultural heritage. IMI—BAS provides high quality digitization of artifacts
and art collections in different media types; graphical processing of the digital objects,
2D and 3D objects design, digital restoration; technical and semantic description of the
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digital objects according to the approved standards; presentation of the artifacts and
their description in a virtual environment for a complex multimedia exhibition.
Contact: http://www.math.bas.bg/index.html/
3. Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Centre of Information Society
Technologies (CIST). CIST is an interdisciplinary research and training institution of
Sofia University, motivated by the challenge to support the development, introduction
and wide use of Information Society Technologies (IST). The main objective of the
Centre is to create and establish fruitful co-operation between the University - the
academic community and industry - SMEs, NGOs, public administration, local
community, banking and financial institutions for co-ordinating the efforts in spreading
the IST wide implementation and use.

The research activities performed by the CIST staff have a pivotal role in
integrating awareness and understanding of IST, as well as their implementation.

Strong efforts have been applied to promoting the global society development
using the new technologies.

The Centre brings together the theoretical and applied interdisciplinary research
in IST and their applications in the economic, social and natural sciences. CIST
provides its capabilities at the service of the economic and social needs of the
region and the country, in its efforts to meet the standards of accession to the
European Union.

The main aim of CIST is to become a national and regional Centre of Excellence in
Information Society Technologies (IST) for South-East Europe. The Center devotes
its capacity to strengthen the process of IST implementation and to shorten the
process of scientific research development and industry applications.
The core of CIST is the Department of Information Technologies (DIT) of the Faculty of
Mathematics and Informatics, University of Sofia.
Contact: http://www-it.fmi.uni-sofia.bg/cist/
4. Institute of Balkan Studies and Center of Thracology at Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences
In January 1964 was founded the Institute of Balkan Studies at the Bulgarian Academy
of Sciences. For the past four decades, it has been working in close collaboration with
the Southeast European, or Balkan, Studies Institutes in Bucharest, Belgrade,
Thessaloniki, Athens, and Moscow as well as with a number of other European and
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non-European academic institutions. The fellows of the Institute work in several
different fields related to history, cultural and historical heritage in Bulgaria and the
Balkan region, such as Medieval History, Modern and Contemporary History, Archival
Studies, Diplomatics and Paleography, Theory and History of Literature, European,
American, Asian, African, and Australian Literatures, General and Comparative
Linguistics.
Contact: http://balkanstudies.bg/index.php/en.html
5. International Research and Information Centre Thracica
Thracica is a non-governmental organization which organizes, coordinates and
produces inter-disciplinary national and international projects in the fields of culture,
arts, science and education. Thracica fosters international cooperation and encourages
the development of cutting-edge research and art and cultural industry by teams
comprising of young and established professionals and students. Thracica promotes
the understanding of the importance and relevance of science, art, culture and cultural
heritage to life in today’s globalized world by means of worldwide dissemination of the
results and impact of its projects.
Contact: http://www.thracica.com/?change-language=1
6. Institute of Ethnographic Studies and Folklore with an Ethnographic Museum
at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Institute brings together the research capacity of the Institute for ethnographic and
folklore studies and the Ethnographic Museum; the two institutions joined in 2010. The
newly established institute is a national center for ethnographic, cultural and
anthropologic studies. It has a large collection of archives, libraries, and houses data
from field studies around the country, photo and audio records, video records,
ethnographic descriptions, etc. The collection of the National Ethnographic Museum
includes tens of thousands of artifacts, representing in detail the traditional Bulgarian
culture and folklore.
Contact: http://iefem.blogspot.com/ [website under construction]
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7. The Institute of Art Studies represents the only specialized research unit in
Bulgaria that carries out studies on ancient, medieval and contemporary art and
culture. Research priorities are focused on collecting and preserving art documentation
as well as the analysis of art phenomena, both professional and vernacular, associated
with the centuries-old Bulgarian legacy and its particular role in the construction of
European culture. The Institute plays a central role in the development of art studies in
Bulgaria, including by conducting doctorate programmes in all related disciplines and
by organizing of scholar conferences. Several departments function within the Institute:
Music, Fine Arts, Theatre, Screen Arts, Architecture.
It possesses rich photo (100 000 frames), textual (250 000 pages), audio (3400 tapes
and 3800 records) and video (800 films and 200 videocassettes) archives consisting of
unique data; the Institute’s library fund holds nearly 45 000 volumes, including rare
editions published at the end of the 19th century.
The Institute’s publications includes the two quarterly journals Problemi na izkustvoto
(Art Studies Quarterly) and Bulgarsko muzikoznanie (Bulgarian Musicology), two
volume series Izkustvovedski cheteniya (Art Readings) and Izkustvo i kontekst (Art
and Context), as well as catalogues, bibliographies, encyclopaedias, volumes and
monographs.
The Institute cooperates with foreign academic institutions and organizations, and a
number of its fellows are actively involved into international scholar projects.
Contact: http://www.artstudies.bg/index.php?navPage=institute&page_id=8
8. Observatory of Cultural Economics is a Bulgarian NGO dedicated to studying the
trends and developments in the Bulgarian culture and cultural and creative industries
sector. Cultural economics is the application of economic analysis to the creative and
performing arts, the heritage and cultural industries, in both the public and private
sectors. It is concerned with the economic organization of the cultural sector and with
the behavior of producers, consumers and governments in that sector. The subject
includes a range of approaches, mainstream and radical, neoclassical, welfare
economics, public policy and institutional economics and it also espouses
interdisciplinary analysis connected to these topics. The Observatory has done
important studies and mappings of the CCIs in the region of Sofia and nationally.
Contact: http://www.culturaleconomics.bg/
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As of June 2013, there are 22 colleges and universities in Sofia.
The Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, often regarded as the most prestigious
university of Bulgaria, was founded in 1888 and expanded in the 1950s.
The university's edifice was constructed between 1924 and 1934. The university enrolls
14,000 students annually. Other leading higher education establishments are the
National Academy of Arts, the University of National and World Economy, the
Technical University of Sofia, Sofia Medical University, Rakovski Defence and Staff
College, and New Bulgarian University.
1. The National Academy of Arts is the oldest and most renowned academy of arts in
the country.
The National Academy of Arts was founded in 1896 by the noted artists and public
figures Ivan Mrkvička, Anton Mitov and Dr Ivan Shishmanov, who drafted a bill
regarding the establishment of the State School of Drawing. Over a thousand students
annually are being educated at the academy in various art subjects, as well as 130
foreign students and 35 future doctors.
The academy consists of two faculties, a
Faculty of Fine Arts and a Faculty of Applied Arts, each offering a number of subjects.
The National Academy of Arts edifice was built in 1906.
Contact and info at: http://nha.bg/en
2. The Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music (Bulgarian: Национална
музикална академия „Панчо Владигеров“, Natsionalna muzikalna akademia „Pancho
Vladigerov“), also known under its former name, the Bulgarian State Conservatoire
(Българска държавна консерватория, Balgarska darzhavna konservatoria), is a
university of music in Sofia. Founded in 1921 through a royal decree of Tsar Boris III, it
is named after the influential Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov (1899–1978).
Two buildings house the academy. It offers 30 programmes divided into three faculties:
the Faculty of Theory, Composition and Conducting, the Instrumental Faculty and the
Vocal Faculty.
Contact and info: http://nma.bg/en
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3. The University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy is located in
Sofia, Bulgaria. It was founded in 1942 as a Higher Technical School following a
decree issued on June 6, 1941 by the Bulgarian Tsar Boris III. In 1945 it was
transformed into a State Polytechnic. In 1953 the Polytechnic was divided into several
institutes one of them being the Institute of Civil Engineering. Since 1977 the institute is
renamed Higher Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering (HIACE). In 1990 by a
decision of its General Assembly the Institute was renamed University of Architecture,
Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), the official accreditation being voted by the
Parliament on 21 July 1995. On 15.11.2001 received institutional accreditation.
Contact and info at: http://uacg.bg/?l=2
4. The St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia or Sofia University (Bulgarian:
Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, Sofiyski universitet „Sv. Kliment
Ohridski“) is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October
1888. The university's edifice was constructed between 1924 and 1934 with the
financial support of the brothers Evlogi Georgiev and Hristo Georgiev, whose
sculptures are now featured on its façade, and has an area of 18,624 m² and a total of
324 premises.
Sofia University has 16 faculties and three departments, where 21,000 students
receive their education. In addition, it also disposes of a university library, a university
press, a computer centre, a sports centre and several other structures. Sofia University
is ranked 593rd in the world and 227th in Europe by the Webometrics Ranking of World
Universities.
Contact and info at: http://www.uni-sofia.bg/index.php/eng/
5. New Bulgarian University (Bulgarian: Нов български университет, also known
and abbreviated as НБУ, NBU) is a private university based in Sofia. NBU is the first
private university in Bulgaria and among the top rated by Bulgarian business
universities in the country. NBU has its own academic library and offers 37 bachelor's,
69 master's and 26 PhD programmes.
Contacts and info at: http://www.nbu.bg/entrance.php
6. The Technical University of Sofia
The Technical University is the largest university in Bulgaria which provides expert
engineering education. At the Technical University of Sofia you have the opportunity to
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select from among 28 engineering and management degree courses at Bachelor’s
degree and many more options for Master’s degree.
The Technical University of Sofia is the first technical school of higher education in the
country with a 67 year-old history. It is a university that has not only trained a
considerable number of specialists for Bulgaria (over 100 thousand engineers have
acquire their education here), but has also trained the faculty and teaching staff of the
other higher technical schools in the country.
Contact and info: http://www.tu-sofia.bg/eng_new/foreign-applications/
7. State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (SULSIT)
The State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (SULSIT) is
accredited by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency to perform education in
Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degree. SULSIT offers 7 BSc programmes (e.g.,
Computer Science, Information and Communication Technologies, Library Studies and
Bibliography, Information Repositories and Culture Heritage) and 6 MSc programmes
(e.g., Software Engineering, Electronic Business and Electronic Governance,
Knowledge Management, Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Information
Technology, Library Management, Culture Heritage in the Information Age), as well as
Doctoral programmes. In addition, SULSIT provides vocational and professional
training, including ECDL.
An institute dedicated to R&D in the area of Cultural and Historical Heritage is
established under SULSIT, as well as a UNESCO Chair on “ICT in Library Studies,
Education and Cultural Heritage”. The University joins the Lifelong Learning
Programme and shares its goals to promote the development of a knowledge-based
society with sustainable economic development, to contribute to the development of
quality lifelong learning, development of creativity, competitiveness, and employability
and to improve the attractiveness and accessibility of education. SULSIT is also
implementing the ECTS in all of its courses and cooperates with more than 15 foreign
universities. SULSIT has participated in several international LLL projects under the EC
programs Erasmusand Leonardo da Vinci.
UNESCO Interdisciplinary Chair "Information and communication technologies in the
library sciences, education and cultural heritage" at SULSIT
Contacts and info at: http://unesco.unibit.bg
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Economic actors
1. Sofia Municipality Tourist Service Municipal Entreprise
The Tourist Service Municipal Enterprise was established as a specialized unit of Sofia
City Municipality. The main goal of establishing the enterprise is the implementation of
municipal activities regulated by the Law on Tourism Act as related to registration,
rating, reporting and control of tourist establishments in the territory of Sofia City
Municipality.
The enterprise has the status of a secondary user of state funds. As a unit of Sofia City
Municipality, when exercising its functions, Tourist Service Municipal Enterprise keeps
contacts with all structural and functional units of the municipality, the State Agency for
Tourism, the Commission on Consumer Protection, the National Revenue Agency,
Ministry of the Interior – Sofia Internal Affairs Directorate, and also and with all state,
municipal and professional organizations, concerned with the problems of tourism.
Main activities:

Assists the state authorities in implementing the policy in tourism and exercising
control over the quality of tourism product in the territory of the Municipality;

Prepares and offers the Mayor for adoption by Sofia City Municipal Council a
Programme for development of tourism in the territory of Sofia City Municipality,
which it implements in accordance with the National Strategy and with view to the
local tourist resources and needs;

Assists and participates through the Director of the Enterprise in the work of the
Advisory Council on Tourism at Sofia City Municipality and implements its decisions
related to the enterprise;

Registers the tourist establishments located in the territory of Sofia City
Municipality;

Organizes and carries out advertising of Sofia as a tourist destination , and
contributes to the promotion of the tourist product of the municipality;

Presents Sofia as a tourist destination in the country and abroad and contributes to
the presentation of the tourist product of the municipality;

By establishing tourist information centers or offices, supports tourist services to
citizens and visitors of the capital;
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
Assists in maintaining and preserving the natural and historical sights in the territory
of Sofia City Municipality.
Contact: http://info-sofia.bg/en/information-en.html
2. Ontotext (http://www.ontotext.com) is a world-leading supplier of core semantic
technologies, text mining and web mining solutions. Ontotext has over 55 employees
and multiple associates. Its researchers have more than 100 publications in refereed
journals and international events. Since year 2000 Ontotext has been actively
developing and applying semantic technology both in our products, research projects
(FP5, FP6, FP7) and custom projects.
knowledge
engineering,
reasoning
The core expertise of the company is in
and
efficient
representation;
linked
data
management; web mining; text mining and semantic annotation; multi-paradigm
semantic
search;
semantic
technologies;
software
engineering,
performance
optimization, ontology design; data integration, management and publishing; analysis,
evaluation, feasibility studies based on cutting-edge expertise. Commercially, Ontotext
has delivered solutions in areas like Life Sciences, Financial Intelligence,
Telecommunications, Media and Publishing, Online Recruitment, Libraries and
Archives, Semantic Search.
Contact: http://www.ontotext.com/cases.
3. Tetracom Interactive Solutions (Tetracom)
Tetracom IS has over 10 years of experience in developing Web applications (dynamic
web content), Content Management (CMS) and Document Exchange (DEX) systems,
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, Tailor-made Java and .NET
server applications, GUI stand-alone cross-platform Java desktop applications,
Database design and development, Software for e-Learning and higher education, and
text extraction. The company has worked on the database design, software
architecture, implementation, deployment, training, maintenance as well as the project
management.
Contact: http://www.tetracom.com/
4. Sirma Media is a part of one of Bulgaria’s biggest and stable software companies –
Sirma Group Holding. Sirma Media is leading Bulgarian publisher and provider of
multimedia knowledge products - encyclopedias, dictionaries, educational games,
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language tools, web-based knowledge databases, digital repositories, learning
management systems, teacher training courses, specialized hardware solutions for
education, etc. Sirma Media is developing in two main business directions –
EDUCATION: multimedia educational products; specialized web applications – web
portals, semantic repositories, learning management systems; own teaching methods
and training and qualification courses for teachers; specialized educational hardware
solutions and CULTURAL-HISTORICAL HERITAGE: digitalization and modern
presentation of cultural-historical heritage, digital repositories for artifacts, web-based
information management systems, catalogues and presentation of cultural-historical
heritage.
The multimedia encyclopedic products of Sirma Media (educational package
“Knowledge products”), together with the knowledge and educational web-portal
www.znam.bg, as well as the semantic repository of educational recourses available in
all Bulgarian schools and are actively used for the needs of the educational process.
Sirma Media is the partner of major world brands with leading position in the area of
education such as: Intel, Young Digital Planet, Luidia, Fourier Systems and many
others.
Contact: http://www.sirmamedia.com/en/company
5. The Digital Spaces Living Lab (DSLL) in Sofia, Bulgaria, was founded in 2008 to
support industrial and academic partners working in the field of new digital media
technologies. Main objectives of the Digital Spaces Living Lab are:

to help IT, media and communications companies to test new technologies and
products in very early stages of their development and with real users;

to support new ideas and start-up companies in the digital media sector via the
DSLL Technology Incubator;

to give start-up companies in the digital media sector access to unique, specialised
and cutting- edge infrastructure and facilities which will help them develop quicker
and better their products and services.
Contact: http://www.digitalspaces.info
6. MobileMonday Sofia is an open forum of the local mobile industry community. It is
an
independent,
non-profit
organization
of
mobile
industry
professionals,
entrepreneurs, developers, investors, universities and people with a passion for
mobile technology. MoMo Sofia aims to be a regional hub for networking and business
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development, a knowledge center for local developers and an open stage for industry
news and presentations of innovation from local university labs and start-ups.
MobileMonday is the biggest global mobile community of mobile industry visionaries,
developers and thought leaders, fostering cooperation and cross-border business
development through virtual and live networking events to share ideas, best practices
and trends from global markets.
MoMo's main objectives are to facilitate business networking, encourage local
technology development, and share international industry knowledge, technology
news and trends.
Contact: http://mobilemondaysofia.com/
7. EDNO: Producers of Sofia Design Week, Sofia Dance Week, Sofia Architecture
Week Festivals
Edno means one. And one whole are Edno Magazine, Sofia Design Week, Mellow
Music Festival, Sofia Dance Week, Sofia Architecture Week and Sofia Contemporary.
All of them are faithful to a common cause and bow to the same principles, values and
mindset.
All of them are Edno – a platform for contemporary art, culture and way of life. Edno
supports and promotes contemporary culture by presenting in Bulgaria the world trends
in art, music, design, architecture, performing arts, cinema, fashion – live, on paper,
and online.
Contact: http://www.edno.bg/en/what-is-edno
EDNO iOS application link for downloading:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edno/id527922263?mt=8
8. iMEDIASHARE are leading developers of mobile applications.
The company iMediaShare was created with the desire to take visual and audio
entertainment to a new level. Life is about sharing happy experiences, and with
iMediaShare we bring everyone in on the fun. iMediaShare breaks out of the box of
traditional media discovery and delivery. Unlike standard TV broadcasting solutions
we’ve dedicated it to empowering your freedom of choice, and delivering entertainment
to your fingertips wherever you are, whenever you reach for it.
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iMediaShare is a cloud-based mobile media discovery and control technology designed
for the Connected Home. The patented technology allows effortless shift of online and
personal digital content from the cloud over DLNA and Airplay-compliant TVs, game
consoles and other connected devices.
iMediaShare is funded by Launchub, Teres Capital and Bianor.
Contact: http://www.imediashare.tv/about-us
9. ARS OOD. During the last 10 years ARS OOD has become one of the major
producers in Bulgaria, delivering world-class artistic and technical film, video and TV
production, post-production services and full music supervision, coordination and
production. The company has been the major producer in more than 30 documentaries
and features distributed on the territory of Bulgaria and in European countries. The
topic of the films ranges from promoting the human values to the development of the
society and the social morality.
ARS OOD has been a co-producer in many film projects and also has executed the
post-production in Bulgarian and international projects, international documentaries
and special educational productions, such as “The Interpreter of Black & White Films”
and “Il Buratinaio di Mantova”, the documentaries “Love Is…”, “Bridge Over the Wall”
and the comedy “Clinic on Floor 3”, which are very popular in Bulgaria.
Contact: www.arsdigital.org; contact Mr. Ivan Tonev
10. International Digital Arts DA Fest is an international festival, organized by the
National Academy of Art in Sofia, presenting new trends and important achievements
in the fields of digital arts to the Bulgarian audience – digital video, interactive
performance and installation, net art, sound art and other. The festival aims to create a
beneficial environment for culture and education in the field of digital arts, building a
platform for dialog among artists, students, researchers, teachers and critics, working
in this field.
Contact: da_fest@nha.bg
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11. VMWare Bulgaria office is located in Sofia. It was established in October 2007
when VMWare acquired the leading Bulgarian consulting company Sciant. As of august
2012, the Bulgarian office has more than 340 qualified engineers contributing to a
number of global and local projects, enjoying ample career prospects and all the
advantages of being part of the global leader in virtualization and cloud computing. The
VMWare Bulgaria site is the largest research and development center for VMWare in
EMEA, focusing on future technologies in the cloud management and automation
space. The team is focusing o the areas of cloud management and automation space
and has a deep domain expertise in vsphere management, availability and disaster
recovery (srm), cloud management (vcd), orchestration and automation (vco, powercli).
VMWare Bulgaria is the anchor r&d center for in EMEA, providing high customer value
through innovation and product delivery in the areas of cloud management and
automation and through a close alignment with the EMEA market.
Contact: http://www.vmware.com/company/office_locations/office_bulgaria.html
12. Techno Park Sofia's vision is to provide nurtuting environment for small to medium
size technology and innovation-based companies in Sofia and to encourage the growth
and recognition of the high-tech sector in Bulgaria. The technopark will offer modern
office and light industrial accomodations in variety of sizes. Its strategic location allows
easy access to Sofia International airport and major local highways. The Techno Park
Sofia will be built on an area of 6000 sq.m. in Druzhba 2 district, Sofia. The complex
will consist of four buildings offering office, production and warehouse spaces, parking
lots as well as a lot of other modern conveniences.
Contact: http://www.technoparksofia.com/about.html
13. Cluster for Innovations and Culture, a legal entity involving 22 organizations –
universities, research centers, companies from the ICT sector, NGOs. Leading partners
in the Cluster are the State University for Library Sciences and Information
Technologies, the Institute for Balkan Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,
and Sofia Development Association. The Cluster was registered in 2012 and will work
primarily in the field of cultural heritage, digitization of cultural and historical heritage,
application of digital technologies in the cultural and creative industries, etc.
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14. Compote-Collective Animation Production Company
Coming from animation directing background we understand the importance of unique
visual language. That is why we invited a number of talents and brought them together
in Compote Collective. We believe that inspiring and outstanding work can only be
done by an author who creates exclusively. The Collective produces content in all
aspects of animation media - independent short films, commercials, music videos, TV
idents, motion graphics, title sequences, character illustrations, comics, visual and
educational events. Compote Collective offers its unique visual showcase and aims to
produce fresh, visually strong and technically outstanding animation products.
Compote Collective is one of the leading animation production companies in Bulgaria,
with record in internationaly awarded films. The company was founded in 2008 by the
animation directors duo Ivan Bogdanov and Vessela Dantcheva, together with Maria
Stanisheva, who left the collective in 2012.
Contact: http://www.compote-collective.com/contacts.htm
15. Tri-Dé is a company specialized in the development of digital signage content,
installation and management of digital signage networks in retail environments.
Tri-Dé is also the first company in Central and Eastern Europe that has integrated 3D
(three-dimensional) digital signage in public environment, using the revolutionary WOW
vx technology developed by Philips in 2006. Expertise in content development,
• Production and adaptation of content
• Development of digital corporate identity
• Full creative services
Planning of Digital Signage networks
• Delivery and installation of Hardware and Software components
• Integration software solutions for digital signage
Contact: http://www.tri-de.com/en/services/
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Cultural actors
Information
about
the
municipal
cultural
institutions
(in
Bulgarian
only):
http://www.sofia.bg/tu1.asp?napr=94
On the territory of the city there are:

24 theatres (national and municipal)

18 cinemas

29 museums (national and municipal, with over 2690 exhibits)

130 community culture centers

417 libraries

26 radio stations

41 TV operators

The Sofia Opera and Ballet Company
Municipality owned cultural institutes

24 District Community culture centers

3 municipal art galleries

4 municipal theaters
The most recurring component of the cultural infrastructure of Sofia City Municipality is
the so-called Chitalishte (community cultural centre). In the villages of the region the
Chitalishte is the single compound entity of cultural activities. Out of the total number of
115 Chitalishta, 79 are in the capital city, four – in the neighboring Novi Iskar town and
one– in Bankya town.
Municipal Cultural Institutes
There are Municipal Cultural Institutes (Obshtinski Kulturen Institut, OKI) in each district
of Sofia Municipality. They are responsible for implementing the Cultural Calendar of
the Municipality, organizing cultural events, offering training courses in the arts
(painting, music, dance) for children and adults, organizing annual festivals, etc. Some
of the active cultural institutes are those in Krasno Selo, Sredets, Triaditsa, Nadezhda
Districts, etc.
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 Sofia concentrates the majority of Bulgaria's leading performing arts troupes.
Theatre is by far the most popular form of performing art, and theatrical venues
are among the most visited, second only to cinemas. The oldest such institution
is the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, which performs mainly classical plays and
is situated in the very centre of the city. A large number of smaller theatres,
such as the Sfumato Theatrical Workshop, show both classical and modern
plays.
 The National Opera and Ballet is a combined opera and ballet collective,
established in 1891. However, it did not begin performances on a regular basis
until 1909. Bulgaria Hall and Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture regularly
hold classical concerts, performed both by foreign orchestras and the Sofia
Philharmonic.
 Bulgaria's largest art museums are located in the central areas of the city. The
National Art Gallery holds a collection of works mostly by Bulgarian authors,
while the National Gallery for Foreign Art displays exclusively foreign art, mostly
from India, Africa, China and Europe. Its collections encompass diverse cultural
items such as Ashanti Empire sculptures, Buddhist art, Dutch Golden Age
painting, works by Albrecht Dürer, Jean-Baptiste Greuze and Auguste Rodin,
among others.
 The crypt of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral holds a collection of Eastern
Orthodox icons from the 9th to the 19th century. Other museums are the
National Historical Museum with a collection of more than 600,000 items; the
National Polytechnical Museum with more than 1,000 technological items on
display; the National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Natural
History.
MUSEUMS
1. Museum of History of Sofia
The main activity of Municipal Cultural Institute "Museum of History in Sofia" is the
preservation and presentation of movable and immovable cultural heritage and artifacts
on the territory of Sofia Municipality. MCI "Museum of History of Sofia" performs the
following main activities: study, collect, acquire, preserve, document, implement
conservation and restoration of cultural heritage; perform identification of cultural
values, carry out research related to the main goals of the Museum, organize events
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(conferences, workshops and discussions), issue research, popular science and
promotional materials.
Contact:http://sofiaagk.com/
2. The National Institute of Archaeology with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy
of Sciences covers the complete study of the culture of tribes and peoples who have
occupied present day Bulgaria from the remote past until the 18th century. The
Museum of Archaeology hosts the most numerous collections in Bulgaria and its
exhibitions reveal it as one of the most important centers in the country for promotion of
the cultural heritage of present day Bulgaria. Its academic and museum potential turns
NIAM-BAS into the biggest research archaeological unit in southeast Europe.
Contact: www.naim.bg
3. Recently founded, the Museum Gallery of Modern Art is dedicated to presenting
and selling fine art pieces including original and unique graphic art works of 20th
century European modern artists as well as post-war American and contemporary
works. The gallery offers the most significant privately-held collection of works by
artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Matisse and Warhol, as well as elite
contemporary authors like Jeff Koons, Hunt Slonem and Damien Hirst. Placing 20th
Century Masters within the reach of art lovers of all levels, the Museum Gallery of
Modern Art works to build collections of corporate and private entities ranging from new
enthusiasts to serious connoisseur.
One of the Galley’s primary goals is to contribute to the development of culture, art
appreciation and art collection in Bulgaria and the region. The gallery organizes
educational courses and seminars in collaboration with distinguished experts,
associated with Christie’s and Sotheby’s and we also work with universities such as
Harvard, Yeil, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, the Sorbonne and Heidelberg.
Contact: www.MODERNARTGALLERY-BG.COM
4. The National Museum of History in Sofia is one of the largest history museums on
the Balkans with 650.000 items and the largest archaeological and historical archive.
The museum aims at providing a comprehensive view on the history of the Bulgarian
lands from the ancient times to the present in a broad European context as possible.
The Museum's collections are its greatest treasure. They comprise materials from
Prehistoric ages till our days.
Contact: www.historymuseum.org
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5. Underground Archaeological Museum in Sofia
An underground archaeological museum was unveiled under St Sophia basilica in May
2013. The underground exhibition presents in situ part of the central necropolis of the
Roman city of Serdica. It is under one of the earliest churches in the city, St Sophia
basilica, which is among the symbols on the emblem of this country's capital city.
The exposition, reaching down to 10m under ground, features the history of the necropolis as well as of the three earlier churches, unearthed under the basilica. 6,000 visitors
have flocked to see the museum over the first ten days following its unveiling. Apart
from remains of tombs, visitors can see Roman mosaics, the story of Sofia in pictures
as well as the chapel of the tomb of the martyrs.
State-of-the-art multimedia presentations materialize various curious moments related
to the basilica and holograms reconstruct a range of archaeological finds, discovered
over the years. The sepulchre of "servant of God Honorius" is the sole one bearing a
signature inscription, large crosses and two bodies in it. A tunnel connecting the entire
site is planned to be built in the future.
6. The Museum of Socialist Art is one of the newest museums in Sofia, built on the
initiative of the Ministry of Culture and opened on September 19, 2011. It is an affiliate
of the National Art Gallery and collects, preserves and exhibits examples of art from the
period 1944 - 1989 in Bulgaria, known as the "era of socialism." The museum consists
of a sculpture park with an area of 7500 square meters, and for now it has 77
monumental works of sculpture. The exposure in the exhibition hall covers an area of
550 sq.m and initially showed 60 works of painting and 25 pieces of plastic easel. The
museum has a video room where will be screened documentaries from the era of
socialism.
7. Sofia Art Gallery (Municipal Gallery)
The SAG is a museum with longstanding traditions. Its role is to present the facts of
Bulgarian cultural history in an analytical and modern way and to actively intervene in
art developments by original and impressive projects. Today the Sofia Art Gallery
possesses some of the richest collections of Bulgarian art: 3500 paintings, 800 statues,
2800 graphics and drawings. The Соntemporary Art and Photography department was
founded in 2004.
With 1100 square meters of exposition space divided into four compartments the
Gallery arranges some 30 exhibitions every year. Most of the exhibitions display works
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from the Gallery’s collections. The SAG calendar accommodates events and individual
careers from late 19th/early 20th century down to the present day.
Contact: www.sghg.bg
8. A branch of Sofia Art Gallery, the Vaska Emanouilova Gallery was opened at the
end of 2006 with the support of Sofia Municipality and Sofia Art Gallery. It owns a
museum collection of 89 terracotta and bronze plastic art works, 38 drawings and 48
water-colours by the eminent Bulgarian sculptor, all of them displayed as a permanent
exposition.
Vaska Emanouilova Gallery combines the functions of a museum and an exhibition
space.
It disposes of halls for temporary exhibitions where different research and curator’s
projects on Vaska Emanouilova’s work or projects accomplished within the framework
of the gallery supported initiatives and programmes find their place.
Contact: www.veg.sghg.bg
9. National Art Gallery. The National Museum of Bulgarian Art is the largest and most
respectable institution of its kind in Bulgaria. Over the years, it has established its
position as a center for national cultural heritage and values. The collection was started
in 1892 when the People’s Museum of Archeology founded its Department of Art. By
virtue of an express resolution of the Council of Ministers in 1948 NMBA (National Art
Gallery) was pronounced an independent entity.
The museum’s collection of New and Contemporary Bulgarian art from the period since
Bulgaria’s Liberation in 1878 up to the 1990s consists of more than 30 000 individual
pieces of paintings, prints and sculptures. The collection of paintings by Bulgarian
masters is the most comprehensive. The collection of black and white drawings is also
very rich. The museum’s expositions feature some of the best achievements of
Bulgarian sculptors of the 20th century.
10. Theatre Company Momo – Association for alternative contemporary art, was
established in 2008 in Sofia as a non-profit organization (NPO). Theatre Company
Momo acts in the area of theatre and performing arts by creating its own productions
and organising workshops, seminars and educational models.
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The aims of the organisation are:

finding a synthesis between art and spiritual values, art and science, bringing to
light the global essential issues concerning man and his environment

creating artistic events on important topics, exploring new and alternative spaces

practical exploration of the multimedia in the context of theatre performance

promoting new or not well-established genres to the Bulgarian stage such as:
documentary drama, site specifics,
science-fiction drama, talk-show,
live
installations, audio drama, etc.
Theatre Company Momo is a co-founder and member of ACT Association for
Independent Theatre in Bulgaria, a member of the biggest international network for
performing arts IETM (Brussels).
11. SOFIA THEATER
Sofia Theater is the largest municipal theater in the city, a municipal cultural institute.
Contact: http://www.sofiatheatre.eu/pagebg2.php?p=1
12. VAZRAZHDANE THEATER
The municipal cultural institute Theatre “Vazrajdane” has been housed in the building
of Sofia City Library at 4 Slaveikov Square since 1994. It has a chamber hall with 100
seats. 21 people, creative, administrative and support staff, are employees of the
theater. Theatre “Vazrajdane” with priority brings on the stage plays by Bulgarian and
European modern or classical playwrights. Theatre “Vazrajdane” is one of the few
theaters in Sofia with shows for children and young audiences. The cast is involved in
the realization of the performances – directors, actors, set and costume designers from
all generations – from masters to students at NATFA “Kr. Sarafov” and Theatre College
“Luben Groys”.
Contact: http://theatrevazrajdane.bg/?page_id=32&lang=en
13. LITTLE CITY THEATRE "OFF THE CHANNEL" LITTLE CITY THEATRE "OFF firt
The Municipal cultural institute, Little City Theatre "Off the Channel" was founded in
January 1990 by a group of actors including some of Bulgaria`s most popular and
acclaimed performers, and the youngest theatre director at the time, Borislav
Chakrinov. The theatre is subsidised by the Municipality of Sofia and is one of total 4
municipal theatres in the city. The company consists of 18 performers, 5 actresses and
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13 actors. A 5–member administrative team runs the theatre with 26 staff members in
technical and support positions. Staff and company alike are employed on an annual
basis. The theatre is housed in a small but extremely cosy building just off the Perlova
River in Poduene — a neighbourhood in the centre of the city. Its auditorium seats 212.
Contact: http://www.theatreoffthechannel.org/home.htm
14. SOFIA PUPPET THEATER
The Sofia Puppet Theater is a municipal cultural institute. The theatre’s artistic
production has explored every genre and style from puppet miniature through music
stories, pantomime, theatre of shadows, comedy, satire and grotesque to the heroic
epic performance.
Contact: http://www.sofiapuppet.com/index.php/en/main/whoweare
15. SOFIA CITY LIBRARY
The mission of the Sofia City Library is to create connection between people and
information in a changing world. The City Library is the Regional Library for Sofia
Region. The Library’s collection consists of 932428 library units. The Sofia City Library
has intensive international activities through exchange of information and expertise with
similar institutions, foundations and networks and through participation in European
projects and programmes. The partnerships with other libraries, foreign cultural and
research
institutes,
cultural
departments
of
the foreign
embassies
provide
opportunities for permanent actualisation and enrichment of the Sofia City Library
fund.
It offers via Internet: Electronic catalogue of books since 1994; Electronic catalogue of
periodicals; Analytical descriptions of articles about Sofia published in magazines and
newspapers since 1994 (available both locally and on Internet).
Contact: libsofdir@libsofia.bg
16. AGITPROP is production company working on creative documentaries, TV
programs, commercial video spots, as well as art and advertising photography, graphic
design, pre-press and print. Since its inception in 1997, the activities of the company
were intertwined with the work of the Bulgarian Photographic Association, another
major offspring of the tandem Missirkov/Bogdanov.
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One of the first major projects of the company was Photomaton, 1999 – a monthly
programme for Channel 1 of the Bulgarian National Television. From them on, in
parallel with developing the company’s first feature-length creative documentary,
AGITPROP’s team was working on TV programs, such as Central Express, 2003 – a
series of short documentaries on Bulgaria for RAI and the European Commission. The
company has produced a number of films, mainly creative documentaries with a strong
author’s style. The company’s projects are in co-production with leading TV
broadcasters.
AGITPROP is also actively involved with the management of an independent Balkan
Documentary Center that will support and nurture documentary filmmakers from the
Balkans.
Contact: http://www.agitprop.bg
In line with the flagship initiatives of Europe 2020 Strategy and ‘A Digital Agenda for
Europe’, the efforts of the region are directed towards the digitization ofcultural heritage
and the development of on-line access to cultural content. Strategic goals for Sofia
region for 2011-2020 include:
1) digitization of museum and gallery collections, as the basis for further development
of tourism and related business, as well as the creation of interactive digital spaces in
museums and galleries where both children and adults could learn by exploring this
digital cultural content;
2) development of cultural infrastructure to support innovations and the expansion of
cultural and creative industries and sectoral jobs;
3) increasing the competitiveness of the cultural and creative industries on the territory
of the municipality by developing and improving business incubators, ‘triple helix’clusters’; and
(4) living lab(s) focussed on digital culture products and services.
Sofia is one of the few municipalities that have developed a long-term strategy for
culture. The Sofia - Creative Capital Strategy outlines the direction for the development
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of culture in the city by the year 2023. The document describes the shared vision of
cultural life in Sofia and raises fundamental challenges that we will face, in partnership,
to realize our vision. It focuses the ways in which the activities in the field of culture,
closely related to education, environment and economic and social development, can
change our city. The Strategy provides a framework within which local authorities,
universities, cultural operators, the private and voluntary sectors in the arts, tourism,
cultural and natural heritage, the media and citizens can work together to achieve
common goals.
(Contact: http://www.sofiaculture.bg/index.php?show=programa)
The vision for the capital city in 2023 is: Sofia is developing in a sustainable way as an
innovative and creative city of opportunity, a platform for active participation of citizens
in contemporary cultural life and their full interaction with the cultural heritage. Sofia is
the springboard for a professional career in the field of culture and arts, a center of
attraction for the work of young artists. Sofia is an active participant in the international
cultural exchange; it is an important center of cultures and a place of shared
experience.
The Strategy has several major goals:

to win recognition for Sofia as an ancient, modern and cosmopolitan city;

to ensure increased participation of citizens in cultural activities and consumption of
cultural goods and services;

to position Sofia in the European and global cultural calendar as an attractive
cultural destination;

to help improve the quality of life for residents and visitors of Sofia.

of innovations and proactive opening in the cultural processes;

focus on education and the ability for active development and participation.
A national Strategy for the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries is
pending approval by the Ministry of Culture. It is expected to be adopted next year,
together with an action plan and funding from the state budget and the structural funds
will help implement the priorities of the Strategy.
Contact: (in Bulgarian only): http://bsc.smebg.net/redi/resources/National.pdf
On the territory of the region is located the mediaeval Boyana Church, included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List (it is famous for its early Renaissance frescos). Currently
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Sofia is carrying out excavation works to reveal the very well preserved ancient
complex “Serdika” in the heart of the city (the so-called “Largo”).
The National
Historical Museum has a vast collection of more than 650,000 historical items dating
from Prehistory to the modern era. There are 29 museums in Sofia; last year, the
Museum for Modern Art and the Museum for Socialist Art opened their doors to the
public. In the last 2 years, over 50 million BGN were invested in cultural infrastructure
projects, with over 1 million BGN dedicated to strand “Cultural and historical heritage."
Public Policies (Support measures)
In connection with Sofia’s bid for the ECoC 2019 title, the city is working to increase the
competitiveness of the CCIs through infrastructure development (business incubators,
clusters, regenerating the urban areas); developing synergies between the private and
state sectors to achieve greater sustainability of the SMEs in the sector; facilitating
easier access to financial instruments for the CCIs, both from EU funding schemes as
well as on the basis of PPPs and alternative funding programs. Efforts are focused on
digitization of the art objects of Sofia City Gallery (a municipal gallery), further
developing a local system ofcultural resources called (Locus), presenting over 400
sites in13 thematic areas; about 95% ofthe objects are cultural heritage sitesor
museums; developing cultural tourism.
New initiatives involve further expanding the regional museum and gallery database,
digitization of cultural heritage objects and sites; inclusion of Sofia in the regional
initiative “Cultural Corridors of Southeast Europe.” Projects to be implemented by
SDCC and Sofia Municipality: “Innovative Cultural Events” (funded by Operational
Program Regional Development); “Partnership for Sustainable Development of Sofia
City” (funded by Operational Program Administrative Capacity).
The region has a
potential to grow, especially if the city wins the European Capital of Culture 2019 title,
which will position it as a creative center not only in Bulgaria but in the Balkan region as
well.
1. MUNICIPAL FUNDING PROGRAM CULTURE
For the seventh consecutive year the Sofia Municipality has funded projects on a
competitive basis by the municipality program "Culture." For 2013, the program
priorities include: Access to culture, cultural and human capital, cultural heritage of the
changing city, City of the creative economy, Equal participation in global cultural
processes.
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The Municipal Programme "Culture" follows the principles of transparency, equal
treatment of candidates and objectivity in the selection and evaluation of projects. The
program co-finances up to 80 % of the budget for the entire project and the applicant
must have 20% of the amount needed for the project.
Contact: http://www.sofiaculture.bg/index.php?show=mpk
2. A new Fund for Innovations and Culture was recently established with a decision
of Sofia Municipal Council. The Fund will be used to raise funds for cultural activities,
and to sponsor initiatives related to Sofia’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture.
Sofia Municipality is expected to invest in the Fund a percentage of the municipal
budget. The Fund will start operations in 2013.
Cultural Heritage)
Currently, Sofia Municipality is part of an international consortium implementing the
InCompass project. The InCompass project aims to support the self-sustainability of
creative incubator units and enable them to develop and share innovative methods to
move away from a general dependence on public funding. Co-financed by the EU’s
European Regional Development fund through the INTERREG IVC Programme, the
project objective is to inform on and stimulate collaborative development of local,
regional, national and EU policy and thereby increase the capacity to create more
spaces for experiment, innovation and entrepreneurship in the creative industries, and
to enable them to provide a driver for sustainable growth and job creation as stated in
the Lisbon Agenda.
Contact: http://www.incompassproject.eu/the_project.php?Languaje=EN
Among the projects, developed and led by the cluster partners are:
- MOLTO FP7 project, a use case in cultural heritage for a semantic knowledge
representation infrastructure for querying RDF and presenting query results, includes
close to 9K museum objects from two collections of Gothenburg City
- eContentplus: The ECP-2005-CULT-038042 ProjectDigMap Discovering our Past
World with Digitised Maps, 2005-2009
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- National Research Project IO-03/2006 "Knowledge Technologies for Creation of
Digital Presentation and Significant Repositories of Folklore Heritage", funded by the
National
Science
Fund
of
Bulgaria
http://artery.bg73.net/home,
http://folknow.cc.bas.bg/
- National Project “Creation and Development of e-infrastructure of Digital Libraries
Presenting and Preserving Scientific and Cultural Heritage of National Significance” of
IMI—BAS.
- Project SISTER: Strengthening the IST Research Capacity of Sofia University (FP7REGPOT-2007-1) in the area of Intelligent Content and Semantics and TechnologyEnhanced Learning, Software and Services, Networked Enterprises
- Multilingual e-Content and e-Library Living lab (http://livinglab.itd-bg.eu/), member of
the VirtSOI Living Lab: http://www.openlivinglabs.eu/pdfs/virtsoi.pdf,
-
COIN
project(Collaboration
and Interoperability for
Networked Enterprises,
(www.coin-ip.eu) with a pilot in the digital media domain carried out by DSLL/Favit
Networks
One of the latest initiatives in the area of digitization and digital access to cultural
resources involves the COBISS Virtual Library Project: Project of the National Library in
Sofia for Building a Unified Library and Information System (phase 1, 2007-2010). As a
result of the project, 864 545 bibliographic records have been successfully transferred
and tested in the COMARC/B, COMARC/A and COMARC/H formats so far. These
records are of Bulgarian books and books in foreign Cyrillic and Latin; periodicals;
articles from Bulgarian newspapers, journals and collections; a part of the dissertations;
control files of the names and subject headings.

LdV Project PT/04/B/F/PP-159052 JASON “On the Job e-Training Skills to Deal with
Digital Cultural Heritage Content” http://jason.mediaprimer.pt/

National Research Project 271/2011 „Development of Digital Library “Calendar of
Saints” with online access for the Bulgarian NSF project DDVU 02/68 (2010)
Encyclopaedia Slavica Sanctorum: Saints and Holy Places in Bulgaria (in electronicand Guthenberg versions) http://ess.bg73.net/

National Research Project ID 8/21.07.2005 "Digital Libraries with Multimedia Content
and its Applications in Bulgarian Cultural Heritage", funded by State Agency for
Information Technologies and Communication http://bidl.cc.bas.bg/
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
National Project “Creation and Development of e-infrastructure of Digital Libraries
Presenting and Preserving Scientific and Cultural Heritage of National Significance” of
IMI—BAS.

Master Program in Digitization and Digital Libraries – Joint program IMI-BAS and State
University of Library Studies and Information Technologies – Sofia
Project Ulpia Serdica: http://ulpiaserdica.com/index_en.html
The project uses 3D technology to present the remains of an ancient fortress and
settlement, which lies under modern residential areas in the city of Sofia.
The State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies is implementing a
project Policies for Cultural Heritage Management – Communication and
Socialization through Education is funded by the Bulgarian Science Fund at the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. The project
focuses on topics such as Socialization of Cultural Heritage; Basic research areas of
Cultural Heritage; UNESCO, Council of Europe and European Union Policies in the
field of Cultural Heritage (knowledge, education and information). It involves academia
(the State University for Library and Information Technologies), the National Museum
of History, and researchers. The topics fall well in the scope of the SmartCulture
project.
Contact:http://www.unibit.bg/news/news-events/conference-policies-heritage-management
The third international conference on Digital Presentation and Preservation of
Cultural and Scientific Heritage - DiPP2013 aims at presenting innovative results,
research projects and applications in the field of digitisation, documentation, archiving,
representation and preservation of global and national tangible and intangible cultural
and scientific heritage. The main focus is to provide open access to digitised cultural
heritage and to set up sustainable policies for its continuous digital preservation and
conservation. The forum will demonstrate innovative technologies and prototypes,
including digital repositories, digital archives, virtual museums and digital libraries,
which result from established practices and achievements in the field.
Contact: http://dipp2013.math.bas.bg/
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6. Brainport Eindhoven (Netherlands)
6.1 Introduction of the Regional context
The Province of Noord-Brabant is composed of 67 municipalities which are often
already umbrella administrations of various village centres that have been independent
at some time or another. The five cities in the heart of the province – Breda,
Eindhoven, Helmond, ’s-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg – form the second urban network
of the Netherlands after the Randstad (i.e. the urban agglomeration of Western
Holland): ‘BrabantStad’ (Please see below the map of the province).
It is a unique administrative form that offers every town the most space to be itself but
in which they also agree on a joint approach in relation to opportunities and threats.
Each administrative level, in turn, works together with scores of social organisations
that in part implement policy.
Facts & Figures Province (2012)
Total area (km2)
5082
Total population
2.444.158
Men
1.219.635 (49,9%)
Woman
1.224.523 (50,1%)
Western immigrants
196.982 (8,10%)
Non-western immigrants
185.549 (7,6%)
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Employment
Total working population
1.168.000 (100%)
Active working population
1.109.600 (95%)
Non-active working population
58.400 (5%)
Education
Universities
2
Technical colleges
11
Secondary schools
106
Primary schools
932
Special needs schools
126
5 main cities of the province – in a nutshell's-Hertogenbosch, the administrative
capital of the province, was founded as a fortified city and that heritage can still be
seen today. After World War II, plans were made to modernize the old city, by filling in
the canals, removing or modifying some ramparts and redeveloping historic
neighborhoods. Before these plans could come to effect however, the central
government declared the city a protected townscape. Most historic elements have been
preserved. Because the main ramparts are crucial in keeping out the water, they have
never been slighted, their usual fate in the Netherlands.
The
city
currently
of
's-Hertogenbosch
a
center
of
is
industry,
education, administration and culture
and the fourth city of Noord-Brabant. It
is
home
international
Heineken,
International
population
to
many
national
businesses
Epic
and
such
Systems,
as
Tyco
and many others;
in
2012
is
its
141.000
inhabitants.
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Tilburg,
with
more
than
206.000
inhabitants, it is the second largest city
of Noord-Brabant Province and the
sixth city of the Netherlands. With
Goirle, it forms an agglomeration of
229.000 inhabitants; The city is wellknown due to its University – Avans
University of Applied Sciences and
Fontys University of Applied Sciences
and for its 10-day-long funfair, the
largest in the Benelux, held in July each
year.
Breda, the largest city in the area, used
to be one of the most well fortified
cities, being of a strategic military and
political significance.
The city center contains old buildings
and portions of the singels (moats) and
the harbor. Focal point is the Grote
Markt, the main square with pubs and
sidewalk cafes. Breda's urban area is
home to an estimated 316,000 people
(2008).
Helmond - First settlements in the area
were around 1000, and Helmond was
granted city rights in approximately
1232. The centre of Helmond has a
castle, which was built by Jan III van
Berlaer
Helmond
around
is
1350.
well
known
Currently
for
the
automotive cluster, an important drive
for the local economy.
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The City of Eindhoven, being the heart of the Brainport region – an important
strategic hub in the Netherlands and in Europe, is a breeding ground for innovation and
the home base for companies, and world-class knowledge and research institutes.
Brainport Eindhoven Region, one of the 3 Dutch Economic Pillars
Eindhoven with its surrounding towns and cities (Son en Breugel, Nuenen, GeldropMierlo, Heeze-Leende, Waalre, Veldhoven, Eersel, Oirschot, Best) represents an
agglomeration of 440.000 inhabitants; the metropolitan area (including Helmond) has
nearly 750.000 inhabitants.
Several elements about the city
Migration
As of 2013, the population of Eindhoven consisted of 218,433 persons (according to
the Eindhoven city council, the city will reach the maximum population of 230,000
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inhabitants around the year 2025). Of these, 29.5% or some 63,873 people are of
foreign descent. People are classified as being of foreign descent when they were born
outside of the Netherlands, or when at least one of their parents was born outside of
the Netherlands.
Non-western 17.5%
Western people 11.1%
Eastern European 2%
Nationality
%
Turkish
4.7
Moroccan
2.6
Surinamese
1.7
Antilleans/Arubans
1.2
Indian
0.7
Others
6.6
Germans
2.4
Indos
2.9
Belgians
1.2
British people
0.6
Spanish people
0.5
Polish people
1.2
Education
Eindhoven is served by a large number of schools both at primary and secondary
education levels. In addition, Eindhoven is a higher-education hub within the southern
Netherlands, with several institutes of higher education that serve students from the
extended region of Noord Brabant, Zeeland, Limburg and parts of the surrounding
provinces. Several secondary education institutions are enumerated below:
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Area
Schools
Gestel
Stratum
Strijp
Tongelre
Christiaan
SG
Montessori
Huygens
Augustinianum
College ROC Casimir
Bisschop
Eindhoven
Bekkers
College
Lorentz
Woensel
Lyceum
Pleincollege
Pleincollege
Pleincollege
De Burgh
Eckartcollege
Pleincollege
Novalis College
Aloysius/De
Roosten
Sint-Joris
De Rooi Pannen
Pleincollege
Van Maerlant
Stedelijk
Heliconopleidi
College
ngen
Eindhoven
"Groenschool"
Sint
International
Secondary
Lucas
School
Eindhoven
Eindhoven
Secondary and higher education – nr. of students attending
Secondary education
2011/2012
2012/2013
Summa College Eindhoven
10.349
10.380
Sint Lucas Eindhoven
1.454
1.442
De Rooi Pannen
1.258
1.291
Heliconopleidingen
86
70
"Groenschool"
Higher education
Design
Academy 677
712
Eindhoven
Fontys Hogescholen
13.712
16.320
Scientifically education
Technical
University 7.354
7.608
Eundhoven
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Economic figures
The average disposable income (GDP) per dueling in Eindhoven has increased since
2006 with 2.600 Eur. The average standardized income has increased the same period
with 1.900Eur. Both types of incomes are below the country level.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Average Disposable Income
Eindhoven
28.8
30.6
31.4
31.7
31.5
The Netherlands
31.3
33.6
34.3
34.3
34.3
Average Standardized Income
Eindhoven
21.1
22.3
22.9
23.1
23
The Netherlands
21.8
23.3
23.9
24
23.9
Brainport Eindhoven today is a hub of flourishing knowledge and manufacturing
industries. The statistics speak for themselves: Brainport Eindhoven is home to 20% of
all company-based research personnel in the Netherlands and attracts 10% of all
foreign direct investments.
Political Actors and Institutions
Province of Noord-Brabant
1. The Provincial Council comprises the complete range of representatives of the
people within the province. As it is a large province (over 2,500,000 inhabitants)
Noord-Brabant accounts for 55 members of the Provincial Council.
These members are directly elected by those inhabitants who are entitled to
vote every four years. The Provincial Council members have three primary
duties. Firstly, they define the frameworks within which the Provincial Executive
governs the province. In addition, they perform a role as representatives of the
people in monitoring the Provincial Executive’s execution of its duties. The role
of the Provincial Council is therefore comparable to that of the Lower House in
The Hague.
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2. The day-to-day administration of the province is in the hands of the Provincial
Executive. They take decisions about the execution of the policies agreed upon
and they prepare new policies for the Provincial Council.
The board consists of executives who each have their individual portfolios. They
are elected by the Provincial Council, but are not Council members themselves.
They are therefore somewhat independent of the Council. Within his or her
policy area, the executive discusses with civil servants the implementation of
plans and projects and the preparation of new policy. The entire executive is
responsible for decisions taken on all policy areas. This is called ‘joint
administration’
City Council
The city council is the legislative council at the municipal level in Eindhoven; its
existence is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands. The Eindhoven city
council consists of 45 elected representatives from the Eindhoven municipality. These
are elected during municipal elections from candidates running in Eindhoven.
Eindhoven politics consists of local branches of the national political parties and purely
local parties with strictly local interests.
Council of Aldermen
The executive council in Dutch municipalities is called the College of the Mayor and
Aldermen (Dutch: College van Burgemeester en Wethouder or College van B&W for
short). The mayor is appointed by the monarch, but the council of
aldermen is
composed as a result of the formation of a local coalition government. This coalition is
formed in such a way as to be able to rely on a majority of the votes in the city council.
Mayor
The mayors of the Netherlands are not elected but appointed by the crown.
Nevertheless there has been a movement over the last few years to give the
municipalities more say in who will be their mayor, which has resulted in consultative
referenda being held in the larger cities to "suggest" a candidate for the post. This was
also tried in Eindhoven and as a result the current mayor is Rob van Gijzel (PvdA).
On 23 January 2008, a referendum to elect a mayor was held in Eindhoven. This
referendum, the second of its kind in the Netherlands, was attended by 24,6% of the
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inhabitants. This was less than the required 30% needed to make a referendum
binding. Nevertheless, the city council would choose the winner of the referendum as
the preferred candidate. The main reason for the low attendance was that the
candidates, Leen Verbeek and Rob van Gijzel, were from the same party. Rob van
Gijzel won the referendum with 61,8% of the votes and was appointed the city's new
mayor.
The mayor is the chairman of the Council of B&W. He also has responsibility for a
number of specific posts (like the aldermen). In the current council, mayor Van Gijzel
holds responsibility for the following posts:
• Integral safety and upholding of the law
• Legal affairs
• Communication
• External relations
• Civic affairs
If unavailable, the mayor is temporarily replaced by one of the aldermen.
Research center and actors
High Tech Campus Eindhoven belongs to the 17 percent largest science parks
worldwide and has been considered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs as ‘campus of
national significance’. High Tech Campus Eindhoven is an R&D ecosystem of more
than 90 companies and institutes, and some 8,000 researchers, developers and
entrepreneurs, who together are working on developing the technologies and products
of tomorrow. The preferred work approach at the Campus is Open Innovation. This
means that Campus companies share knowledge, skills and R&D facilities (such as
labs, clean rooms and equipment) in order to achieve faster, better and more
customer-oriented innovation.
The companies on the Campus focus on such fields of technology as High Tech
Systems, Microsystems, Embedded Systems, Life Sciences and Infotainment. Taking
these domains as their starting point, they create global innovations, most notably in
the application fields Health, Experience and Energy. The international community of
High Tech Campus Eindhoven shares a common drive for creating innovative solutions
that make human life healthier, more pleasant, easier, more interesting and which
contribute to a sustainable world. With this, the Campus is a place where
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entrepreneurial spirit, high-end research and creativity can flourish and lead to
successful new products for global business.
High Tech Campus Eindhoven has developed into a dynamic mix of more than 90
organisations, from global companies and innovative SME businesses via research
institutes and service companies right through to techno start-ups. The Campus
belongs to the 17 percent largest science parks worldwide* (measured by the number
of residents) and the companies on the Campus are responsible for nearly 50 percent
of all patent applications in the Netherlands.
Baltan Laboratories initiates, mediates and shares innovative research and
development at the intersection of art, design and technological culture. Baltan sees
the laboratory as a way of working. It is both a network and a methodology for creating
and sharing new concepts, tools and knowledge. Baltan is a flexible, collaborative
platform for future thinking that places art and design research at the core of its
activities. Baltan achieves this through:

the development of research projects and public activities for local and
international creative practitioners to interact and innovate through the meeting
of art, design and technological culture;

strategic collaborations with local, national and international organisations,
institutes, schools and companies that promote new ways of working and create
opportunities for talent development and creative innovation;

the open dissemination and discussion of developed art, technologies and
knowledge;

the investigation, further development and promotion of the lab concept through
practice.
Philips Research is a global organization providing technology options for innovations
in the area of health and well-being, targeted at both developed and emerging markets:

One of the world’s largest corporate research organizations

Over 1,500 professionals

50 nationalities

Research centers in North America, Europe and Asia
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
Over 130,000 patents created (total R&D)
The Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision is based at the Media Park in Hilversum.
The original plans for the Eindhoven location included an interactive café-restaurant
and exposition about television history, design and multimedia art. The huge picture
archive that is managed by the foundation will also be accessible to the public at Strijp
S.
Eindhoven plans for a new center for art and media technology, innovation and design.
The new center will be called VOLT. The municipality is cooperating with Trudo
Housing Association and the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision (Nederlands Instituut
voor Beeld en Geluid) in Hilversum.
TNO is an independent research organisation whose expertise and research make an
important contribution to the competitiveness of companies and organisations, to the
economy and to the quality of society as a whole. In the fields of ICT, media and space
technology,TNO investigates and stimulates the introduction of new applications of
media, supporting government and industry in identifying and applying new
communication possibilities. The main challenge is to enable the information society to
develop in such a way that it is not only sustainable but can also boost productivity as
well as solve a number of social problems without any loss of confidence in ICT. Smart
ICT innovations can help solve complex societal issues like climate change,
demographic ageing, scarcity, education, mobility, care and safety.
Capital D is a platform for designers and design-driven businesses, organizations and
research institutions. Capital D (Co-Design Brainport) stimulates and connects creative
initiatives to strengthen the (inter) national reputation in high technology and design. All
projects aim to make a visible contribution to improve the economic, cultural and sociopolitical climate.
Educational Actors and Institutions
Unique in Brainport Eindhoven region is also the intensive ‘triple helix' cooperation
between trade and industry, knowledge and educational institutes and the authorities.
This is the seedbed for many public-private (R&D) partnerships. Representatives of the
triple helix are united in Brainport Foundation, whose executive organisation is
development company new style Brainport Development.
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The Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) was the second institute of its kind
in the Netherlands, preceded only by the Delft University of Technology. It is currently
home to about 240 professors, 7200 students, 250 PDEng-students, 600 Ph.D.
students, 200 post-doc students and 3000 regular employees. It also supports about
100 student associations and 15 alumni associations. Yearly, the Eindhoven University
of Technology produces almost 3000 scientific publications, 140 PhD-awards, and 40
patents.
The TU/e is among the world’s ten best-performing research universities in terms of
research cooperation with industry in 2011 (Number 1 in 2009). Ten to 20 percent of
the scientific publications of these ten universities in the period 2006–2008 were the
result of partnerships with researchers in industry.
Economic actors
The growing concentration of top technology and knowledge industry is closely
connected with the very diverse manufacturing industry in the region. Brainport
Eindhoven region devises and manufactures the technology of the near future, the
technology that contributes to a safe, green, and caring society and to the sustainable
economic development of the Netherlands.
Brainport Eindhoven has been elected “Smartest Region in the World in 2011”.
Important technology companies and the research institutes are located within a 40kilometre radius around Eindhoven. But Brainport’s geographic boundaries are difficult
to define. Brainport Eindhoven region is a network economy with numerous
partnerships across regional boundaries and international frontiers. The triangle
Eindhoven - Louvain - Aachen (ELAt) for instance is an important knowledge area.
Among the numerous innovative and renowned knowledge and research institutes are:
Philips, DAF, ASML, VDL, FEI Company, TomTom, Eindhoven University of
Technology, TNO Industrie en Techniek, Design Academy Eindhoven, PDE
Automotive, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, High Tech Automotive Campus, and Holst
Centre.
The figure below shows how knowledge industry and manufacturing industry meet one
another in Brainport Eindhoven region. Many first tier suppliers are located near their
major clients, the so-called Original Equipment Manufacturers or simply the 'OEMs'.
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But also second tier and third tier companies are located relatively close by. The five
OEMs on the map are ASML, DAF, FEI Company, Philips Healthcare, and OCÉ.
Brainport Eindhoven region makes a major contribution to the innovative strength and
the economy of the Netherlands. Some facts:

Brainport Eindhoven region belongs to the three European top regions when it
comes to patent density;

More than half of the annual patent applications in the Netherlands are made by
Brainport;

Brainport Eindhoven region provides more than 50,000 jobs in the high-tech,
automotive, and manufacturing industry and in high tech services;

Brainport Eindhoven region has with 36% the largest share in the overall Dutch
private R&D expenditures;

Brainport Eindhoven region spends 8% of the Gross Regional Product on R&D
and is as such the only region in the Netherlands – and one of the few in
Europe – that meets the European target of 3%.
The economic success of Brainport Eindhoven region is the result of cooperation:
Regionally and internationally; between top scientists from a wide range of disciplines;
between knowledge industry and manufacturing industry; between producers,
designers and marketers. And also between competitors who allow each other ‘a peak
behind the scenes’. They share ideas in the research phase of product development.
Brainport Eindhoven region encourages open innovation.
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Examples of leading 'open innovation accelerators' are High Tech Campus
Eindhoven and High Tech Automotive Campus in Helmond. High Tech Campus
Eindhoven is 'the smartest square kilometer of the Netherlands’. Here, more than 90
companies and 8,000 researchers, developers and entrepreneurs are working together
on the development of groundbreaking technologies and products.
Cultural actors
Over 30 cultural institutes and initiatives are subsidized by the City of Eindhoven.
Among them are 6 cultural initiatives that are ‘media-driven’ : STRP festival, Baltan
Laboratories, MAD, Broet, Plaza Futura, Skryption.
STRP Festival is one of the largest art, music &technology festivals in Europe:
interactive art, music, film, live cinema, performances, symposium, dance, gaming and
robotics.
Cultural heritage in Eindhoven combines historical and contemporary centres:

There are two museums dedicated to the major topics of the city's industrial
heritage: the DAF Museum has a collection of DAF cars and the Philips
Gloeilampenfabriekje anno 1891 (across the street from the Kempenland)
documents the early lightbulb industry.

The former district court house now houses the Designhuis, a public podium
and interaction area for modern design and innovation.

The Historisch Openluchtmuseum Eindhoven is an open air, archeological
museum which focuses on the region's Iron Age and Middle Ages.

Finally, the Inkijkmuseum (the Look-In museum; housed in an old linen factory
in the Dommelstraat) is a small but special museum: it offers ever-changing
exhibits, which are to be viewed through the building's windows.

The Museum Kempenland is a regional museum, which documents the history
of the Kempenland region in objects, documents, paint and educational
activities.

The Van Abbemuseum has a collection of modern and contemporary art,
including works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Mondriaan and Chagall.

Philips Museum
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Eindhoven was home to the Evoluon science museum, sponsored by Philips. The
Evoluon building is currently used as a conference centre.
Important annual initiatives that attract numerous (foreign) tourists are:

the Eindhoven Marathon; see please www.marathoneindhoven.nl

Dutch Design Week; see please www.dutchdesignweek.nl;

Glow Festival (festival of light); see please www.gloweindhoven.nl;
“Brainport 2020 - Top Economy, Smart Society” is a vision and a strategy along with a
tangible implementation program33 that can help to make the Dutch economy one of
the world’s top 5 economies. The strength of the region lies in High Tech Systems &
Materials, Food, Automotive, Lifetec and Design. World players, multinationals and
small and medium sized enterprises with strong export positions in these sectors are
located in the Southeast Netherlands. It is only if the knowledge economy of the
Southeast Netherlands gets the opportunity to grow that a top 5 spot can be achieved.
In 2020, Southeast Netherlands wants to be among the Top 3 of Europe’s top
technology regions and in the top ten on a global scale. Southeast Netherlands is
current number 9 in Europe and number 13 in the world. In the 2020-strategy, specific
ambitions are formulated:

The annual contribution to the gross national product will have risen in 2020 by
40 billion to 136 billion euros.

The economic growth in Southeast Netherlands of around 3% is double our
country’s average.

The three field labs will be world renowned in 2020 as an incubator of
innovative solutions for home care, mobility and sustainable buildings.
33
http://www.brainport.nl/en/general/Brainport_2020/BP2020_Summary_24-08-2011
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
In 2020 Southeast Netherlands will be heading for near full employment. The
job market needs everyone, both the knowledge workers and highly educated
technicians and manual skilled workers and craftsmen.
There are 5300 companies in ICT, for 38.000 employees, and 3 incubators in the field
of SmartCulture:

Incubator 3+ incentive programme for techno and design starters.

High Tech Campus

Media-Cluster Strijp S
Cultural Heritage)
o
Baltan Laboratories initiates, mediates and shares innovative research
and development at the intersection of art, design and technological
culture. See more www.baltanlaboratories.org
o
Van Abebe Museum – best practice playing with choosing of pictures in
an interactive way; See more http://www.vanabbemuseum.nl/;
o
http://ruimtewandeleninhetpark.nl/
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7. Central Denmark Region (Denmark)
7.1 Introduction of the regional context
Central Denmark Region, the largest of the five Danish regions, covers an area of
13.124 square kilometres and has a population of 1.27 million. That is 22,7 % of the
total Danish population.
The region consists of 19 municipalities and several large cities, including Denmark’s
second-largest city, Aarhus, with approx. 300,000 inhabitants, as well as Randers,
Horsens, Silkeborg and Herning. The administrative centre of the region is in the city of
Viborg.
Landscape and culture
Central Denmark Region is reaching all the way across the peninsula of Jutland, and
Central Jutland would be a more precise name to the region. The western part is
dominated by the rough North Sea weather and the land is often less fertile than the
land of the east coast, which has a much milder climate. On the east coast with its
fjords and sheltered waters you find the big harbours and towns. Next to Copenhagen
the towns of the east coast of Jutland form the most important growth centre with lots
of industries and strong infrastructures.
This is not only due to natural conditions. It is also a result of deliberate planning by
Danish government through the last two centuries.
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Like the rest of Denmark the region is dominated by agriculture. But the landscape is
changing. Until the 1960’ies and 70’ies it was characterized by living farms and
smallholdings scattered over the countryside, but the number of farms has decreased
dramatically and now there’s only few but very big farms left.
However the landscape is also characterized by villages and towns with medieval
churches and all over the countryside you’ll find ancient graves.
Demography
The largest part of the population of Central Denmark Region lives in the eastern part
the region. In Aarhus alone there is 319.000 inhabitants.
The total population of the region is expected to grow with 7,6 % towards 2030. That
makes Central Denmark Region the fastest growing region out the Capital area.
However the growth is only in the eastern part of the region. The population of the
western parts is expected to be stagnating or declining. This tendency reflects other
mega tendencies concerning economic growth, innovative industries and education.
In general the region’s population will get older for several years to come. The growth
in population is manly among inhabitants above the age of 65. However the share
between 0 and 15 year will rise after 2020.
Immigration
Origin
Immigrants
Central Denmark Region
from
western 35.527
The country as a whole
179.224
countries
Descendants
from western 3.145
19.332
countries
Immigrants from non western 47.579
262.314
coruntries
Descendants
from
non 21.221
119.591
western countries
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Sector Employment
The total workforce in Central Denmark Region (in 2012) is 616.345.
Sector
Numbers
Percentage
Agriculture, fisheries
21.689
3,5%
Industry, raw materials and
92.614
15%
35.469
5,7%
Private service
271.746
44,1%
Public service
194.997
31,6%
supply
Construction
Numbers of unemployed in July 2013 is 27.130, 4,5 of the total workforce.
Education
In Central Denmark Region there is one university, one university college with 8
campuses spread all over the region, 83 programmes within vocational – and upper
secondary schools, 83 programmes high schools and 649 primary schools.
26% of the population has taken a higher education, 33% of the population has taken a
vocational or an upper secondary education. The rest has a primary school or a youth
education (high school or similar) as their highest education.
Economic Sector
Central Denmark Region has great growth and development potential. The region has
a vibrant economic life, strong competencies in relation to knowledge environments,
research and education, and rapid population growth. The region thus accounts for
almost a quarter of the total Danish workforce. In the eastern part of the region,
the booming Aarhus area attracts manpower and investments, partly because of the
many institutions of higher education including the university, business school and
engineering academy. Aarhus also has Denmark’s largest container port for overseas
container transport. In the West, the growth centres around the cities of Holstebro and
Herning, with food processing, wood and furniture industries, textiles and clothing,
metal and production technology, being particular industrial strongholds.
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Central Denmark Region is actively working to establish new regional strengths.
ICT constitutes a key strength which is constantly developing in the Central Denmark
Region, and in particular the ICT research at the Alexandra Institute in Aarhus’s IT city
has attracted many companies. Most recently, Google has opened a development
department there.
As for Denmark as a whole agriculture and food industry plays a major part in Central
Denmark Region – both traditionally and in terms of new regional business strategies.
There are some very big meat and dairy industries, but innovation seems to happen in
smaller companies spread over the region.
Textile production, fashion, design and production of furniture has been – and still are –
important sectors. Electronics and graphic industries are important as well. Within
energy technology there are few but very important companies such as Vestas
(Windmills) and Grunfos (pumps, watter supply etc.).
In the last decades more traditional industries such as textile and furniture have had a
relatively low (or even negative) growth rate while research and development, ICT,
private services and the cultural industry have had relative high growth rates.
7.2 Key actors in SmartCulture domain
Local and Regional Government
Since 2007 Denmark is divided into 98 municipalities and five regions, each covering
several municipalities.
The rules concerning local and regional government are laid down in the Local
Government Act and the Regional Government Act.
The supervision of the municipalities and regions in Denmark is performed by five
regional state administrations.
The Municipalities
Overall management of and responsibility for the entire local organisation is vested in
the local council. The council may make decisions on any municipal matter.
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The municipal responsibilities are social services, environment and technology,
economic development, employment, primary education and culture.
The Regions
The affairs of the regions are governed by regional councils. The regions are primarily
responsible for the health care system, but beside that they are also responsible for a
variety of specifically defined tasks, which are most appropriately solved at the regional
level. These include tasks related to regional development and growth (including
culture and tourism), and tasks related to specialised educational and social
institutions.
The regions have no right to impose taxes. Instead, a special financing system has
been established.
In order to promote business development each region appoints a “Growth Forum” with
representatives from the regional council, the local councils, business organisations
and educational institutions.
Culture
In Denmark the state is running a number of major institutions such as The Royal
Theatre, The Royal Opera, The National Museum, The National Gallery and several
others including academies of art, music and theatre. Most of them are situated in
Copenhagen, but you will also find regional theatres, orchestras, museum and
academies with substantial state grants.
Local cultural institutions such as libraries, museums, theatres are mainly financed by
the municipalities.
However local cultural institutions can apply for state grants for various types of
projects or activities. Such grants are of vital interest for cultural development, since
local finance most often covers only the basic running of the institutions. Grants are
administered by the Danish Cultural Agency under the Ministry of Culture.
Cooperation between the state and the municipalities are to a great extent carried out
through agreements between the state and so called Regions of Culture – in most
cases these regions are groups of municipalities, but individual municipalities can also
have such an agreement with the State.
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The regions’ role in culture is to initiate events and activities that can be continued by
other players. This rather limited role has been interpreted and carried out in quite
different ways in the five regions. In Central Denmark Region emphasis has been laid
on development and innovation based on cooperation between cultural players - within
or across branches.
Aligning with this policy, professional cultural networks have been formed in the field of
cultural heritage, theatre, music and children’s culture.
Aarhus as European Cultural Capital 2017 which has helped to enhance cultural
cooperation on the political level between the region’s municipalities is also very much
aligned with this regional strategy for networking and collaboration.
Central Denmark Region, Regional Development
Contact: www@ru.rm.dk
The five Regions of Culture i Central Denmark Region:
Kulturaftale Midt-Vestjylland.
Municipalites of Lemvig, Struer, Holstebro, Ringkøbing-Skjern, Herning, Ikast-Brande
and Skive.
Contact: www.holstebro.dk
Østjysk Vækstbånd
Municipalities of Randers, Viborg, Silkeborg and Horsens
Contact: www.randers.dk
Kulturring Østjylland
Municipalities of Norddjurs, Syddjurs, Favrskov, Skanderborg, Odder and Samsø
Contact: www.odder.dk
Aarhus
Municipality of Aarhus
As the only one in Central Denmark Region the municipality of Hedensted does not
have an agreement with the Danish Cultural Agency.
Contact: www.aarhus.dk
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Aarhus European Capital of Culture 2017
The EcoC 2017 is run by a board appointed by the Aarhus City council. In addition
there’s a regional coordination board with representatives from all municipalities in
Central Denmark Region.
Conctact: http://www.aarhus2017.dk/english Rebecca Matthews, managing director
MMU – Midtjyske Museers Udviklingsråd
MMU is a development organisation for the museums in Central Denmark Region.
There are 39 members of the organisation covering the whole range of museums.
Among others MMU has initiated project on digitalisation, education and volunteers.
Contact: www.museumoj.dk
Aarhus University plays the main role in the field of research in Central Denmark
Region. That is also the matter when it comes to ICT, SmartCulture and the creative
sector.
However there is a number of companies and organisations who balances on the
borderline between public research, innovation and private business. Such companies
will be mentioned in chapter “Economic Actors”.
Research Centers at Aarhus University:
Aarhus University frequently has interaction and collaboration with private business
both domestically and abroad. The University is open for new opportunities to
collaborate on research areas of common interest. Aarhus University actively takes
part in both specific research projects as wells as more general opportunities for private
companies.
Digital Humanities Lab (DIGHUMLAB)
DIGHUMLAB will be a national, distributed research infrastructure that integrates and
promotes digital resources, communities, tools and opportunities to Danish researchers
in the humanities and social sciences, and also at European and international levels.
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PIT - Aarhus University’s interdisciplinary research centre for Participatory IT
Aarhus University’s interdisciplinary research centre for Participatory IT establishes a
new foundation for this area of research. Participatory IT research is the study of how
people experience, understand, design, and shape information technology as part of
their lived experience.
The centre extends the Scandinavian participatory design tradition, which has
historically focused on involving people in the introduction of technology to their
workplaces. However, during the recent decades, information technology has become
an integrated element of almost all parts of people’s everyday lives, including leisure,
civic activity, art, and culture, thereby establishing new forms of participation and social
practices. The pervasiveness of information technology in human life poses new
challenges for the way participation occurs, is supported, and understood.
Accordingly, the centre poses the fundamental question of what participation currently
means, and how it may be supported by IT, today and in the future.
The PIT centre innovates the participatory design tradition, and extends it through
interdisciplinary perspectives from pivotal research areas, including digital aesthetics,
interaction design, computer-mediated activity, and ubiquitous computing. In PIT, these
research traditions jointly address theoretical themes, and meet in empirical cases
where processes of research through design meet technological development and
artistic inquiry.
In collaboration with prominent researchers across the world, PIT undertakes research
to develop theories, information technology, and methods that generate scholarly
insight relating to new forms of IT-supported participation.
The unique combination of historical roots, interdisciplinary perspectives, and
technological concern is designed to deliver world-class research. PIT will address new
forms of participation and collaboration in everyday life. Furthermore, it will provide
technological alternatives to support such practices.
DARC - Digital Aesthetics Research Centre
Digital Aesthetics Research Centre (DARC) is committed to research the relationship of
art and aesthetics to the culture and future development of information technology.
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Digital art and aesthetical experiments in general (computer games, software art,
network art, etc.) test new ways of using digital technology and are often at the
forefront of technological development: for instance, what started as hacking of early
computers in military research in the sixties later became computer games;
experiments with artistic filters in image editing became software art and later
applications for smart phones, etc..
Vice versa, information technologies provide new means for arts and aesthetics,
exceeding the role of a mere tool: for instance, code becomes a musical instrument in
live coding performances; the mashing up of existing expressions leads to new artistic
cultures challenging existing power structures of copyright; social media lead to new
arenas for interaction, etc..
CAVI- Centre for Advanced Visualization and Interaction
CAVI
was established
Aarhus University,
in
2001
Denmark.
as
an
Originally
interdisciplinary
research
CAVI’s researchers
primarily
centre
at
had
a
background in interaction design but in 2013 a core group of Aarhus University’s
digital aesthetics researchers joined CAVI.
In several of our projects, CAVI works closely with external partners, for instance,
schools, architects, technology providers and other businesses. In the area of
cultural computing,
CAVI
has worked with independent
artists, as well as
cultural institutions such as libraries and museums. Collaborating closely with
external partners pushes CAVI to take context seriously, and to make fullscale installations, which may be put into the real world.
CAVIs team of researchers have recently been collaborating in Centre for Digital Urban
Living and currently one of its main platforms for research collaboration is
Aarhus University’s interdisciplinary centre for Participatory IT (PIT).
CAVI carry out research through design, in the sense of making practical
design experiments aimed at gaining insight into interaction design – design
process, as well as interface and use. Its interaction design researchers have
a background in participatory design, which explains its concern with the context for
which we are designing. A strong interest in exploring the design of engaging
experiences is a persistent thread throughout CAVIs research portfolio.
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SMARTCULTURE
Digital Urban Living:
The objective of the strategic research centre Digital Urban Living is to address new
forms of digital urban living reflected by the societal and technological development of
the experience economy. The hypothesis is that the nature of digital urban living can
be addressed in a productive way by a complementary and integrated set of theoretical
perspectives: a) Experince communication, b) Interface aesthetics, c) Interaction
design and d) Innovation management
The activities of the centre will be based on, and reinforce public-private cooperation by
organizing projects according to a research-based, user-driven innovation, and
explorative case-based activity model. In keeping with this model, four cases – Civic
communication in urban spaces, Participation in cultural heritage, Digital art in urban
space, and New urban areas – have been initially selected, and constitute the basis for
involving citizens, industry, and public institutions in case-driven research with a
concern for innovations and partnering, leading to new businesses.
Most of the higher education institutions, including educations in fine arts and
architecture are regulated by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education.
The School of Media and Journalism is regulated by the Ministry of Education.
However the development of educational institutions will normally play an important
role in local and regional strategies.
Higher education in Central Denmark Region is organized in very few organisations
with a full range of academic and professional educations. First of all, there are Aarhus
University and Via University College.

Aarhus University
Aarhus University was established in 1928 as a private university – the first one outside
Copenhagen. Now it is a public research university with international covering the
entire research spectrum.
The number of academic staff is 6.600 and the number of students is 43.000.
The main campus is Aarhus, but there are smaller campuses and departments in other
part of the region.
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The university’s position in the Leiden world wide ranking of universities is for all
sciences number149, for social sciences and humanities number103 and natural
sciences and engineering umber 40.
Like all Danish Universities Aarhus University offers Bachelor, Master and Ph.D.
degrees.
At Aarhus University there are 27 departments covering the main academic areas:
Arts, Health, Science and Technology, School of Business and Social Sciences. In
addition there is an equivalent number of more or less specialized research centers at
the university.
In a SmartCulture context the most relevant centres departments are:

Department of Aesthetics and Communication

Department of Culture and Society

Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media

Centre for University Studies in Journalism

Centre for Internet Studies
Aarhus University’s focus areas are talent development, excellent research, world class
education and research based consultancy.
International collaboration is an integrated part of all activities at the university. It has
exchange agreements with 53 countries.

VIA University College
VIA University College was established in 2008 through a merger of smaller institutions
in Central Denmark Region. There’s approximately 18.000 students at the college.
It offers a wide range of international educational programmes which qualify students
for jobs both in the private and the public sector. The main focus is bachelor degree
programmes within the areas of health, social education, technology, trade, design,
business and animation. Besides that a range of continuing education programmes is
also offered.
VIA University is centred around 8 campuses in the region and 20 research centres.
More than 40 educational programmes are held within the fields of animation and
storytelling, business and logistics, construction and technology, design, engineering,
health, social work and social education, teacher education.
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It has cooperation agreements with educational institutions all over the world and it’s
focus is on student mobility, cooperation between lecturers and long-term development
and research projects.
Aarhus School of Architecture
The Aarhus School of Architecture was established in 1965. It has approximately 750
students and employs a staff of about 175. The school offers an international master in
architecture as a supplement to Bachelor and Master’s degree programmes taught in
Danish.
Teaching at the school is studio-based emphasising project work. The school places an
emphasis on practice-based teaching while maintaining an artistic approach to
architecture.
The school is strongly involved in international cooperation resulting in internships,
student exchange programmes and international lectures.
The specialities of the school are Architecture, Design, Urbanism, Habitation,
Transformation, Tectonic/Digital Design and Sustainability.
In practical terms the mission of the school is:
• To offer academic and professional Bachelor degree programmes and Master’s
degree programmes in architecture at the highest level and PhD programmes in
architecture
• To offer supplementary education in architecture
• To carry out research and artistic development work at the highest level with the aim
of continually qualifying the education, the practice of the discipline, and the
interdisciplinary integration of architecture

Danish School of Media and Journalism
Danish School of Media and Journalism is a training and knowledge center for the
media and communications sector with a focus on talent, lifelong learning and
innovation.
There are two campuses in Denmark, one in Copenhagen and one I Aarhus
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SMARTCULTURE
Campus Aarhus has about 1100 full time students, 50 teachers and researchers, 50
part time instructors.
Campus Aarhus is the largest and oldest institution for the education of journalists in
Denmark, and one of the largest institutions for the education of journalists in Europe.
Undergraduate programmes offered at Campus Aarhus:

Communication.

Journalism

Photojournalism
Post-graduate programmes offered at Campus Aarhus (in collaboration with Aarhus
University)

Master’s degree in Journalism

Erasmus Mundus Master
Economic actors
Together with the Regional Growth Forum, the Department of Regional Development
enables and implements the Business Development strategy for the region as well as
the Regional Development Plan. Current focus areas include Innovation & Business
Development,
Entrepreneurship,
Education,
Food,
Tourism,
Culture,
Welfare
Innovation, Energy and Environment and ICT/Digitalisation.
The department supports and encourages innovative local and global economy
projects with a unique cooperation between businesses and cultural institutions. The
aim is to develop new smart dimensional technologies which apply in all areas of
administration, culture, mediation and production.
An overview of new media or ITC and culture industries and SME’s doesn’t exist.
However, due to a statistic study (2009-2010), the number of creative companies in
MIDT is 2815 (Architecture: 760, Product design: 507, Graphic design: 338, Interior
design: 84, Marketing: 760, PR and communication: 366). New media or ICT and
culture are not classified as branch of its own.
However - for the development of the ICT/creative sector SME’s, Clusters and small
cross Culture/business companies plays a major role.
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Lynfabrikken (The Lightning Factory)
Lynfabrikken is an office hotel which offers unconventional work space to creative
entrepreneurs to give them the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas.
Its exhibition space offers place for concepts and ideas in the intersection of design
and art by international as well as national players in the fields of design, architecture
and crafts.
Contact: www.lynfabrikken.dk
and+ – Centre for Architecture, New Technology and Design
The purpose of and+ is to promote creative industries within architecture, new
technology and design. Its goal is to create a cluster for architecture to enhance
business based creative partnerships and innovation in order to create new companies
and growth within architecture and all three branches.
and+ is run by the Municipality of Aarhus, Central Denmark Region and Aarhus School
of Architectue.
Contact: www.aarch.dk
The Alexandra Institute
The Alexandra Institute is a non-profit company that works with application-oriented IT
research and development and sells IT services and products to the Danish industry.
The Alexandra Institute specialized in Matchmaking between public and private
institutions, research based knowledge and user-driven innovation.
The institute is 100 % owned by the Aarhus University Research Foundation. The profit
is reinvested in new non-profit IT research and development projects.
Contact: www.alexandra.dk
Redia
Redia is a design and software company. With a variety of media it helps libraries,
museums and other public institutions to communicate with its audiences. That is
among others websites, smartphones, tablets, info screens and augmented reality.
Redia is a subsidiary company to The Alexandra Institute
Contact: www.redia.dk
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Shareplay.
Shareplay is a trans media venture launched by the Central Denmark Region and the
North Denmark Region. Its mission is to take part in the development of the future
media sector.
According to Shareplay trans media initiatives create experiences and convey
knowledge by extending the narrative to several media platforms and by involving its
audience.
Shareplay offers its services to i.e.: Pedagogics. Tourism, business, education.
experience economy and Culture.
Contact: www.shapreplay
Arsenalet (The Arsenal)
Arsenalet is located in the old barracks of the military base in Viborg. It is a hotel and
an incubator for offices and creative companies, most of them working with animation
and other kinds of visualization. This business environment is generated by the
Animation Workshop in Viborg.
Contact: www.arsenalet.dk
Dennis Design Center and Bureau Detours
Dennis Design Center, which is a “pup-up unit” created by Bureau Detours, is doing
research, testing and developing new design in relation to the public space.
Bureau Detours is a creative organization with great interest in creating social
environments in public spaces. It operates on various platforms in a mix of art, design,
architecture and city development.
Contact: www.dennisdesigncenter.dk
Unity studios
Unity Studios is a development company of games and interactive 3D applications.
Besides that it offers creative and technical sparring, agile project method – SCRUM
and test & quality.
Contact: www.unity-studios.com
Kollision
Kollision specialises in interactive communication, interaction design, dynamic media
architecture, and citizen participation in architectural projects and urban development.
Contact: www.kollision.dk
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The West Danish Film Fond
The West Danish Film Fond supports films, documentaries, television series and
multimedia productions including international co-productions. Support is given to
artistically interesting productions which further the strengthening of the film industry in
the region.
Contact: www.filmpuljen.dk
Innovation Lab
Innovation Lab is a knowledge centre for new technology with an international network
comprising close to 2500 connections.
Through talks and articles, workshops, seminars and projects Innovation Lab strives to
provide a comprehensive list of the potentials and challenges facing businesses and
organisations.
Contact: www.innovationlab.dk
Seismonaut
Seismonaut helps companies and organisations to navigate in the digital landscape.
It offers digital competence development, concept development and business
development.
Contact: Seismonaut.com
Cat Production
Cat Production offers idea and concept development, visualizations, interactivity,
motion graphics, Instore TV, digital signage, 3D animation, video, photo, touch
screens, sensors, lights, sound, websites and more to private businesses and public
institutions.
Contact: www.cat.dk
ODAA - Open Data Aarhus
ODAA is an open data platform. The overall goal for ODAA is to make open access to
all kinds of data to support productivity and innovation by utilization of such data. The
target group is developers, entrepreneurs, companies, institutions and citizens.
ODDA is part of Smart Aarhus (see chapter 8.1.1)
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Cultural actors
In Central Denmark Region the numbers of cultural institutions with permanent public
grants are:

39 museums

19 theatres

19 municipal libraries

1 state library

1 state archive*)

4 orchestras

Public art galleries

1 musical academy

1 art academy

1 centre of literature

Natural history centres
*) There is one (sometimes more) local archive en every municipality. Most often it is a
department of a museum or a library.
In addition to this there is a large number of independent institutions, groups, networks
or individuals who play an important role in the region’s cultural life. Not at least
musical groups, theatre groups and individual visual artists. Many of these will also
receive grants for individual projects or activities.
Also the youth and talent education system within the various fields of art should be
mentioned.. Music schools are the most widespread (and regulated by the Ministry of
Culture), but in most municipalities there are also art schools and theatre schools for
kids and youngsters.
An extensive list of institutions will be too much here, but relevant institutions are
mentioned in the last chapter about projects.
The Museums in Central Denmark Region
As mentioned above there is 39 public subsided museums in Central Denmark. That is
30 cultural history museums, 8 art museums and one natural history museum. In the
last chapter of this survey of Central Denmark Region you will find a list of museums
engaged in digital projects, and here is a brief description of other significant museums
of the region:
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ARoS – Aarhus Kunstmuseum (Aarhus Museum of Art)
Founded by citizens of Aarhus in 1859, Aarhus Kunstmuseum is Denmark’s largest art
collection outside Copenhagen.
The museum owns notable collections of Danish art that span 300 years plus a
noteworthy contingent of modern art.
www.aros.dk
Museum Jorn
Museum Jorn is an art museum. It holds the collections that were developed by the
Danish artist Asger Jorn from the early 1950s until his death in 1973, since when they
have doubled in extent. In consequence, the museum is not only home to the most
comprehensive collection of Jorn’s own works but also holds thousands of paintings,
sculptures and works on paper by other artists – members of Cobra and older
international artists who inspired Jorn or were kindred artistic spirits including, among
others, Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, Fernand Leger and Man Ray.
www.museumjorn.dk
Museum Silkeborg
Museum Silkeborg is housed in the oldest building in Silkeborg town, formerly
Silkeborg Manor. Among other exhibits the highlight is the world famous Tollund Man,
one of the best preserved human beings of ancient times.
The Museum displays a comprehensive Iron Age collection, the oldest known wagon
part of Northern Europe, an antique glass collection, the renowned "Sorring ceramics"
and furniture interiors typical of the mid 1800s.
www.museumsilkeborg.dk
Gammel Estrup Herregårdsmuseet (Gammel Estrup -the Manor Museum)
The Manor Museum is situated in the main buildings of the manor house Gammel
Estrup. The museum’s mission is to preserve buildings and furniture of the manor and
the exhibition shows examples of life at the manors throughout time. It includes gobelin
tapestries, paintings, furniture and many other articles.
The museum houses The Danish Centre for Manor Research. The centre is a cooperation between the manor museum, Aarhus University, the Danish National
Museum, the Aarhus School of Architecture. It promotes and co-ordinates research,
education of researchers, documentation and communication of the cultural history of
the manor. Contact: www.gammelestrup.dk
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Dansk Landbrugsmuseum (The Danish Agricultural Museum)
In the farm buildings of Gammel Estrup you will find The Danish Agricultural Museum.
It is the statal and national museum of agriculture In Denmark, promoting rural culture
and the downstream industries of agriculture as well as the cultural history of the meal.
Furthermore our museum is the only state subsidized historical museum based outside
the Copenhagen area.
The museum engages in research of cabbage/root vegetables, cherries and
onion/leeks. The most recent project deals with utility plants and the usage of herbs in
Danish food culture.
www.gl-estrup.dk
Ringkøbing-Skjern Museum
Ringkøbing-Skjern Museum is not one, but 14 different museums and centres around
Ringkøbing Fjord in the western part of the region. The museum is an eco museum
that preserve local buildings, monuments and landmarks with respect to the original
context. The entire museum is tied together by an extensive trail system.
www.levendehistorie.dk
Danmarks Industrimuseum (The Danish Industrial Museum)
The Danish Industrial Museum is situated in Horsens. It is engaged in research of the
Danish industrial heritage since, that is industrial production as well as living condition
since the middle of the 19th century. The museum is housed in an historical power
pland has a large collection of machines, tools and products from the period.
www.industrimusset.dk
Naturhistorisk Museum Aarhus
Natural History Museum, Aarhus, is the second largest of its kind in Denmark. Both
regarding the size of the collections and the size of the exhibition area. According to a
ministerial review, the museum contains collections of national importance and the
collections are used by Danish and foreign scientists.
www.nathist.dk
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Innovation, Business Development and ICT
Policies for Innovation and business development and ICT are part of the Regional
Business strategy for Central Denmark:
Innovation and business development are essential sources of new jobs in both the
industrial and service sectors, and can generate more growth and prosperity with
limited resources.
The Growth Forum will pursue the idea that by taking the challenges facing our society
as our starting point, it is possible to create benefits and value for both businesses and
citizens.
It will concentrate its efforts on promoting an open and global approach to innovation
and business development. These efforts have to support risk-taking and provide a
framework for experimental, multi-disciplinary work, which challenges existing
boundaries by using, for example, business-based network cooperation and a greater
focus on growth clusters in urban, rural and remote areas.
With its digitalization efforts it aims at spreading the use of ICT and digital solutions in
all parts of business life in Central Denmark including those parts of the region’s rural
and remoter districts where conditions for increased use of IT are weak.
This activity will develop ICT skills in the region and increase the demand for advanced
ICT solutions. The IT sector in Central Denmark will play a crucial part as a supplier of
digital solutions and as a result the effort will also aim at developing the strengths of the
IT trade, including furthering the internationalization of this trade.
Funding for business activities are given by the Region Business Development Fund
and EU Structural Fonds.
Culture
Culture is part of the Regional Development plan for Central Denmark Region.
According to this plan the region will work to support and further develop a rich and
diverse culture throughout the region.
The regional cultural policy is an integrated part of three areas:
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
Networking

Development

International perspective and cooperation
Central Denmark Region’s main task is to help create a development-orientated
network of players in the arts and culture, and to help culture realise its innovative
potential, as an integrated part of the region’s development.
Funding for Cultural activities are regulated by the Regional Council.
Political Initiatives
Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017
Aarhus has been appointed European Capital of Culture in 2017. Central Denmark
Region is strongly involved in the project, economically and politically. All municipalities
in the region supports the project politically and financially. That means that all projects,
that has been developed since the designation, are spread across the region – many of
them with national and European partners and participants.
The peak, of course, is 2017, but many projects have already started and will be
developed towards 2017.
The overall slogan for Aarhus 2017 is “Rethink”. The programme is focused on five
significant areas which are interlinked and interdependent: Cultural Infrastructure, Soft
City (competence development), Rehtink the City, Rethink Art and Creativity and
Rethink Values.
The objectives of Aarhus 2017 are defined as such:
-
2017 should invigorate the long term development and enhance the
significance of the arts and cultural life in general. The programme should
also contribute to a strengthening of the diversity of European culture.
-
2017 should increase visibility and attractiveness of Aarhus and the region
nationally and internationally, and evolve cultural cooperation and dialogue
in Europe.
-
2017 should employ creativity, innovation, knowledge and experimentation
to fuel human development and economical growth.
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-
2017 should promote a more involved citizenship through comprehensive
and active participation, and increase beneficial involvement in society from
the business community, the cultural community and the research- and
learning community.
-
2017 should support the development of open and sympathetic urban
environments that promote an atmosphere of fellowship, while leaving room
for differences.
-
2017 should be a platform for interdisciplinary collaborations focusing on the
challenges arising from urban communities, furthering the vision of a
sustainable future – locally as well as globally.
The total preliminary budget for Aarhus 2017 is 500 million Dkr. (the expected state
financing of 200 million Dkr. is not in place yet). In 2013-17 Central Denmark Region
contributes to Aarhus 2017 with 55 million Dkr.
Of this amount 35 million Dkr. are earmarked for the development of business and
creative industries through the project More.Creative.
More.Creative
More.Creative is initiated by Central Denmark Region.
Its purpose is to utilize the economic and commercial potentials of the creative
industries in the region. That is not only the creative industries themselves but also
cross over partnerships between companies (creative and traditional) where creative
competences may create added value.
In More.Creative the creative industries are defined as music, fashion, architecture,
design, radio and TV, books and press, film and video, arts and crafts, furniture,
content production and computer games. In Central Denmark Region the annual
turnover for creative industries are approximately 10 million € and it employs 8% of the
private work force.
The specific aims of More.Creative is to

Increase growth and enhance competitiveness in creative industries through
focused partnerships.
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
Develop the framework conditions for the creative industries with a special
focus on business service, growth environments, talent development and the
role of cities.

Create a common platform for transmission of knowledge, dissemination and
cross professional collaboration.
As mentioned above More.Creative will play an integrated part in Aarhus ECoC 2017.
The budget for More.Creative 2013-17 is 35 million Dkr.
Contact: www.ru.rm.dk
Smart Cities in Smart Regions
Central Denmark Region is working on a large scale initiative with the strategic focus
on how to establish 'Smart Cities in Smart Regions'. The concept involves the
innovative synergies between urban and rural development and the digital economy.
Basically the idea is to establish a new eco-system and policy framework for
companies, knowledge institutions, public administration and citizens in order to
commonly develop ICT based creative solutions that are both able to solve the
challenges that society has and create new markets.
The challenge is to find new ways to organize this in order to exploit the potential that
digitalization holds for many societal challenges, from energy, waste disposal, traffic,
tourism/entertainment.
Contact: www.ru.rm.dk
Smart Aarhus
Smart Aarhus is a project organisation. Its aim is to make citizens, authorities, business
and knowledge institutions work together in order to exploit digital potentials and meet
challenges through collaboration between sectors and hierarchies.
Smart Aarhus is run by a board with representatives from the city of Aarhus, Central
Denmark Region, Aarhus University and others.
MMEx (Meaning Making Experience)
MMEx (Meaning Making Experience) is a project on ICT, cultural heritage and public
involvement. The project is initiated by MMU (The Museums Development Council in
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Central Denmark Region) and therefore rooted in all museums and all areas of the
region. The development of MMEx have been undertaken I collaboration with a group
of partners representing Aarhus University, The Alexandra Institute in Aarhus, The
Animation Workshop in Viborg, Teater Katapult (an experimenting theatre in Aarhus)
and Interface (a network of museums and high schools of region).
MMEx is supporting digital development in museums in three different ways:

Knowledge sharing -MMEs evaluates projects and disseminate references
and experiences. MMEx has a hotline for sparring and support.

Consultancy - MMEx offers advise for concrete projects on i.e. audience
development, project management, development of ideas and specification of
requirements

Financial support -MMEx offers financial support for cutting edge projects – on
condition of knowledge sharing and dissemination of experience.
7.4 Application of ICTs (Good practice models in the SmartCulture field)
The Mejlby Stone - an Interactive Runic Stone
This project was the first MMEx-project, created by CAVI. You’ll find it at Museum
Østjylland in Randers.
The runic stones tell stories, but only very few know how to interpret runes. The story of
the Mejlby Stone is told by dramatic light and a narrative animation directly on the
surface of the stone. The installation allows the audience to play with and learn about
the runic alphabet.
Tools: Projections, animation and sound.
The digital battle at sea
This project is carried out by the museum of the restored frigate Jylland in the town of
Ebeltoft.
By building an interactive 1:1 model of the deck of the Danish frigate Jylland the
audience gets the opportunity to experience the atmosphere during the Battle at
Helgoland between Danish and Austrian warships in 1864. With original materials,
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such as guns, engine telegraph and rudder, the audience can navigate the ship in a 3D
game while they feel the effects of enemy fire, the waves and the wind.
The aim of the project is to provide families, students and pupils an individual, yet
social experience by unfolding the history of the Frigate Jylland at eye level.
Digtital tools: 3D games and non-linear game play, projecting, 3D mouse (Space
Navigator) and inductive sensors.
Contact: www.fregattenjylland.dk
An app to The Skovgaard Museum
The Skovgaard Museum is an art museum in Viborg specializing in the Skovgaards, a
family of famous Danish artists in the 19th and early 20th century. The museum is a
neighbour to the Viborg Cathedral which is famous for its decorations by the artist
Joachim Skovgaard.
The project shall enable Skovgaard Museum’s audience to find information about the
collection and the history of the Skovgaard. An app has been developed to guide the
user through a brief introduction and to the individual works of art. The user will be able
to explore the collection from home as well at the museum.
Digital tools: app for Ipad, augmented reality and cms.
Contact: www.skovgaardmuseet.dk
The Steno Museum - Body Culture
The Steno Museum is a science museum at Aarhus University
The Steno Museum has opened a new permanent exhibition about body culture. It is
structured thematically into five sections. In each section, there are interactive
elements designed to engage users and encourage them to express their opinion and
contribute with their own private knowledge.
Tools: Clicker technology, video (instead of text), solid state media player (operating
touch screens, videos and and projections)
Contact: www.stenomuseet.dk
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Moesgård Museum – Let the Fingers do the Walking
Moesgård Museum is an archaeological and ethnological museum in Aarhus. It’s a part
of Aarhus University.
The Gundestrup Kettle is one of the most significant archaeological finds in Denmark. It
is composed of 14 relief plates of which each one tells a story. An enlarged
reproduction of the kettle allows the visitor to enter into it. Here he will be guided
through the stories by using his fingertips on the reliefs where sensors activate the
visitor’s hearing aids.
The aim of the project is to bring tactile and auditory senses into play in order to open
the story of the kettle in a non-intellectual way. Furthermore it tries to create equal
dissemination to sighted and non-sighted people.
Tools:
Touch screen technology for the reliefs, sound transmission in helmets, 3D printed
copies of reliefs.
Contact: www.moesmus.dk
Skeletons tell History
Horsens Museum is a local cultural heritage museum
Horsens Museum has skeletons from 5 different cemeteries, which together tell us of
human development from the middle ages to the 18th century. With the help from a
visualization of the excavations on a large carpet and with help from links to individual
skeletons data, the visitors be able to explore what skeletons can tell you about
diseases, lifestyle and everyday life.
Tools: iPad2, Access Databases, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, Kiosk Pro.
Contact: www.Horsensmuseum.dk
Mapping the Archive
This project is organised by MMEx in collaboration with Museum of Modern Art I
Aalborg, The Natural History Museum in Aarhus, Theatre Katapult and Kollision.
Mapping the archive is a project about utilizing and disseminating digitalized archives
and collections. The idea is to create a visual and intuitive user interface, where
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collections, artefacts and knowledge will be interconnected and interpreted in new
narrative ways.
Contact: www.mmex.dk
Jernkysten (The Iron Coast)
Lemvig Museum
The focus of this project is the history of the rescue service on the west coast of
Jutland where numerous ships wrecked in earlier times. The pivot for the project is an
unmanned rescue station where the lifeboat is exhibited together with all kinds of tools.
An app and tells the story about the wrecks and the rescue operations on the spots
where they happened.
Tools: App, sound installation.
Contact: www.lemvigmuseum.dk
Digitale tråde over landskabet (Digital threads over the landscape)
Museum Midtjylland in collaboration with other museums in the central part of Jutland.
Digital Threads is a digital map over central parts of Jutland. Location based mobile
technology creates new inspiring possibilities to show and interpret cultural heritage
that otherwise would be hidden. With the new technology you will be able to visit the
archaeological sites digitally.
Contact: www.museummidtjylland.dk
An app to Den Gamle By
Den Gamle By(The Old Town) is an open air museum in Aarhus
The app suggest routes and gives information about houses and places in The Old
Town. The app is nominated to the Creative Circle Arward, the most significant Danish
creative award.
Tools: an app
Contact: www.dengamleby.dk
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8. Madrid (Spain)
8.1 Introduction of the Regional Context (Madrid)
The Community of Madrid is organized into 179 municipalities and 801 towns and
smaller populated entities. It has 2.2% of the total municipalities that make up the
Spanish territory (8,110). It is the twenty-third Spanish province in number of
municipalities and is slightly above average, measured in 165 municipalities by
province (Burgos has the largest number with 371 municipal councils, and Las Palmas
is the province that has less 34).
Image 1: Map of the municipalities in the Madrid region
Demography
Madrid has a high quality of life that reflects in a medium life expectancy of 83,4 years,
the highest in the European Union.
The population of the Madrid region is composed of 6.498.560 inhabitants (2012),
where 3.130.241 (48.17%) were men and 3.368.319 (51.83%) women. The population
density in the Madrid region is 808,41 inhabitants/km2.
The most populated municipality is the capital of Madrid with 3.233.527 inhabitants,
having a population density of 5.344,85 inhabitants/km2.
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Graph 1: Trend of the population in the Madrid region. Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of
the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
Migration
Regarding the migrants flows, the total foreign immigrants in the Madrid region were
73.390 in 2010, where 34.552 were men and 38.838 women. The trends of the
migration flows in the Madrid Region until 2010 were:
Graph 2: Foreign migration trend (foreigners coming to the Madrid Region). Source: IESTADIS Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
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The domestic’s immigrants arriving at Madrid region were more than foreigner, 93.736
in 2010, where 34.552 were men and 38.838 women. The trends of the domestic
migration flows in the Madrid Region till 2010 were:
Graph 3: Domestic migration trend (people from other Spanish regions coming to the Madrid
Region). Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid
(http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
The migration balance (people who come to Madrid and people who left Madrid
region) has been deeply decreasing till, in 2010, almost both flows being equal.
Graph 4: Total migration balance in the Madrid region. Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of
the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
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It’s also interesting to observe the following graph that shows how the foreign
population in the Madrid region underwent a huge increase the first years after 2000,
but it has been constantly decreasing after 2008, when the economic crisis started.
9,00%
8,00%
7,00%
6,00%
Europa
5,00%
Africa
4,00%
America
Asia
3,00%
Oceania
2,00%
1,00%
0,00%
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
Graph 5: Trend of foreign population in Madrid region by continent. Source: IESTADIS Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
Europa
6,17%
2012
Africa
1,87%
America
6,37%
Asia
1,20%
Oceania
0,01%
España
84,38%
Graph 6: Total population in Madrid region by continent. Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute
of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
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Transport and infrastructure
Concerning transportation, the Community of Madrid is the centre of the Spanish
communications network, given the radial structure of the state roads, which originated
in the eighteenth century. Although, in recent times, the Spanish radial roads schema
has become blurred by opening crosscutting roads, Madrid is still a must in
interprovincial road communications.
Madrid relevance in Spanish communications is also underlined by railway transport,
which still maintains the radial configuration designed in the nineteenth century (being
Madrid the central node), and air transport, being the Madrid-Barajas Airport the
reference point for all Spanish airports for international connections.
Roads. The Community of Madrid is well connected by road to the rest of the Spanish
regions through a vast network of freeways, motorways and highways.
Railways. There are two main train stations that serve the Community of Madrid:
Chamartin Station and Puerta de Atocha Station. The region is connected by rail with
the rest of Spain by long distance trains and high-speed trains. Spain has made a great
effort in the development of high-speed railways, keeping Madrid as the central node
from where all connections start and end.
Moreover, the Madrid region has a vast network of regional trains and a widely spread
subway network that connect every municipality in the region.
Airport. The Madrid – Barajas Airport began operations in 1928. It is the largest airport
in Spain and fourth in Europe in passenger traffic (52.2 million passengers in 2007). It
has the largest number of direct flights to Latin America across the continent. It is
composed of four terminals (T1, T2, T3 and T4, the latter opened in 2006), to which
must be added the T4-S, T4 Satellite. It is the world's largest airport terminal area, with
nearly one million square meters.
Accommodation. Tourism is one of the most important income sectors in the Madrid
region. Madrid is a centre of cultural tourism that attracts 10 million visitors per year. To
face these arrivals, Madrid has a wide range of accommodations, from the most
expensive to the most affordable. In 2012 there were 1.809 locals which provided
accommodation, which meant 140.015 beds in total.
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Economy
Regarding the GDP, as we can see in the table below, the most productive sector in
Madrid region is “services”. This sector meant the 72,98% of the overall GDP in 2010.
Industry (9,42% of the GDP) and construction (7,52%) are also important, although
with a high gap from services sector. Agriculture in the Madrid region only represents
0.1% of the overall GDP.
Graph 7: Total GDP of Madrid region. (Thousands of euros). Source: IESTADIS - Statistics
Institute of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
Year
Agriculture
Industry
Construction
Services
Total GDP
2002
219.302
15.654.894
10.002.153
91.223.087
130.875.001
2003
226.739
16.450.928
11.701.576
97.679.105
140.910.366
2004
222.885
17.186.837
13.388.960
105.867.191
153.065.459
2005
226.640
17.797.780
15.383.163
114.879.940
167.112.001
2006
227.710
18.720.844
17.066.816
124.793.692
182.010.637
2007
225.326
19.767.029
17.455.515
136.752.613
195.945.446
2008
210.867
20.576.659
17.370.650
143.744.596
200.221.828
2009
187.701
18.829.086
15.525.370
144.527.772
194.485.387
2010
188.817
18.350.106
14.639.417
142.112.685
194.720.981
Table 1: Trend GDP of Madrid region per economic sectors. (Thousands of euros). Source:
IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
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Regarding unemployment rate, its trend has been markedly increasing in the last
years, due to the financial and economic crisis. The unemployment rate reached
18,99% in 2012. The female unemployment rate was 18,38% by 2012 and male
unemployment rate 19,54% .
Graph 8: Total unemployed population in Madrid region (thousands of people). Source:
400
350
300
250
200
Mujeres
150
Hombres
100
50
0
Graph 9: Total unemployed population in Madrid region by gender (thousands of people).
Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid
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Industry
The tourism sector has become one of the most vibrant sectors of the economy of
Madrid.
Madrid adds to its relevant artistic heritage a variety of cultural life, museums and
entertainment. This tourist base is completed with various facilities designed to capture
the so-called business tourism, one of the sub-sectors that have experienced the
highest growth in number of visitors.
The region has three World Heritage Sites: the Monastery and Royal Site of San
Lorenzo de El Escorial, Aranjuez Cultural Landscape, and the University and Historic
Area of Alcalá de Henares. Along with Barcelona, Madrid is the Spanish province that
has the highest number of World Heritage Sites. Spain has 44 total sites inscribed on
the list, third only to China (45) and Italy (49). Of these 44 sites, 39 are cultural, 3 are
natural, and 2 are mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria), as determined by
the UNESCO’s selection criteria.
The recreational value of the Community of Madrid is enhanced by its proximity to the
World Heritage Sites of Cuenca, Toledo, Avila and Segovia, located in a radius of
about 150 kilometers, of Salamanca, about 200 kilometers, and Caceres , about 300
kilometers.
Image 2: Monastery and Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
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Image 3: Royal Palace of Aranjuez
The number of tourists increased from 2010 to 2011. In 2011 5.702.060 Spanish
tourists visited Madrid and 4.669.468 foreigners did. That means an increase for both
Spanish, 3,34%, and foreigners, 8,51%, tourists compared to 2010. The number of
overnight stays also increased from 2010 to 2011 with a total of 19.976.929 stays
(9.715.620 from Spanish tourists and 10.261.309 from foreigners).
Overnight
Average length of
Arrivals
stays
stays
Spanish tourists
5.702.060
9.715.620
1,7
Foreigner tourists
4.669.468
10.261.309
2,2
10.371.528
19.976.929
1,93
2011
TOTAL
Table 2: Flow of tourism in the Madrid region in 2010 and 2011. Source: IESTADIS - Statistics
Institute of the Community of Madrid (http://www.madrid.org/iestadis/)
Regarding the economic impact of the CCIs, no data seems to be recorded in Madrid
about CCIs at regional level. For this reason, all the following information expresses
facts and figures at national level. These statistics on CCIs at national level are
updated until 2009.
The overall performance of GVA (Gross Value Added) and GDP of CCI’s activities in
Spain in the period 2000-2009 presents a continued growth through 2008 and a slight
fall in 2009. The estimated GVA in 2000, 19.080 million euros, reaches 28.614 million
in 2009. If the evaluation is performed in terms of its contribution to GDP, it increases
from 19.833 million euros to 29,753 million euros representing an average annual
growth of 4.6%.
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Graph 10: CCI's GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education,
Culture and Sport Ministry
If we consider all the activities related to the intellectual property, results indicate a
GVA rise since 2000 (25.236 million euros), to 2009 (35.813 million euros). In terms of
the GDP, it increased from 26.630 million euros in 2000, to 37.775 million in 2009,
representing an average annual growth of 4%.
Graph 11: Intellectual Property related activities GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend
(millions €). Source: Education, Culture and Sport Ministry
The cultural GVA contribution to Spanish economy as a whole stood, on average in the
2000-2009 period, at 3.2%. If considering the set of activities related to the intellectual
property the figure amounts to 4.1%. Share in GDP terms is slightly below these figures
because taxes on cultural products are less important than in the overall economy.
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Table 3: Share (%) of CCI's and Intellectual Property related activities in terms of GVA (VAB in
Spanish) and GDP (PIB in Spanish). Source: Education, Culture and Sport Ministry
If we look at the picture by CCI’s subsectors, the evolution of the GDP and GVA goes
as follows:

Cultural Heritage
Table 4: Cultural Heritage GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source:
Education, Culture and Sport Ministry
GDP corresponding to Cultural Heritage has grown at a strong pace along the period
analysed, with a rate average growth of 12.5%, well higher than that observed in the
whole Spanish economy, 5.9%. This sector is small with regards to the overall cultural
activities, representing an average of 3% of the GDP during this period.
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
Libraries and Archives
Table 5: Libraries and Archives GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source:
Observed similarly, over the period 2000-2009, one strong growth in the sector
Archives and Libraries with a rate average growth of 8.8%. This sub sector is more
reduced than the Cultural Heritage industry.

Books and Press
Table 6: Book and Press GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education,
The Books and Press sector, which has the highest relative weight of the CCIs
subsectors analysed, represents on average 40.3% of all the CCI’s activities, with the
2.6% rate of average annual GDP growth in the period available.

Visual Arts
Table 7: Visual Arts GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education, Culture
and Sport Ministry
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Visual Arts contribution to GDP has also increased over the period showing an average
annual growth rate of 4.2%. The sector accounts for about 10.2% on average in the
period 2000-2009 of overall CCI’s GDP.

Performing Arts
Table 8: Performing Arts GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education,
The behaviour of the GDP of Performing Arts has been very positive, growing at a rate
of 9.3%, higher that the observed in the whole group of activities analysed. It is a sector
whose magnitude is small compared to others, meaning 5% of the overall CCI’s GPD.

Cinema and Video
Table 9: Cinema and Video GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education,
The Cinema and Video GDP has an evolution growth average annual rate of 3.8%. Its
GDP represents approximately a 10.5% of all CCI’s activities.
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
Music
Table 10: Music GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source: Education, Culture and
Sport Ministry
The Recorded Music subsector contribution to GDP falls at an average rate of 0.3%
annually. This sector represents approximately 1.9% of those tested; although for a
correct interpretation of these results, it must be taken into account that part of their
activities have been broken down into what is included within the set called
interdisciplinary.

Radio and Television
Table 11: Radio and Television GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source:
Estimated GDP for the whole Radio and Television sub sector has grown at an annual
average rate of 5.3%, higher than the observed in the whole CCI’s activities. The
sector, the second in magnitude, represents approximately 17.7% of the overall CCI’s
activities.
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
Interdisciplinary CCI’s related activities
Table 12: Interdisciplinary CCI's related GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend (millions €). Source:
When it has not been possible to obtain a breakdown for statistical reasons, or when
there is an activity affecting several sectors, estimates were included in the
Interdisciplinary subsector, whose relative weight is around 9.6%.

Other sectors related to Intellectual Property
Table 13: Other sectors related to Intellectual Property GVA (VAB in Spanish) and GDP (PIB) trend
(millions €). Source: Education, Culture and Sport Ministry
Finally, within the Intellectual Property related activities it should be noted that the
70.4% corresponds to the cultural area. The remaining 29.6% are advertising and
computer science, being the later the one which presents a faster growth average
annual rate, at 4.5%.
The picture of the share of SmartCulture sub sectors in the overall CCI’s GDP is the
following:
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GDP share of CCIs subsectors
Interdisciplinary
10%
Cultural Heritage
3%
Radio and
Television
18%
Book and Press
40%
Performing Arts
5%
Visual Arts
10%
Music
2%
Cinema and Video
10%
Libraries and
Archives
2%
Graph 12: Share of SmartCulture subsectors in the total GDP of CCIs. Source: Education,
Share (%) in overall GVA
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Average
Agriculture
4,4
4,3
4
4
3,6
3,2
2,8
2,9
2,7
2,6
3,5
Energy
2,8
2,7
2,6
2,7
2,7
2,8
2,6
2,6
2,8
2,9
2,7
18,1 17,6 16,9 16,3 15,8 15,4 15,1 14,7 14,2 12,4
15,7
Industry
Construction
8,3
8,9
9,9 10,6 11,5 12,1 11,9 11,4 10,8
10,5
67 67,1 67,3 67,1 67,4 67,9 68,9 71,3
67,7
9,4
Services
66,4 66,6
Total
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
CCI's
3,3
3,3
3,4
3,3
3,2
3,3
3,2
3
2,9
2,9
3,2
4,4
4,4
4,2
4,2
4,1
4,1
4
3,8
3,7
3,7
4,1
Intellectual
Property
related
Table 14: CCI’s share (%) in overall Spanish GVA. Source: Education, Culture and Sport
Ministry
The most significant differences between employment linked to cultural industries and
total employment stand out by: educational level, with education levels above the
average, and type of working day, with higher rates of part-time jobs.
Regarding the education level, in 2012, only 2.2% of those working in the cultural field
held primary education, 33.5% held secondary education and 64.3% held higher
education or equivalent.
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Graph 13: Employment linked to cultural by education level – national figures (%).Source:
It is also interesting to point out that, in 2012, 17.6% of professionals working in the
cultural industries, did it as a part-time activity.
Graph 14: Employment linked to cultural by type of working day – national figures (%).Source:
Research and innovation
The Madrid Region invests 2,06% of its Gross Domestic Product in Research and
Development (3.900 million euros). It’s the 2nd region in the ranking after Navarra and
followed by the Basque Country and Catalonia.
In 2007, 1.680.000 euros were destined for research grants, although 9.912.000 euros
were requested.
The regional economy is structured in activity sectors that not only excel by their
technological and innovative base, but also for acting as engines of other segments
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which are more mature. The region accommodates 41% of the companies dedicated to
Information Technologies in the country. Information Technologies include different
micro-segments of activity that reinforce the representativeness of the sector,
especially those related to audiovisual activities.
Education
In the field of education, there are 1.253 schools in the Madrid region, of which 763
are public schools and 490 are private schools. Moreover, there are 315 high schools
and 43 foreign centres. There are also 1.315 nursery schools, 417 public and 898
private.
The region of Madrid has 16 universities, of which 7 are public, being the Alcalá de
Henares University the oldest one (founded in 1499).
In 2013, 215.601 students were enrolled in public universities and 55.082 in private
universities.
In 2011, the number of PhDs approved in the Madrid region was 1.892, 1.768 in public
universities and 124 in private universities.
The Regional Education Council total expenses in the field of education in 2010 were
5.258.556,8 euros. Where 3.389.285,0 euros were destined for non-university
education. The other regional councils also contributed to the education field in Madrid
with 141.664,1 euros.
Madrid is a reference in terms of higher education policy, due to its extensive
educational offer. There are 16 Universities in the region, of which 7 are public (Alcalá,
Autónoma, Carlos III, Complutense, Politécnica and Rey Juan Carlos. The
headquarters of the National University of Distance Learning –UNED- are also located
in Madrid). The University Centre of Technology and Digital Arts (known as U-tad) has
been recently created. The U-tad (www.u-tad.com) is an academic centre linked to the
most modern and dynamic business sector. It is the first University Centre fully
specialized in techniques, skills and competences focused in the digital contents
industry.
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These universities combined are home to the largest student population in Spain
―about 300.000 per academic year― and one of the greatest in Europe. Many of
those students come from other Spanish regions as well as from foreign countries.
The «magnet effect» of the universities of Madrid stems from three primary causes:
 Its broad and diversified offer of academic degrees.
 The socio-economic environment, as a highly dynamic economy capable to
provide good employment and professional development opportunities; and a
superb cultural and leisure offer.
 The prestige achieved by the system as a whole.
ICT and economy
The Madrid region is home to 30% of companies in the Information Technology and
Communication (ICT) sector in Spain, representing 36.4% of total employment in the
sector nationally. The sector employs over 230,000 people in the region.
ICT companies accounted for 1.9% of the Madrid business fabric. The region is unique
in Europe for its high concentration of employment in these high-tech activities. In 2007
Madrid, with a total of 230,646 high-tech jobs (2.4% of high-tech employment in Europe
and 7.5% of employment in Madrid), ranked third among European regions in highvalue employment.
The regional government is committed to supporting high value-added sectors through
various initiatives, such as support for research and technological development in highvalue sectors including ICT. In the period 2006-2009 aid exceeding €26 million euros
has been approved for more than 150 projects, and mobilized investment of over €65
million euros.
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ICT macro-sector in Spain in 2010 (source: AMETIC)
Cultural Heritage
The number of CCI’s business in Spain is shown in the following graph.
Graph 15: Number of Cultural businesses in Spain. Source: Education, Culture and Sport
Ministry
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Regarding to the different sub sectors within the CCI’s, the volume of businesses is
wide spread being “commercial and renting activities” and “design, creative, artistic and
shows activities” the sub sectors which contribute with a higher number of businesses.
Libraries,
archives,
museums and
Books, press and others
3,70%
publishing
activities
8,30%
Fiming, video,
radio, television
activities and
music production
9,40%
Photographic
activities
9,70%
Graphic arts and
Recorded media
15,40%
News agencies
activities
0,10%
Manufactures of
audio and video
equipment and
musical
instruments
0,30%
Commercial and
Renting Activities
26,70%
Design, creative,
artistic and shows
activities
26,40%
Graph 16: CCI’s businesses by subsector. Source: Education, Culture and Sport Ministry
The total turnover of the Spanish CCI’s in 2010 is shown in the following graph. “Books,
press and publishing activities” and “graphic arts and related activities” are the sub
sectors with a higher turnover in 2010, reaching 8.000 million euros the first one and
almost 7.000 million euros the second.
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Graph 17: Turnover by cultural activity in 2010 (thousands of euros). Source: Education,
In 2011, the export value of culture linked goods stood at 708.9 million euros, imports
stood at 847.3 million euros.
Graph 18: Foreign trade balance of cultural goods (millions of euros). Source: Education,
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Concerning foreign trade of cultural goods, the best performance, as in previous years,
was carried out by books and the press, with exports value of 540.5 million euros and a
168.1 million of positive trade balance.
Graph 19: Foreign trade balance of cultural goods by type (millions of euros). Source: Education, Culture
and Sport Ministry
The cultural offer is key to the economy of the city of Madrid, as it contributes 9% to the
local GDP and creates 190.000 direct and indirect jobs.
In the private sector, according to 2011 figures, there are 103.134 cultural companies
in Spain, of which 23.190 are based in Madrid, that is 22,5%.
The volume of people employed in 2012 in the cultural sector was 452.700,
representing a 2.6% of the total employment in Spain.
Graph 20: Total employment in Cultural Sector in Spain (thousands). Source: Education, Culture and
Sport Ministry.
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If we look at it separately, we can see that it is wide spread between the different
subsectors.
Graph 21: Total employment by subsectors in Spain (thousands). Source: Education, Culture and Sports
Ministry.
It is interesting to notice the high volume of not-salaried employees in the cultural
sector, reaching almost 28%.
27,7%
Salaried employees
Not-salaried employees
72,3%
Graph 22: Employment by professional condition. Source: Education, Culture and Sport
Ministry.
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The political structure for the territorial administration of Madrid is set in four layers:
European
Union,
national
government,
regional
government
and
municipal
government.
Concerning the SmartCulture industries, the EU plays a role of guidance and of
fostering cultural cooperation in the European and international arenas. Within Spain,
the following institutions are involved in these sectors:
-
National government
o
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports: manages the largest
national museums, such as: Prado Museum, Reina Sofía Museum,
National Archaeological Museum, Museo de América, Lázaro Galdiano
Museum, National Museum of Romanticism or the Cerralbo Museum.
Besides, it is member of the board of trustees of the ThyssenBornemisza Museum. Regarding performing arts, it manages the Teatro
Real, the Teatro de la Zarzuela and other theatres such as Teatro María
Guerrero or Valle-Inclán. It also manages the National Library, National
Archives, National Auditorium, National Film Library, and the State
Agency: Spanish Cultural Action, in charge of international expositions,
cultural commemorations and cultural foreign action. Other institutions
operated from this Ministry are:
National Orchestra and Choir, the
Youth National Orchestra, National Ballet, National Dance Company,
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Classical Theatre National Company, etc. This Ministry also manages
the Royal Academies based in Madrid, such as the Spanish Royal
Academy, the San Fernando Fine Arts Royal Academy, and the Royal
Academy of History.
o
National Heritage: This department belongs to the Ministry of the
Presidency and takes care of the construction, preservation and
protection of the cultural heritage. Some of the most remarkable
buildings in Madrid are: Royal Palace, Palace of El Pardo, Monasteries
of Descalzas Reales and Encarnación, Shrine of San Antonio de la
Florida, Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Royal Palace
of La Granja, Royal Palace of Riofrío and Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
o
Ministry of Defense, in charge of the Navy Museum, Military
Geography and History Museum, and historic archives and documents
of great value, specially those related to cartography.
o
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, manages the House of
America, House of Asia, Arab House and the Sefarad House. It also
takes care of the Cervantes Institute (www.cervantes.es), with presence
in 77 cities of 44 countries.
o
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: Madrid is also house of
the Royal Botanic Garden, and the Natural Science National Museum,
managed by the CSIC.
-
Regional Government
o
This public body takes care of the Canal Theatres, 18 public libraries, as
well as
the bus-libraries, and the metro-libraries, the Regional
Archaeological Museum, the CA2M (Dos de Mayo Art Centre), the
Alcalá 31 and the Canal de Isabel II exhibition halls. It also manages
important cultural festivals as well as the Region of Madrid Orchestra
and Choir, the Youth Orchestra of the Region of Madrid and the
Orchestra of the Zarzuela Theatre.
-
Madrid City Council
o
This institution manages the city of Madrid as a cultural asset and the
public space as a cultural scene. It coordinates the yearly calendar of
cultural activities and is responsible for the urban cultural landscape,
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with spots such as the Plaza Mayor, Paseo del Arte or the Gran Vía, the
Debod Temple or the Cibeles Palace, the City Archives and the
Municipal Newspaper Library. The cultural institutions that belong to this
public body are: Matadero Madrid, Centro Cultural Conde Duque,
CentroCentro and Medialab. Regarding performing arts: Teatro Español,
Naves del Español, Centro Cultural Fernán Gómez, Teatro Circo Price,
and the Madrid Symphony Municipal Band.
The city of Madrid carried out in the last 30 years a substantial economic investment in
cultural infrastructures, restoring buildings, constructing new ones, and transforming
spaces that were dedicated to other purposes. This has led to a wider cultural offer,
higher attractiveness for the region and the city, higher social inclusion and pride of
belonging. But the economic crisis is directly affecting the local cultural activity and the
impact and scope of such events is still difficult to measure.
In this sense, we can see in the following graph a decrease in the public expenditure in
cultural goods and services from year 2007, coinciding with the beginning of the
financial crisis:
Graph23: Public expenditure (millions of Euros) in cultural goods and services. Source:
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The decrease is even more pronounced when looking at the public co-funding of
research projects:
Graph 24: Total public investment (Madrid Government) in co-funding research projects in the
Madrid region. Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid
Graph 20: Total research projects co-funded by Madrid Government in the Madrid region.
Source: IESTADIS - Statistics Institute of the Community of Madrid
At the moment, no public strategic plans have been made to create a digital cultural
cluster in the Madrid region. From the 12 clusters that already exist in Madrid, the
Spanish Language Platform and Madrid ICT-Audiovisual Cluster, are the ones currently
working in projects related to the cultural and creative industries.
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The government of the Madrid region has been working for years in the creation of an
efficient institutional framework as an effort to position Madrid among the wealthiest
regions in Europe. Nowadays, this institutional fabric is made up of 46 CSIC centers
(Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, www.csic.es, Higher Council for
Scientific Research, it is Spain’s largest public institution in charge of research, and the
third largest of its kind in Europe), 46 Technology Awareness Centers (Centros de
Difusión Tecnológica) promoted by the regional Ministry of Finance and Taxation
(Consejería de Economía y Hacienda), and twenty public research facilities ascribed to
various institutions, as well as an unprecedented initiative in Spain: the Madrid
Institutes for Advanced Research (IMDEA, Institutos Madrileños de Estudios
Avanzados). The IMDEA Institutes (www.imdea.org) are one of the cornerstones of
the institutional framework for scientific and technological research in the Madrid
Community region. This scheme combines public and private supports into a science
landscape driven by social demand. Public Administrations, universities, scientists and
businesses have taken part in the design of this project from the outset. The ultimate
purpose is the fulfilment of the needs of the society through the promotion of R+D+i
activities, and the transfer of their findings to the society at large.
The IMDEA Institutes share unique features that clearly set them apart from any other
prior initiative undertaken in Spain, since they:
1. Work following a policy of non-involvement by the Administration.
2. Operate as a meeting point between public and private interests and funding.
3. Are governed with fully professionalized management.
4. Have a marked global outreach, since they were designed to attract and
welcome world-class scientists.
5. Combine the inherent flexibility of private management with the control and
conscientiousness demanded from the institutions that receive public funding.
Madrid is also venue of other relevant institutions in the R&D and Cultural Heritage
fields such as:
 Madri+d (www.madrimasd.org) is a public-private foundation that centralizes
the information about R&D activities in the Madrid Region related to science,
technology and society and stimulates investigation cross-sectors. The madri+d
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system is a working network gathering together over forty public and private
research institutions, and the main business associations in the region, with a
view to boosting the competitiveness of the Madrid region by improving the
transfer of knowledge and the transformation of such knowledge into
marketable products and services. Under the frame of the European Research
Space, mi+d takes part in the European initiatives linked to technology transfer,
creation of technology-based companies, and advanced scientific-technological
services for the business fabric, leveraging the advancement of the knowledge
created in research centres promoted or supported by the public sector. In the
following Map of Knowledge we can get an overview of the R&D programmes,
groups, laboratories and enterprises currently being developed in the region:
www.madrimasd.org/mapa-conocimiento.
 COTEC Foundation (www.cotec.es) is a business supported institution with a
view to contributing to the promotion of technological innovation and increasing
society’s awareness of technology. Its main objectives are: promotion of
technological culture and an innovative mindset, analysis of the effects of
innovation, and institutional presence.
 Medialab Prado (http://medialab-prado.es/) is a program of the Department of
Arts of the City Council of Madrid, aimed at the production, research, and
dissemination of digital culture and of the area where art, science, technology,
and society intersect.
 Grupo Arqueox Arqueología y Patrimonio (www.grupoarqueox.com) is a
company belonging to the Science Park of Madrid that was created with the aim
to contribute improving the present situation of the Archaeology and Cultural
Heritage field, transforming the sector by new and better products, services and
ideas focused on the research, diffusion and development of our Heritage.
Arqueox carries out policies and measurements focused on the improvement of
the present situation of the Archaeology and Heritage field.
 The SECYR Laboratory belonging to the Autónoma University of Madrid UAM
(http://www.uam.es/ss/Satellite/es/1234886352057/1242656524875/servicio/ser
vicio/SECYR.htm) is the service for the preservation, restoration and scientific
studies on Cultural and Archaeological Heritage.
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 The Madrid Community Telematic Network for Research (Red Telemática
de Investigación de la CM), www.redimadrid.es, is a network providing highcapacity and highly reliable and scalable connectivity to the institutions linked to
it: the six public universities, INTA, CSIC, UNED and the private universities
Europea de Madrid, San Pablo CEU and Alfonso X el Sabio.
Furthermore, 127 Research Groups are dedicated to specific human, historical and
cultural heritage studies, to mention a few: AHAEMPI (study of the Archaeology and
History in the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula), CCRMAB (studies on the Court
and Royal House of the Austrias and Borbons Dynasties), or CSIC History Institute of
the Scientific Research Council.
Madrid Region hosts 16 universities, 7 public and 9 private.
Public Universities:
University of Alcalá (www.uah.es)
The University of Alcalá is a public institution founded by Cardinal Cisneros in
1499. One of Europe’s oldest universities, its alumni include some of the most
famous names of Spanish culture, such as Lope de Vega, Francisco de
Quevedo and Tirso de Molina. Alcalá de Henares was also the birthplace of
Cervantes, the creator of the greatest figure in Spanish literature, Don Quixote
de la Mancha. In recognition both of its cultural importance and its impressive
architectural inheritance, in 1998 the University was declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
The University of Alcalá offers degrees in five branches of knowledge: Arts and
Humanities, Law and Social Sciences, Sciences, Health Sciences, and
Engineering and Architecture. Its approximately 20,000 undergraduate students
are spread across its three campuses:

The Historical Campus houses the humanities, architecture, the social
sciences and law.

Situated on the city’s outskirts, the Science and Technology Campus
is home to the Sciences, including the Health professions, and
Engineering.
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
The Guadalajara Campus is well-connected with both Alcalá de
Henares and Madrid. A variety of degrees in the Social Sciences, Health
Sciences and Architecture are taught there.
Through its Science and Technology Park, the university fosters relations
between the academic world and the business community, thus fomenting the
creation of innovative companies in R+D intensive sectors.
In collaboration with Spain’s Council for Scientific Research, the university is
host to the Prince of Asturias Institute of Molecular Medicine and the Ramón y
Cajal Institute of Biomedicine in collaboration with the Madrid Regional
Government, the Madrid Institute for Advanced Water Research.
Through its own institutes and other research support centres, the university
gives its backing to interdisciplinary research in the fields of the social sciences
and humanities.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (www.uam.es)
Founded in 1968, it is located in the north of Madrid, next to the cities of
Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes. Its main campus, has an area of
2.252.000 square meters.
UAM hosts seven faculties: Science, Law, Philosophy, Psicology, Medicine,
Economics and Business Administration, and Education, and a Technical
College. It also has several research institutes of its own and associated CSIC
centres. According to international rankings it is the Spanish university with the
highest number of sound researchers.
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (www.uc3m.es)
Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) was established by an Act of the
Spanish Parliament on 5 May 1989, within the framework of the University
Reform Act of 1983. From the outset it was intended to be a relatively small,
innovative, public university, providing teaching of the highest quality and
focused primarily on research.
Carlos III University of Madrid consists of three schools: the School of Social
Science and Law, the School of Humanities and the School of Engineering
situated on three different campuses in Getafe, Leganés y Colmenarejo.
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UC3M lecturers have the highest proportion of research results evaluated
favourably by the Ministry of Education out of all Spanish universities (six-year
research periods recognised out of those available). UC3M is one of the top 10
Spanish universities to be awarded European research projects in several
areas, including Information Technology and Communication, Aerospace and
Socio-economic Sciences, and Humanities.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (www.ucm.es)
Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo, Regent of
Castile and alumnus of the General School, established the Complutensis
Universitas (the Latin name of Complutense University), through a Papal Bull
granted by Pope Alexander VI on 13 April, 1499. Cisneros provided the new
university with a vast area of rustic and urban land as a show of his support for
the university.
It has a wide range of faculties: Arts, Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences,
Chemical Sciences, Commerce & Tourism, Dentistry, Economics & Business
Administration Sciences, Education – Teaching and Learning Centre,
Geography and History, Geological Sciences, Information Technology and
Computer Science, Law, Library Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Media &
Communication Science, Medicine, Nursery, Physiotherapy and Podiatry,
Optics and Optometry, Pharmacy, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Political &
Social Sciences, Psychology, Social Work, Statistical Studies and Veterinary
Medicine.
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (www.upm.es)
The Technical University of Madrid (UPM) was founded in 1971 through the
integration of the Higher Technical Schools which up until then made up the
Higher Technical Institutes. The University Schools joined the following year.
However, the origin of the institution dates back much further. Teaching in the
majority of the Centres was established during the reign of Carlos the Third in
the eighteenth century. During these years the Schools were practically the
only ones in our country linked to the teaching of Architecture and Engineering.
For this reason it is no exaggeration to state that a large part of the history of
Spanish technology has been written by the Schools of Engineering and
Architecture.
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The Schools of Technical Forestry, Agriculture, Aeronautics and Technical
Architectural Engineering can be found in the Ciudad Universitaria. The Schools
of Public Works and Technical Industrial Engineering are in the centre of
Madrid. The University Schools of Telecommunications and Computer
Sciences are in Campus Sur. The Higher Centre of Design and Fashion,
attached to the UPM, is also located in the same Campus. The UPM has also
had the Institute of Educational Sciences since 1972.
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (www.urjc.es )
The Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Madrid was created by Law 7/1996,
on 8th July, at the behest of the Government of the Madrid Region. Its medium
term goal is to enrich the students’ individual and social opportunities in the
region of Madrid, with a clear emphasis on international and research matters.
This public university is located in the Southern area of Madrid, with four
campuses at Móstoles, Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada and Vicálvaro. Its educational
offer is distributed through the areas of Health Sciences, Experimental Sciences
and Technology, Communication Sciences, and Law and Social Sciences.
UNED (Universidad de Educación a Distancia – Distance Education
University - www.uned.es)
Since 1972, UNED has sought to translate into action the principle of equal
opportunity in access to higher education through a methodology based on the
principles of distance learning and focused on the needs of the student. With
more than 205,000 students, UNED has the largest student population in Spain
and is one of the largest universities in Europe.
Degrees and Diplomas:

27 bachelor´s degrees adapted to the European Higher Education Area
(EHEA)

45 official university master's degrees adapted to the EHEA

39 doctoral programs adapted to the EHEA

4 general diplomas and 5 technical engineering diplomas (all to be
phased out in 2011-12)

18 licentiate degrees and 3 advanced engineering degrees (all to be
phased out in 2011-12)

110 Ph.D. programs (RD 778/1998 - in the process of being phased out)
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Private Universities
Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio: www.uax.es
Campus of Villanueva de la Cañada
Universidad Antonio de Nebrija: www.nebrija.com
Campus of La Dehesa de la Villa, Campus of La Berzosa
Universidad Camilo José Cela: www.ucjc.edu
Campus Villafranca of Castillo, Urban Campus of Madrid
Universidad CEU San Pablo: www.uspceu.com
Campus of Moncloa, Campus of Montepríncipe, Campus of Argüelles
Universidad Europea de Madrid: www.uem.es
Campus Villaviciosa de Odón, University Campus La Moraleja, Campus Sanitario
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria: www.ufv.es
Campus Pozuelo de Alarcón
Universidad Pontificia Comillas: www.upcomillas.es
Alberto Aguilera building, Cantoblanco building, Nursing College, Physiotherapy
College “San Juan de Dios”
Universidad a distancia de Madrid (UDIMA, Distance University of Madrid)
www.udima.es
U-Tad: www.u-tad.com
University focused on technologies and digital content.
Film Schools
ECAM (Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de
Madrid, Film and Audiovisual School of the Madrid Region) - www.ecam.es
CES (Escuela Superior de Imagen y Sonido) - www.escuelaces.com
TRAZOS (Animation and 3D School) – www.trazos.net
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Higher Art Education
This comprises advanced courses in Design, Music and Dance, Dramatic Arts, and the
Preservation and Restoration of Culture:
Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid
www.educa.madrid.org/web/csm.realconservatorio.madrid
Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático
www.resad.es
Escuela Superior de Canto
www.escm.es
Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales
www.escrbc.com
Conservatorio Superior de Danza “María de Ávila”
www.csdma.es
Escuela Superior de Diseño
www.esdmadrid.org
Private Schools
o
Instituto Superior de Danza “Alicia Alonso” (Dance) - www.isdaa.es
o
C.E.S.
de
Diseño
de
Interiores
de
Madrid
(Design)
-
www.escueladeartesdecorativas.com
o
Centro Español de Nuevas Profesiones (Design) - www.cenp.com
o
C.S. de Diseño de Moda de Madrid (Design) - www.csdmm.upm.es
o
IED Madrid (Design) - http://iedmadrid.com
o
Scaena (Performing Arts) - www.scaena.net
o
C.E. Musical “Katerina Gurska” (Music) - www.katarinagurska.com
o
ESCUELA TAI (Escuela Universitaria de Artes y Espectáculos) - www.escuelatai.com
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Economic actors
Red.es (www.red.es) is the entity, within the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade,
responsible for driving the information society in Spain and for carrying out projects in
line with the strategic priorities set by the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and
the Information Society (SETSI). Red.es interacts with Autonomous Regions, Councils,
Local Entities and the private sector in matters relating to Information and
Communication Technologies.
Madrid Network (www.madridnetwork.org) is a public-private network of institutions
directly or indirectly linked with science and technology, with over 750 associates,
including businesses, research centres, universities and technology centres. Madrid
Network is the umbrella organization that groups the 4 science-technology parks:
TecnoLeganés, TecnoMóstoles, TecnoGetafe and TecnoAlcalá― and the 12 clusters
operating in the Madrid Community: Tourism, Aerospace, Security, ICT and
Audiovisual, Automotive, Health and Wellbeing, Graphic Arts, Renewable Energies,
Biocluster, The Spanish Language Platform, Madrid Logistics Platform, and Madrid
Financial Centre.
Madrid ICT-Audiovisual Cluster (www.madridnetwork.org/red/audiovisual) is a nonprofit association declared an “Innovative Enterprises Group” (AEI) of excellence by the
Ministry of Industry and Tourism. The goals of the Madrid Audiovisual Cluster include:
the promotion of the Madrid Region as a national and international center of excellence
within the ICT and audiovisual markets and to ensure that its members remain at the
forefront of innovation; to stimulate and support knowledge exchange and
collaboration; to encourage new business models in order to stimulate the ICT and
audiovisual sectors; to seek successful and durable new ICT and audiovisual products;
to turn the region into a trend-setter for the ICT and audiovisual industry; and to
contribute to the development of R & D throughout the spectrum of fields related to the
ICT and audiovisual sectors.
FAPAE (Spanish Audiovisual Producers – www.fapae.es) is a non-profit organization
which brings together almost all of the companies dedicated to the production of film
and television in Spain. It is currently made up by approximately 500 production
companies which form associations based on their area of expertise, geography or
other reasons particular to the audiovisual industry. FAPAE acts in representation and
in defense of the professional and business interests of the audiovisual production
sector vis-a-vis all kinds of organizations, public and private bodies, individuals, and
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most especially the State; it also promotes industry research and development, market
studies and analysis, and training activities. Since it was set up in 1991, FAPAE has
earned widespread prestige and recognition based principally on its work negotiating
audiovisual legislation with different government departments, thus facilitating the
growth and stability of a self–sufficient industry, as well as establishing collective
agreements and pacts with other interested parties in the audiovisual world.
AMETIC (www.ametic.es), the Multisectorial Trade Association for Electronics,
Information and Communications Technologies, Telecommunications and Digital
Content Industries (Asociación Multisectorial de Empresas de la Electrónica, las
Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación, de las Telecomunicaciones y de los
Contenidos Digitales), is a national and regional organisation that represents and
defends the interests of its member companies and associations against Spanish and
international institutions – both public and private. AMETIC acts as this group’s
spokesperson vis à vis society and public opinion.
AEDETI (www.aedeti.es), Asociación Española de Empresas de TV Interactiva, it is
the Spanish Association of Interactive TV Companies.
DEV – Desarrollo Español de Videojuegos, (www.dev.org.es), it is the Spanish
Association for the Game and Entertainment Software Development and Publishing
Industry. DEV represents the interests of companies and organizations committed to
the development of this sector and aims to encourage its institutional recognition as a
strategic and high-tech sector, one driving new business models, creating jobs and
acting as an international exponent of our culture.
EGEDA (www.egeda.es) is the collecting society that represents and defends the
interests of audiovisual producers in Spain, arising from the rights that the current
Intellectual Property Act (as amended, dated April 12th 1996) recognises and protects.
EGEDA has the authority of the Ministry of Culture for its activity, which it undertakes
on a non-profit making basis.
COAM (www.coam.org), is the professional association of architects of Madrid.
ANEI (www.a-nei.org), Asociación Nacional de Empresas de Internet, National
Association of Internet Companies.
AMPOS (www.ampos.es), Asociación de Músicos Profesionales de Orquestas
Sinfónicas, Association of Professional Musicians of Symphonic Orchestras.
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Market leaders
Telefónica Content Delivery Network
(www.telefonica.com/cdn/en/sectors/media_content.html) distributes video with the
highest quality, to any device, anywhere in the world.
Vértice 360º (www.vertice360.com), is a group of almost 20 companies dedicated to
the audiovisual services and digital contents production.
Cultural actors
The headquarters of Spain’s main public bodies are based in Madrid. This allows any
initiative to gain wider visibility and impact at political level. In the ICT and Cultural level
relevant institutions are located in Madrid such as:
Museums of world renown and other medium and small museums:

Museo del Prado (www.museodelprado.es), 3,2 million visitors per year

Museo Reina Sofía (www.museoreinasofia.es), 2,4 million visitors per year

Museo Thyssen (www.museothyssen.org), 900.000 visitors per year

Other museums: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Museo
Arqueológico, Museo de Artes Decorativas, Museo Cerralbo, Museo del Traje,
Museo Sorolla, Museo Picasso in Buitrago de Lozoya, etc.
Cultural Heritage main exponents:

El
Escorial
Palace
(http://www.patrimonionacional.es/Home/Palacios-
Reales/Real-Sitio-de-San-Lorenzo-del-Escorial.aspx)

Royal
Palace
Reales/Palacio-Real-de-Madrid.aspx)

Aranjuez
Royal
Palace
Reales/Real-Sitio-de-Aranjuez.aspx)

National Library (www.bne.es)

Arab Walls
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Cultural Institutions:

Instituto Cervantes (www.cervantes.es)

Casa de América (www.casamerica.es), working as a link with the Latin
American culture

Matadero de Madrid (www.mataderomadrid.org)

La Casa Encendida (www.lacasaencendida.es)
Main international fairs and exhibitions:

ARCO International Fair of Contemporary Art
(http://www.ifema.es/ferias/arco/default.html)

Photoespaña (www.phedigital.com)

FICOD Internation Exhibition of Digital Content (www.ficod.es)
Private Cultural and ICT Foundations, to name a few:

Fundación
Mapfre
(www.mapfre.com/fundacion/es/home-fundacion-
mapfre.shtml)

Fundación BBVA (www.fbbva.es)

Fundación Telefónica (www.fundacion.telefonica.com)

Fundación Autor (www.fundacionautor.org)

Fundación Juan March (www.march.es)
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, through its Secretary of State for
Culture,
published
its
General
Strategic
Plan
2012-
2015:http://www.cultura.gob.es/principal/docs/novedades/2012/PlanEstrategicoGeneral
2012-2015.pdf, where it sets the objectives and strategies for the cultural industries for
the forthcoming years.
The Secretary of State for Culture through its Directorate General for Cultural
Industries has three categories of public financing for cultural projects:
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
Subsidizing capital investment, encouraging the modernization and innovation
of cultural and creative industries and to promote and increase the legal supply
of cultural digital content on the Internet

For cultural action and promotion

For the promotion of cultural tourism
Other grants from the Secretary of State for Culture include:

Aids to dance, lyric and music

Aids to theatre and circus promotion

For private non-profit organizations to improve the facilities and equipment of
their historical archives

For private non-profit organizations for the development of historical archival
projects

Support for libraries in the creation and transformation of digital resources and
their diffusion and preservation through digital repositories

For film production and distribution

For cultural cooperation

For books, publication and the promotion of reading

For museums

For the promotion and protection of cultural heritage

For the promotion of Spanish contemporary art
Also, the Madrid City Council launched in July 2012 its Strategic Plan for Culture
2012-2015: http://bit.ly/MNzBOO
Audiovisual SGR (www.audiovisualsgr.com), was founded at the end of 2005 by the
Ministry of Culture through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA)
and the Audiovisual Producers’ Rights Management Association (EGEDA) with the aim
of supporting the audiovisual industry. Audiovisual SGR checks the technical and
financial viability of audiovisual and digital content projects, and in cases which are
approved, facilitates access to financial markets with the best possible terms and
conditions. In addition, they offer assistance and advice throughout the process (public
grants and loans, financial analysis and planning, etc.).
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Policies, financial tools and projects in ICT and CCIs domain:
The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism published in February 2013 the Digital
Agenda for Spain (http://www.agendadigital.gob.es/Paginas/Index.aspx)
Through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information
Society, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, gives public grants called
“Strategic Action Economy and Digital Society” (Acción Estratégica Economía y
Sociedad Digital - AEESD).
These grants (http://www.minetur.gob.es/PortalAyudas/AEESD/Paginas/Index.aspx)
seek to develop the digital economy, reduce management costs in administration and
improve service to citizens, strengthening the Spanish ICT sector as a source of wealth
and employment generation and boosting R&D in industries of the future. Also includes
specific objectives of great importance to Spain as is to incorporate ICT in SMEs,
security, industry or enhance digital content and services and generally to take all the
objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe 2015 and support the 2020.
8.4. Application of ICTs (Good practice models in the SmartCulture field)
In the Madrid Region, there are already some success stories and good practices in
the field of digital culture.
Prado Museum
The PradoMedia (http://www.museodelprado.es/pradomedia) section at the Prado
Museum website is classified into five large areas: Exhibitions, Collection, Education,
Investigation and Games. It offers a broad range of games inviting visitors to discover
its works in detail through conceived entertaining techniques to develop their visual
memory, among other things.
It also gives visitors the opportunity to visit the museum in a dynamic and attractive
way with contents of interest to every age group. The YouTube channel offers users
more than 100 videos on current, past and future exhibitions.
Furthermore, the Prado Museum has recently launched a new application for mobile
devices rich in imagery, with great attention to detail and excellent interaction design. A
total of 400 works are available for viewing and are classified by nationality and the
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period in which they were created. The app clearly focuses on interaction since the top
right hand corner includes a button to enable users to share files on Facebook and
Twitter.
Mapfre Foundation
Mapfre Foundation (www.fundacionmapfre.org)
has created an application to share all the
activities offered by its Institute of Culture and
keep the
public
informed
of
exhibitions,
conferences and publications as well as
cultural initiatives in Spain, Latin America and
Europe.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The Education Department of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Educathyssen,
http://www.educathyssen.org/recursos_educativos) offers a range of video adventures
based on the gamification concept, where art is discovered through storytelling.
Carlos de Amberes Foundation
The
Carlos
de
Amberes
Foundation
(Madrid),
www.fcamberes.org, created a game on Facebook, with a low
budget and in a short space of time, about the temporary
exhibition “Beatlemanía, 50 years later” which increased the
number of followers and visitors to the exhibition by 85%.
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Espacio Fundación Telefónica
The Espacio Fundación Telefónica (a cultural space located in Telefónica’s historic
headquarters in the heart of Madrid), http://espacio.fundaciontelefonica.com, offers the
tool Cultural Surface, which enables users to experience the sensory and semantic
browsing of its vast number of works. Following the intense task of cataloguing and
labeling more than 1.000 artworks comprising the collection, visitors can gain access,
in a remarkable way, to the digitized collections of the works constituting Telefónica’s
artistic, historical and technological heritage. Using various touch-screens, users can
filter their searches by establishing different relationships between works to be able to
visualize the chosen works on another screen.
The museum also offers interactive games through which to explore figurative
sculpture via sensors, or to browse through its collection of portraits via face
recognition software, allowing visitors to link their faces to the painting that most closely
represents their facial expression. Another app invites visitors to navigate and find a
digital interpretation of their favorite artworks based on proximity.
Museum of Romanticism
The exhibition “Los espejos del alma” (The mirrors of the soul) at the Museum of
Romanticism (http://museoromanticismo.mcu.es/) in Madrid includes QR codes that
allow visitors to access a playlist on Spotify of German pieces of music from the
relevant period as a tool to enhance the visitor experience beyond the artworks on
display.
Reina Sofía Museum
The RRS (Reina Sofía Museum Radio, http://radio.museoreinasofia.es/) project has an
interesting approach since the sounds that can be heard on the radio not only aspire to
be an acoustic version of the museum experience, they are also designed to become
new continents that can broadcast the ideas of collection, exhibition and debate to new
territories.
The Reina Sofía Museum has also worked on the idea of an open Museum, a web
Museum, for its future development, contrary to the short-sighted and centripetal notion
of the traditional museum. This institution enjoys a close relationship with various
international institutions such as the MoMA, Tate Modern, the Pompidou Centre, the
Serralves Foundation in Oporto, the Moderna Galería in Lubiana, the Van
Abbemuseum in Eindoven, the Cisneros Foundation and the MUAC in México City,
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among others, all of which are pioneers in experimenting and redefining the philosophy
and purpose of a museum in the 21st century.
Medialab Prado
We are already aware that the reading experience is not the same on screen but the
digital version offers a certain dynamism and interaction which is really appropriate for
artistic contents. The digitalization of contents is also a way of enhancing the value of
an institution by placing its assets at the public’s disposal. Many institutions already
offer their contents in eBook format or as apps for tablets. All the contents at Medialab
Prado (http://medialab-prado.es/) are online and downloadable free of charge.
CA2M (Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo)
Museums and cultural institutions should encourage the participation and contribution
of contents by their users much more than they do now since they are crucial elements
in the web 2.0. For example, why not allow users to choose exhibitions or activities
they would like to see in art galleries? In this context, the CA2M (Centro de Arte Dos de
Mayo or 2nd of May Art Centre – Madrid, www.ca2m.org) team conducted a survey
among their visitors in December 2012 on Facebook, asking them to vote for their
favorite exhibition of the year. These kinds of initiatives are excellent with a view to
obtaining more information on the public’s interests which may also be used when
programming future events.
Culture Apps
The Spanish app MUSEUM allows recognition of art pieces in museums and cultural
institutions.
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PART
II:
PRELIMINARY
ANALYSIS
OF
THE
REGIONAL
SURVEYS
This part includes the preliminary comments regarding the regional survey which was
realized from June to September in each SmartCulture region:
-
Nord-Pas de Calais Region (France), from page 325 to 335.
-
Basque Region (Spain), from page 336 to 352.
-
West-Midlands (UK), from page 359 to 358.
-
Siena/ Tuscany Region (Italy) from page 359 to 374.
-
Sofia District (Bulgaria) from page 375 to 389.
-
Brainport Eindhoven/ North Brabant (Netherlands), from page 390 to399.
-
Central Denmark Region (Denmark) from 399 to 408.
-
Madrid (Spain), from 409 to 415.
The preliminary comments are divided in 3 parts for each region:
1. Preliminary results of the questionnaires:
This pre-analysis is based on the methodology for the analysis of SmartCulture in
regional clusters (deliverable 2.1), especially on the statements (p. 37), in order to
verify them and give an overview of the situation in the regions.
2. Preliminary results of the focus-groups:
According to the questions of the focus-groups put forward by the methodoly
(deliverable 2.1, p. 39) and the results outcome from these debates, we suggest to
report and analyse the following issues debated during the focus-groups:
o
Current state of each sector/sub-sector in each region
o
Key issues faced by the sector/sub-sector locally
o
Perceptions about digital technology (use, impact, benefits and barriers)
o
Collaboration with all the stakeholders of each region
o
Involvement of the local public bodies (public policy, measures & support)
o
Strengths & weaknesses of each region
o
Challenges for the development of SmartCulture of each region.
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3. Preliminary results of the in-depth interviews:
We have highlighted the main issues to be studied for each actors (political, economic
and research).

Involvement of the local public bodies (public policy, measures & support) in the
cultural, ICT, CCI and generally speaking in the SmartCulture field

Local cluster policy initiatives for SmartCulture sectors

Digital technology & Cultural Heritage (use, impact, benefits and barriers)

Collaboration with all the stakeholders of each region

Status of the region (strengths & weaknesses)

Challenges for the development of SmartCulture of each region.

R&D and innovation capacities of each region
These pre-analyses will be developed in the next deliverable and espeacially for the
SWOT analysis.
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1. NORD-PAS DE CALAIS (FRANCE)
1.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaires
The French online questionnaire was sent to more than 650 actors based in the
Nord-Pas de Calais region - 520 were sent to the ITC and CCI sectors, and 130
sent to museums, galleries and other cultural places. All the sectors defined by the
methodology were reached.
Profile of the respondents
Among the 43 questionnaires received by mid-August, we can find:
 19 actors from the ICT sector, including 16 firms and 3 clusters
 14 creative & cultural industries
 12 cultural actors, including 7 museums or galleries and 5 cultural associations
New Media is the most represented sector - most of them are firms from the ICT
sector, which do not necessarily manufacture ICT products, and a few are CCIs.
The other sectors are more or less equally represented: audiovisual sector, cultural
heritage, arts & craft, design, publishing, ICT manufacturing industries, computer
games & software and music.
Market - localisation of the clients
The results of the questionnaire do not verify the statement indicating that the
regional level is the most suited to respond to the needs of the CCIs. The regional
level is indeed suited for some of them, but most of the CCIs (and other
organisations respondents) have clients located in the same country and/or in the
European Union.
The use of new technologies of information and communication might be a reason
for this expansion; in any case, it has to be taken into account before implementing
a new innovation policy towards CCIs.
Finance & funding
The analysis of the replies dealing with the access to finance reveals that another
hypothesis has to be refuted. According to the results, we cannot say that CCIs are
primarily funded by the public bodies. The most important financing source for
CCIs and ICT firms is direct sales/services, which is quite encouraging for their
future development.
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The first obstacle in accessing finance is a lack of time to apply for
grants/incentives, followed by slow procedures for public incentives.
The respondents are torn by the question about the public funding: around 50%
think the public funding is poor or under-funded while the other 50% consider it
reasonable or good. The majority thinks that a specialised public body exists for
the CCIs and ICT firms, but most of them consider the body could be more
effective.
Nevertheless, most of the respondents evaluate positively the ability from the
regional CCIs to attract private funding and investment.
Education
On the issue about local educational system, most of the respondents consider it
good enough for providing the right skills and competences for young people
intending to make career in the CCIs or in the ICT sector, though a sizeable part of
answerers think that the existing programs should be developed and improved,
especially concerning CCIs.
Entrepreneurial culture
Though the methodology puts forward the idea that the CCIs suffer from a lack of
entrepreneurial culture, the results of the questionnaire show the contrary. Most of
the answers are positive on this issue (considering high or fair the level of
entrepreneurial culture for the CCIs) while 25% highlights a lack.
Dealing with technology
According to the answers received, the main objectives when innovating in
technology is :
 Gain efficiency in the production of a service
 Match users demands.
The use of digital technologies in cultural heritage is indeed a way to reconciliate
passive audiences, such as the younger generation, with culture as well as a
solution for efficiency and access, not only for the audience but also for the
professionnals. This statement has been verified during the in-depth interviews
and focus-groups organised with cultural, economic, political and research actors.
However there is a major problem preventing them from adopting digital
technology: the high costs. That has been also underlined during the focus-group
dedicated to cultural heritage. Another barrier is the lack of trained employees to
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the digital technologies, which could be catched by a professional training, as
stated in the methodology.
Knowledge factor
According to the methodology, the most important knowledge factors influencing
the growth of an organisation are linked to information about market opportunities.
The answers from the online questionnaire precisely reveal that the main
knowledge factors obstructing the growth of an organisation are:
 first, the identification of external markets
 the lack of business advice
 the identification of new markets
 the lack of qualified personal.
Coordination between CCIs and ICT
The respondents are quite pessimistic when it comes to the level of networking
and strategic coordination between local CCIs and ICT players: 65% consider it as
not so high, modest or low. And yet, the majority agrees on the interest and
necessity of improving coordination between CCIs and ICT, as reveal the in-depth
interviews and focus-groups.
Resources to be developed
The types of resources that should be further developed are quite similar for the
CCIs and for ICT sector:
 support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds,
which is especially highlighted by the CCIs
 innovation & design accelerators for existing firms
 co-working spaces, which expresses the wish of collaboration between ICT and
CCI
 R&D labs, which also reveals the importance of the triple helix leg.
1.2 Preliminary comments of the focus groups
In Nord-Pas de Calais, 7 focus-groups were organized during June and July with
the following sectors: Audiovisual, New Media, Publishing & printing, Computer
games & software, Cultural Heritage, Cross-disciplinary (see annex 1).
Audiovisual:
This sector is one of the most dynamic in the region, with lots of projects and
partnerships. It benefits from regional public subsidies and from the support of the
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regional political institutions, but participants think that the sector is not structured
well enough.
Seeing that there are several sources of funding in the region, participants to this
focus-group consider that the organization and the coherence between the actors
should be improved. The digital art is funded by the “Interactive Experiences”
Funding.
At the political level, there is a will to support and develop more this field, but there
is no regional strategy at the moment.
The sector has good links with the research; At Plaine Image, a team of specialists
is in place, working in a research cluster open to public, which is the first tester.
New media:
There are several new media companies which are aware of the potential of the
digital culture and which are actually working with the cultural actors, especially
museums and multimedia libraries.
For the participants it is obvious that the everyday technology should be included
in the cultural world too and they say there are a lot of ideas and applicable
projects. They also noticed a development of enterprises specialized in museology
and a concurrence in the region with the other cities or other sectors.
Generally speaking, the inconvenience is that enterprises are focused on the
market and have an international perspective of development and they do not think
about applying their technology to the cultural domain.
There is a need of coordination between the political and economic action and
strong political initiatives.
The biggest issue that the sector meets in its relationship with the cultural actors is
the mentality and the reluctance of the curators. Besides, the obstacle comes from
the fact that the cultural actors are not having technological competencies and do
not understand the use of the new technologies.
Secondly, the economic and cultural world is functioning with two different
economic models and logics. Economic actors are obliged to always renew
themselves unlike the cultural actors who do not have an economic logic, because
their budget is coming from funding and subsidies.
The R&D is made internally because the collaboration with the laboratories and
research centers is long and complicated in France.
The call for proposals is a good solution but there are some negative sides like the
copyright and the intellectual property. Besides, the enterprises do not have the
human resources and the time for it.
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Publishing & printing:
In France the digital book is a new market with no long term vision and there is
little public support. It represents only 2% of the market and 22% in the USA.
Today actors are working on the enrichment of the digital book. The role of the
publisher and of the author is reinventing today.
The actual issue is the regulatory framework and the law on the unique price of the
book.
Today in France there is no market and no offer, so no public. The sector is also
facing a difficulty in finding the funds and investors because the market is new.
The regional support is divided. There is a training organization for helping
responding to these mutations.
At Plaine Images there is a laboratory and exchanges, but once again, the R&D is
made internally because the collaboration with the laboratories and research
centers, even if it is important, is long and complicated.
They are actually working on a roadmap for including this interaction of the
publishing with the digital. A strategy will be integrated in the plan 2020 of the
Regional Strategy for Innovation.
A research lab on the usages would be very useful to the image of the one existing
in Paris which is more advanced than Nord-Pas de Calais Region: there is a
laboratory who gathers incubator and research on the usages.
Computer games:
This sector is dynamic too, it benefits of a laboratory (Labo Test and Play In Lab)
and is presented as an industry with an artistic and cultural dimension. The serious
games are used for cultural mediation.
The mutation in the video games is well supported in the Region and the public
accompaniment is very important, together with the support provided by the
regional clusters.
Today we are living a democratization of video games and an opening of the public
and the decision making actors. The major issue is that the new technologies are
developing very fast and the public order (at a cultural level) is delayed, so there is
a gap between the political actors, the economic ones, the technologies and the
users.
There is also a gap between the curator’s schools (which are classical) and the
technological reality; the curators do not always have the good competencies to
understand the new technologies and the usages of it.
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The R&D is made internally because of the lack of time and resources to dedicate
to a with a research center.
There are good trainings/schools and universities in this field in the Region. The
challenge is to put across the political actors the need to constantly adapt the
public policies, the subventions and the accompaniment.
Cultural Heritage:
There are museums which already established a team dedicated to mediation and
conservation of the works thanks to new technologies.
In the region, the digital inventory and digitalization started very early in the 90s
and a database was created in the framework of a European project which
federated the museums.
Musenor Association worked on the digitalization of the works which are available
on their website and they have projects of cultural mediation.
The museums are predominantly working with the social media, on the marketing
and communication strategy, mobile applications and so on, because it is simpler
and cheaper. The mediation or the work with the collections is more expensive and
more difficult.
The museums do not have professional competences internally, so they are
discovering and doing all by themselves. They are open to innovation, but do not
have the proper competencies and the lack of financial means is a problem for
them. The curators and the museums’ personnel are not trained in the field of new
technologies and sometimes even have difficulties in using the computer and
internet. There is a lack of internal competencies.
There is awareness and a will to adapt to the technological innovation, but the
problem is financial too.
The cultural actors are predominantly financed by the public institutions and the
biggest problem for them is the lack of financial means. According to the source of
their subventions, some museums are financed more than others. They do not
have the same funders so there is no natural coordination and interaction between
the actors.
Thirdly, the legal framework (copyright and intellectual property), which is
complicated and not the same at the European level, is an obstacle for them too.
They are willing of an action plan and a state of the art and they need to be
accompanied with the new technologies, because they do not know how to make a
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choice. They also need to see what is done abroad, they need to see projects and
take contact with a network.
The cultural actors are also questioning about how the public will absorb this
technological mediation. They think that new technologies can also play a role in
the accessibility of disabled persons.
Design:
It is a very competitive domain, but less supported and less funded by the public
policies. The public policies and the subventions diminished in the framework of a
general reduction of the budget and there are less financial means, a delay of the
subventions which is dangerous for the enterprises. The subventions are not a
stable source of income. The financial sources are: private, public, banks. Yet, it is
difficult to have support for the pure creation. The actors are doing innovation by
their own.
There is a will to collaborate with actors from different sectors, but it is difficult to
work with the research laboratories because the time scale is not the same (longer
for the labs) and the objectives are different.
They think we should readapt the public policies and the subventions and the calls
for proposals and tenders.
The funders do not know well enough the different regional structures and their
role and activity, there is a communication problem.
There is a will to create the synergy between the artistic, the creative, the industrial
and the heritage.
Cross-disciplinary:
The cross-disciplinary focus-group confirms that the innovative projects are not
concentrated only in the Lille Metropole area, but dispersed in the entire Nord-Pas
de Calais Region, with the good practice models of the City of Calais. It
demonstrates that the innovation in the cultural domain is possible when there are
financial means (European funds in this case) and human resources dedicated to
it. There are several projects in the Region, like digitalization of collections or like
the digital European library.
But it remains the issue of the legal framework, the copyright issue and the
intellectual property issue.
The technological innovation is very expensive and the biggest issue is, for the
participants, the lack of financial means.
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The relationship with the economic and cultural actors must lay on trust and
confidence; the cultural actors must understand the interest of the technological
innovation.
At the Louvre-Lens museum they are experimenting new projects, in cooperation
with Japanese partners on the topic of digitalization.
They agree that these new technologies and new tools induce new local
competencies and new trainings.
There is the question of the public: how will the public act when facing to all this
cultural information coming from several sources? Public must have the
opportunity to choose and the new technologies must remain the tools, not the
objective.
They agree that an opening towards other European countries can provide a
useful model in the SmartCulture field.
General conclusion of the focus group:

There is a general will to create the synergy between the artistic, the
creative, the industrial and the heritage.

The coherence between the political actors and the public funding could be
improved.

The support measures are especially focused on the creation and the
production but less on the access to the market and marketing.

There is a limited cooperation between the sectors.

The R&D is made internally because the collaboration with the laboratories
and research centers is long and complicated in France, the time scale is
longer for the labs and the objectives are different.

The museums are willing to innovate but they identify two problems: lack of
financial means and lack of human resources and internal competencies.

The trainings for the curators are too classical and lagged, the curators are
not trained and do not know how to face the new technologiesà a solution
could be to adapt the training of the curators.

The legal framework which is not the same at European level (copyright,
intellectual property etc) is an obstacle to the digitalization and to the
European networks and cooperation.
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
Need to encourage the creation of test/ demo labs and the interaction and
cross fertilization between the economic, scientific, technological and
cultural actors.
1.3 Preliminary comments of the in deep interviews
15 interviews were organised in June and July in Lille (France) with experts from
the political, economic and research/education fields (see annex 1).
Political actors:
The political actors consider that the public policy is well developed, rich and
structured in the field of ICT and CCI. The regional strategy in these fields is
described in the “Regional Strategy for Innovation” (SRI) and the “Regional
Strategy for Economic Development” (SRDE).
Public institutions are supporting, since 1974, the cultural structures and the artists
thanks to a cultural policy of an amount of about 55 million euros every year.
Yet, in the cultural field and particularly in the field of the digital culture there is no
regional strategy defined, but there is a will to improve the access to culture.
Therefore, a new cluster, the Digital Cluster for Culture was created in June to
accompany the projects in the field of digital culture. There is a political will to
develop this cluster which should gather in one place the enterprises, the research
and the trainings dedicated to the digital culture.
ICT and ICC are well accompanied by the regional public institutions, through the
clusters and regional competitiveness/excellence centres and several financial
tools, calls for proposals and incentives are organized in the region. Over the last
years we notice an evolution towards the research and the innovation and the
creation of centres of excellence dedicated to innovative projects.
The political actors are quite open to the digital culture and to bring technological
innovations in the cultural field, but they are warning about the question of usages
and the impact on the public from a social and human point of view.
As for the collaboration with the other regional stakeholders, there are good
relationships and good knowledge of the actors from the economic domain
(clusters, competitiveness and excellence centers, enterprises) and the research
and universities. They are actually taking part to several European projects and
this is important for them.
Political actors consider that the benefits from good policies for the enterprises,
good universities and trainings, but it suffers from a lack of attractiveness and
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there is room of improvement for the R&D in order to bring closer the research and
the economic actors.
There is also some work to be done in order to improve the collaboration and to
harmonize the different regional structures (“there are about forty regional
structures accompanying the creation of enterprises”) but also improve the
collaboration across the region, to look into what the other regions are doing and to
take part to other European projects.
Economic actors:
In the region there are already projects done by economic actors in the field of the
access to culture through the contactless technologies for instance.
The economic actors are willing to be involved in the development of the digital
culture, but they think that the challenge is to work on the mentality of the public.
They are very open and eager to contribute to the development of the digital
culture; some of them have already started innovative projects in this field and
cooperation with the cultural actors.
The economic actors consider that there are good universities, schools and
training in the region, good fundamental research, but there is room for
improvement in the applicative research. There are few private research centres
and the region is underfunded in terms of researchers. The R&D is under
developed. Besides, there are problems of divergent time scales in the
collaboration between the enterprises and the research labs.
Several economic clusters are also proposing trainings adapted to the needs of the
companies.
There are good relationships and constructive cooperation with the clusters and
the research actors, as well as with the political actors. The political actors are
involved from a political and financial point of view in the regional economic
development.
Research actors:
In the Nord-Pas de Calais Region there are various research labs, specialized in
different research fields, mostly of them financed by public institutions (the State).
The research actors are working or have already worked on technologies that can
be applied to the cultural field or they are actually working with the artists. The
work with the artists allows them to test the results.
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There are also several projects related to culture which are tested in the labs, but
which remain at this stage in the labs and are not implemented.
Actually there are several teams of experts working on the issue of the art, digital
art and digital culture. These kind of projects implemented in the field of the digital
culture are not always gainful in terms of money, but they are very profitable in
terms of visibility.
Nord-Pas de Calais is the second region in terms of amount of funding provided by
the State for the research, a region known for its capacity of innovation and the
diversity of the projects; the research labs and centers have a good reputation, but
there is a lack of researchers due to the faint attractiveness of the region.
They think that the collaboration of the research labs with the enterprises is not
always easy and simple, because of the time scale which is not the same for the
labs and the enterprises.
The research actors also think that the collaboration between the various regional
research centres is quite weak and it should be improved. They estimate that
today there is too much competition in this domain.
The issue with the new technologies is that they are progressing very rapidly and
the technologies of today can become obsolete very quickly.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS OF THE INTERVIEWS:

There is a good public policy and support for the economic actors, in the
field of ICT and CCI, but there is no defined strategy in the digital culture
field. Though there is a political will to develop this field (eg. The Digital
Cluster for Culture)

There is a good general relationship between the economic, the research
and political actors, but the collaboration between the enterprises and the
research labs could be improved.

There are several projects in the cultural field implemented by the research
labs or by the clusters and enterprises themselves.

The applicative research and the private R&D is under developed.

There is a need to work on the question of usages and the impact on the
public from a social and human point of view.
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2. BASQUE REGION (SPAIN)
2.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaire per regional context
The Basque online questionnaire was sent to more than 320 actors based in the
Basque Country region 260 were sent to the ITC and CCI sectors, and 60 sent to
museums, galleries and other cultural places. All the sectors defined by the
Among the 43 questionnaires received by September, we can find various
companies and non-profit organizations, including 3 cultural foundations.
Audiovisual is the most represented sector followed by Design. The other sectors
are more or less equally represented: new media, cultural heritage, architecture,
publishing, ICT manufacturing industries, computer games & software and music.
The results of the questionnaire show that most of the respondents have clients
located in the same country or in the European Union so the results refute the
hypothesis that the regional level is the most suited to respond to the needs of the
CCIs.
for this expansion.
Finance & funding
The results dealing with the access to finance are clear. The most important
financing source for CCIs and ICT companies or associations is direct
sales/services for almost all the respondents. None of them have public incentives
as their primary source of financing. These results are promising for the future
development of the sectors.
Respondents point out that public fund shortage and risk aversion from financial
institutions is their main obstacle in accessing finance.
The results about the public funding show that almost none of the firms think that
the public funding is good or adequate: most of them think that the funding is poor
followed by the ones that think that the funding is reasonable given the current
financial situation.
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The majority thinks that a specialised public body exists for the CCIs and ICT
clusters, but most of them consider that the public body could be more effective.
Finally, almost 50% of the respondents consider that the ability from the regional
CCIs to attract private funding and investment is limited against the 25% that think
that the possibilities are very high.
Education
On the issue about local educational system, most of the respondents think that
there are some programs to provide skills and competences for young people
intending to make career in the CCIs or ICT sector but they think that they are not
good enough, especially for CCIs.
The entrepreneurial culture is good according to the received results, especially for
ICTs. Most of the answers are positive on this issue but they consider that the level
is significantly lower for CCIs as around 25% think that it is poor.
According to the answers received the main objective when innovating in
technology is matching user demands with more 50% of the votes.
Nevertheless, there is a big problem preventing contacted firms from adopting
digital technology: the high costs. This problem has been pointed out in some of
the organized focus groups. The second problem identified in this questionnaire is
the lack of trained employees, which should be solved by improving educational
programs.
Knowledge factor
The answers from the online questionnaire reveal that the main knowledge factors
obstructing the growth of the organizations are:
 Identification of new markets
 Identification of external markets
 The lack of network
The rest of the factors are: lack of business advice, lack of access to knowledge,
lack of access to technology and lack of qualified personal.
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The results are not clear when it comes to the level of net networking and strategic
coordination between local CCIs and ICT players: around 30% think that the level
is not high and other 30% think that it is somewhat high.
The types of resources that should be further developed for the CCIs are these:
 Innovation & design accelerators for existing firms
 Support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds
 Knowledge transfer centres
 Production/studio spaces
The priorities for ICTs are:
 Innovation & design accelerators for existing firms
 R&D laboratories
 Support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds
5 focus-groups were organised in July and September in the Basque Country.
Here are the participants who were involved in the discussion:
Publishing and printing:
Current state of the sector in the Basque Country region
Nowadays, users get information from several sources and not only from the mass
media what increases their expectations and creates a more segmented audience.
This caused a change in publishing and printing business model.
The key issues faced by the sector locally are: the high amount of available
information and the low prices cause the degradation of the value of the created
content; the creation of content in Basque is not profitable due to the limited target
audience; the rapid growth in ICT use leaves the sector in the region without a
defined business model.
There is an oversupply of information so a differentiating factor must exist in the
created product.
Some professionals within the sector see the ICTs as a problem or a threat but
also as a way to offer new services and new business formulas.
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The participants identify the need for investigating new formats and devices to
obtain creative solutions instead of reactive ones.
To promote the collaboration between stakeholders, the business association
Langune was created. It is an association of Basque Country companies belonging
to the Language Industry sector.
Recently, Hekimen was created, an association for collaboration between
communication media in Basque.
Participants agree that there are few public incentives and grants for investigation,
they usually do not have time to apply and the procedures are very slow. Several
companies ask for inter institutional support to obtain access to European
incentives.
In this focus group these strengths were identified in the region:

Existence of qualified professionals in the sector.

Stakeholders’ will to collaborate, define objectives in common and adapt
the contents to suit the consumer’s needs.
These are the identified main weaknesses:

Adaptation to ICTs is very expensive due to development expenses for
different devices.

The target audience is very limited for content in Basque.

Difficulties to invest in investigation because of the current financial
situation.

Reduction of investments in Advertising, sector’s main source of income.

Publishing and printing have a defined target audience and that is why the
internationalization is difficult or not applicable.
The main challenge for this sector is to promote the collaboration between different
sectors to obtain new formulas and to design a competitive business model.
The participants propose the French market as a role model.
Computer games and software:
Computer games and software sector is resurging in the Basque Country after a
period of decline in the 90s. Currently there are many active projects in the region
and it has a promising future according to the participants.
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The main issues faced by the sector locally are the lack of public and private
funding and the lack of understanding about the possibilities the sector could bring.
The sector exists thanks to digital technology; there is no doubt about its
importance.
Collaboration with all the stakeholders of the Basque Country region
To develop a videogame industry in the region of the Basque Country several
companies created the Basquegame association. Its aim is to support its members
in issues such as training, collaboration and internationalization.
All the participants in the focus group agree that there is a lack of political will and
strategic vision from government for the role that videogames and software can
play in the region's economy.
Public bodies must understand the potential of the sector and increase grants. At
the same time, they ask for faster official procedures and benefits and lower taxes
for start-up companies.
These are the main strengths identified in the focus group:

Existence of qualified professionals interested in developing their career in
videogames and software companies.

Sector’s promising future as it is considered an emerging sector.

Existence of possibilities of cooperation with many different sectors.
Weaknesses:

Lack of a strong company that would boost the sector

Lack of incentives for distribution and marketing.

Lack of private financing (Business Angels) or public/private funding
models.
According to the participants, main challenges for the development of
SmartCulture are encouraging collaborations between companies from different
sectors, promoting sector’s possibilities to obtain both public or private funding and
creating a leading company capable of boosting the sector’s visibility.
Audio-visual and new media
Due to the current financial situation the sector is undergoing a period of
subsistence, there is a lack of business model that makes the future uncertain.
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Region’s audio-visual sector has had the Basque public media group EITB as its
centre and engine. Current financial situation weakens this group and it can no
longer carry the weight of the audio-visual sector in the Basque Country.
The participants agree that nowadays the use of ICTs is not an option but an
obligation and companies assume that they must use technology in their
processes.
They claim that thanks to ICTs both production and distribution in their companies
are much easier.
There is an audio-visual cluster in the Basque Country called Eiken formed by
firms with activity related to the sector and based in the region. Its aim is to
consolidate the sector and help its members' competitiveness.
It is noted that there is little support from public institutions and there is a feeling
that only traditional industrial fields receive public funding. The participants ask for
more recognition for the audio-visual sector.
Initiatives to boost the sector such as Kimuak, a program to support short films, are
highly valued and another one should be created to support feature films.
Strengths:

Basque Country has enough ability and talented professionals who bring
new ideas.
Weaknesses:

Lack of financing and a strong business model

Sector too centred in the EITB media group

Bad or non-existent product marketing
The participants involved in the discussion highlighted the following challenges:

We must retain talented professionals offering opportunities to develop
their career in the region.

Internationalization should be one of the priorities for the companies.

Different countries must work together to find a type of content suitable for
different regions and cultures.

Improving marketing strategies should be a priority.

We must encourage collaboration between different sectors’ companies to
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share ideas.

We should adapt audio-visual companies’ narrative talent to other sectors
applications as a measure to improve transversality between fields.
Cultural heritage
Over the past few years the Basque Country has made a big technological
progress and has developed museum information systems, library management
systems, cultural diffusion projects etc.
ICTs are perceived as great help and very useful tools for many processes. Some
of the participants think that using ICTs is not an option but an obligation; it is
assumed that they must use them.
Collaboration between stakeholders of the sector is non-existent and a creation of
a cluster or association has not been considered so far.
According to the participants, public bodies view culture as an expense and not as
a sector that can create employment and more income.
Strengths:

Technologies are well established in museum management
Weaknesses:

Lack of business management skills in most of the professionals.

ICTs use is not established in citizenship

Poor marketing of created products and services
Challenges to accomplish in the future include better training in business
management, promoting the use of ICTs for better cultural diffusion and creating
links and collaborations between companies from different ICC sectors.
Cross-disciplinary
Currently the region is in a bad economic situation due to the financial crisis and
for this reason local public bodies need to make a clear commitment on supporting
the sector.
According to Iñigo Kortabitarte these are our region’s main problems

The agents network is oversized

The business model is too tight

Lack of ‘return of investment’ mentality
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ICTs have completely changed the cultural sector and the way we work has
undergone a transformation in the last 10-20 years. There are many powerful tools
that make the creation process easier.
For small companies the access to these tools can be difficult because it involves
a high investment.
Currently, there is little collaboration between stakeholders but they are aware that
this must be changed creating spaces for networking and knowledge sharing.
Public incentives are basically aimed at industrial sectors and cultural grants are
very scarce and difficult to obtain. There is not a clear commitment on culture as in
other countries.
The attendees ask public institutions not to be an obstacle, to lead a few clear
commitments and to create quality spaces for international entrepreneurship.
Strengths:

There are good professionals, talent and working capacity

There is a good basis to build our future
Weaknesses:

The region is small and has many small companies.

The sector is centred in the region, there is a lack of international vision.

Lack of business management training

Lack of design schools
The main objectives outlined in the focus group were putting the sectorization
aside and obtaining competitiveness through transversality.
These challenges were also considered:

Internationalization of our companies

Application of the dual educational system, combining study and
apprenticeships in companies

Realization of projects using the Basque language

Depoliticization of the culture
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2.3 Preliminary comments of the in-depth interviews
10 interviews were organised in September in the Basque Country.
Political actors
Fomento de San Sebastian, as the company responsible for the sustainable
economic development of San Sebastián and its surrounding area, has as one of
its objectives to link commercial activities of the city with the culture. It is
implementing
measures
to
support
internationalization,
collaboration
and
aggregation with ICC sector companies.
Several measures are being taken: to improve training, to encourage
entrepreneurship by reward systems and to help in internationalization processes.
To boost local audio-visual and multimedia industry the Audio-visual Pole was
established and the Pi@ building was created to offer the companies the space
and infrastructure needed to develop their activity.
As additional support, to retain and attract research talent Fomento de San
Sebastián created the Talent House project.
The union between CCIs and ICTs is very interesting as new technologies provide
professionalization to the cultural sector's companies.
Connecting citizens with the culture is very important and this is easier thanks to
ICTs.
There is no real collaboration between stakeholders in the region.
Strengths:

The region has talented professionals related to ICTs and CCIs
Weaknesses:

Lack of professionals in business management
One of the challenges is to seize the opportunity provided by Donostia 2016 to
boost CCI and show the city and the region as an international reference. To
achieve this, we must implement measures to define a local strategy.
Moreover, we should encourage collaborative and cooperative culture at business
and institutional level.
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Basque Government – Department of Cultural Heritage
We have to generate structures that respond to the new situation and create public
services that take into account sector’s new needs.
We are in a new era and both public administration and private sector must adapt
to it.
Speaking about measures is not significant; we have to know the strategic
positioning of the institutions responsible for taking those measures.
There are two main challenges: defining a political commitment and encouraging
the collaboration.
Nowadays, we are learning to give more importance to industries that generate
immaterial products and services and not only to traditional industries. This
provides value to the result from the combination of CCIs and ICTs.
Historically, an innovation system in culture does not exist. We must generate an
infrastructure to innovate in culture via ICTs.
There is very little cooperation between stakeholders in the region, one of the
objectives should be to encourage collaboration both inter institutional and
entrepreneurial.
Strengths:

Developed society

High cultural level of the citizens

Culture is region’s identity element
Weaknesses:

Lack of strategy

Lack of cohesion in the sector

High territoriality

Challenges for the development of SmartCulture in the Basque Country
region
Main objectives for the Cultural Heritage Centre are creating an online library,
developing a plan to publish institutional publications and to apply common
standards to all the contents that are being generated.
In addition to this, defining a political commitment is a key factor to develop ICTCCI.
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The cultural sector has to work with greater cohesion internally. Currently, there is
high territoriality in the region and that decreases its possibilities. This cohesion
would make internationalization easier.
San Sebastian European Capital of Culture 2016 could be a boost for the culture in
the region but currently the project has neither a strategy nor link to local cultural
policy.
Finally, collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders should be initiated
and encouraged.
Economic actors
BEAZ - Business Innovation Centre
Currently the information and communication technologies have great impact in
production and distribution processes and they are a great support for company’s
internationalization process.
A support measure implemented by Provincial Government of Bizkaia is Bizkaia
Creativa, created to encourage the creation of new projects in creative companies
from Bizkaia and generate a powerful creative sector.
In order to help the collaboration between all the stakeholders, the Bilbao Bizkaia
Design and Creativity Council (BIDC) is created led by Provincial Government of
Bizkaia, Bilbao City Council and Basque Government. The aim of the council is to
promote economic development, employment generation and international
projection via CCIs.
The CCI sectors in the region are highly fragmented with limited economic impact.
Nevertheless, there are many qualified young professionals interested in
developing their careers in CCIs.
The main challenge for the development of SmartCulture in the Basque Country
region is the creation of leading projects that boost the different CCI sectors.
International cooperation between companies should be another objective to
accomplish.
EITB (Basque Public TV) - Engineering and Exploitation Department
ICTs make citizens’ access to culture much easier.
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For this reason, nowadays users are closer to the culture and the evaluation is
very positive.
EITB participates in several projects in collaboration with other stakeholders such
as Tabakalera and the University of the Basque Country.
EITB has made an effort to digitize their contents and they share with other
stakeholders the knowledge acquired in the process: Basque Government and
Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa.
We are not aware of public incentives or grants because we do not have access to
them.
Strengths:

Citizens’ proximity to culture thanks to ICTs
Weaknesses:

Lack of coordination and union between stakeholders to define an action
plan
Currently, the key agents to develop a good strategic plan are institutions: Basque
Government, Provincial Governments, City Councils, museums, libraries etc.
Future steps should be finishing EITB's content digitization and making them
publicly accessible and this way promote the free culture.
San Sebastian European Capital of Culture 2016
ICTs have completely changed the social paradigm creating new ways to produce
content and distribute it in different formats.
Technologies are replacing artists' classic tools with computers and this opens
many possibilities. New models to access to the culture are proposed, free culture
at the disposal of citizenship.
The new term Produser is created as a combination of producer and user to refer
to the user-led content creation.
The public administration is not acting to stimulate the knowledge society and the
free culture, and it is restricting many contents created with public financing such
as doctoral thesis, contents recorded by EITB etc.
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Institutions are maintaining obsolete models and they are not seizing the moment
to favour the approach to the culture.
Currently we are working on the European Capital of Culture project Donostia
2016 and it can be a big change and boost for the city and the region in general.
Donostia 2016 organizes Hirikia, a transmedia laboratory to share open culture
thanks to the enormous possibilities offered by new technologies.
Despite the big opportunities provided by the project, Donostia 2016 will not be
able to solve existing structural problems that require further agreements.
The main challenge is having a universally applicable technology; free, open and
shared that can make citizens share knowledge and make it distributive.
Furthermore, we must show the public administration the democratizing and
distributing power of ICTs.
Finally, to complement the current education system, training in the use of
technologies should be added.
Tabakalera - International Contemporary Culture Centre
Nowadays, digital culture and ICTs are completely changing citizens' behaviour
and access to culture. They allow citizens to communicate, to create content and
to take part in decision making.
It is necessary to create a cluster or association to make a diagnosis of application
needs and to see where researches should lead.
ICTs applied to culture trigger the social change; the person is part of a community
able to generate a change in society.
Tabakalera collaborates with:

University of the Basque Country, specifically with engineering and
computer science faculties, to share knowledge and development capacity.

European Network of Cultural Centres, to promote the creator culture,
digital fabrication and to organise different activities related to culture such
as Summer of Labs.
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She claims she does not know in depth public policy initiatives developed in the
region although she has the perception that they are delayed with respect to the
technological development.
Strengths

High commitment to research and development

High importance given to cultural sector

High capacity for development and innovation

European capital of Culture Donostia 2016 can be an important boost for
the region
Weaknesses

Current financial situation
The most important challenge for the region is creating less regulated spaces,
hybrid laboratories between universities and cultural institutions. Combining
different profiles is the key to create innovative ideas.
An important objective for Tabakalera is the digitization of contents to create a free
digital library.

Research actors
University of the Basque Country - Faculty of Social and Communication
Science
New technologies are used by a large part of the population and it is very
important to define the objective for which they are used.
The user is no longer just a spectator in creative and cultural processes and with
his preferences he is forcing the audio-visual field to adapt.
There are many actors in the region to generate elements in CCIs: EITB,
University of the Basque Country, Tabakalera etc.
The NOR research group was created to investigate about the communication and
local television structure, television in European minority languages and collective
identity.
Due to political reasons, there have not been great synergies between
stakeholders in the region.
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There are collaborations between different faculties in the university: social and
communication sciences, advertising and publicity, engineering etc.
Due to the current financial situation, capital injection from public bodies is not
sufficient. An objective must be defined as well as the steps to achieve it.
Key actors in the region are political agents, cultural agents, academic agents end
economic agents and it must be defined which are each one's functions.
Another task is to consider how to use Donostia 2016 project to strengthen the
region to be an international reference.
University of Mondragon (HUHEZI ) - Communication Faculty
Currently, we are in a process of change in paradigm towards what is called
Convergence Culture. We have changed from a monopolistic culture, with few
mass media companies, to a multipolar culture with many content creators.
Links must be created between people and big content creators.
ICT-CCI development is a priority and we must commit to areas that require
qualified professionals as we cannot compete with countries like China or India in
unskilled jobs.
University of Mondragon has established relations with Basque Government, EITB,
Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa and Goiena.
The public institutions are not involved in the development of SmartCulture; we
need public financing and commitment to a risk and investment culture.
Strengths:

There is a wide range of formation in the region related to CCIs

University of Mondragon is promoting final degree projects where students
can unleash their creativity.

There is a good business fabric

We have talented and qualified professionals
Weaknesses:

Financial situation

Lack of financing
We must support a creative ecosystem between economic agents, educational
agents and public institutions.
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We must incorporate creativity and innovation to our curriculum.
University of Deusto - Faculty of Communication
We are involved in a qualitative change; the massive introduction of ICT caused a
structural change in society. Main changes are in:

Habits of sociability of youth

Business structures

Professional roles

Consumer preferences
We need to generate technology watching what is happening to the users and to
professional sectors.
A digital gap exists but it is not necessarily generational, diverse generations have
different reactions to the technology.
In schools and universities, the teacher’s role is changing because of the
introduction of the ICTs. Teachers used to give content to the students but
nowadays, they are advisors or mentors who help them to find information by
themselves.
Existing capacities are high, there are good research centres and good
universities.
Otherwise, we need more research support and not to be focused only on
development and innovation.
The local public bodies are giving reasonable support and incentives given the
current financial situation.
Moreover, a change in the development model is necessary and commitment to
sectors other than construction and tourism.
Strengths:

Spirit open to innovation and entrepreneurship

Friendly perception about technology

Strong technological centres and universities

Medium-high educational level

High audio-visual and musical culture
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Weaknesses:

Current financial situation

Lack of meditation about the need to innovate
Provide sustained support over time to sectors with slow return of investment.
Make long term plans and commit to fields we want lead in the future.
Decisions must be made, we cannot be leaders in all sectors.
CENTA - School of Audio-visual technologies
The founders of CENTA School perceived a lack of specific training in the region
and that is why they decided to create the school.
Current research activities must adapt to the new way of working, as the use of
technology nowadays is not an option but an obligation. Besides, it offers many
advantages as reduction of costs and effectiveness.
Nowadays, the youth have internalized the use of ICTs and consumer habits are
changing. For this reason, traditional forms of storytelling must change and we
should adapt to emerging trends as connected television and second screen.
Universities and specific schools like CENTA should work together to offer
complementary study plans. This way, students would receive both theoretical and
practical training.
We would like to collaborate with universities to complement their educational
offer.
Given the current financial situation, public incentives are reasonable.
Strengths:

Commitment to technological innovation from public institutions.

Existence of very talented professionals in the region.
Weaknesses:

Current financial situation.
An important measure would be subsidizing courses offered to workers to have
better prepared professionals.
Another challenge for the future is creating synergies between companies.
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3. WEST- MIDLANS (UK)
3.1 Preliminary results of the online questionnaires
The UK online questionnaire was sent to more than 500 actors based in the West
Midlands covering the ITC and CCI sectors, museums, galleries and other cultural
organisations including Public & Private entities. All the sectors defined by the
Among the 28 questionnaires received we can find:
- 11 actors have Limited Company status, 4 Freelance/sole traders, 9 not for profit
and 2 public bodies.
- 9 have been established for more than 20 years, 2 between 11- 20yrs and the rest
less than 10
- 5 Actors listed their primary activity as Cultural Heritage of which 1 was listed as a
Ltd Company, 15 were ICT of these 5 were from the Audio Visual sector.
- 18 of the actors did not belong to an industry /trade body or association.
There was an even number of responses from Cultural Heritage and Audio Visual
sector with the closest number being represented by Arts & Crafts of which most
listed themselves as Non Profit.
Market and entrepreneurship:
The CCI in the West Midlands were seen predominantly as having a fair – high
level of entrepreneurial culture when compared to a national average. The data
shows only 2 answers providing polar extreme viewpoints in this area. This is a
similar percentile split for the ICT sector.
Both CCI & ICT were perceived as supported and encouraging of new business by
the local business environment.
There is a low level of international networking in both CCI & ICT and as sectors
they are with a primary target market given as other enterprises and cultural
organisations in the most part followed by General Public /Tourism.
There is an equal split between those who do sell /provide products or services
internationally and those who do not with nearly all clients located in the same
country/ locality and only 1 listed as outside the EU.
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Finance & funding
All participants gave a view of the CCI ability to attract private investment &
funding. Of these 12 felt that it was rare for private investment, 5 that is would be
an exception to find it and less than half felt it could be found for good projects –
though not ‘easy’.
This was very similar in proportion of answers with ICT industries where less than
half felt their sector could attract the investment for good projects. This support
was unlikely to be from a Bank/Financial body with only 4 of the 28 responses
saying this was an area of support.
Of all answers only 1 stated that they had not applied for funding in the last four
years, with the majority citing public grants as the most adequate tool to increase
financial opportunities.
Surprisingly there is a roughly equal view that the level of public funding is either
too low or adequate/ reasonable given the current financial situation – but nearly
all recognizing it had decreased.
Education
With reference to CCI skills development addressing the skills required for the
sector, most felt that the education programs were good enough though in few
instances, while less than half felt that they were of insufficient quality. ICT was a
closer fairly equal split based on the answers given.
The most relevant sources of sector knowledge for the institutions was given as
Individual knowledge sharing above co-operation with sector associations. Of
these the majority listed Universities and research institutes as well as public
bodies as the source.
Knowledge exchange and sharing
Based on the identifying of sources of sector knowledge, the study also looked at
knowledge factors obstructing growth.
These were divided almost equally into access to new markets (Roughly half) and
indicated:

Lack of business knowledge or

Lack of access to technology forming the remaining ¼ split.
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From the answers provided, there was an fairly even split between dedicated uses
of technology. These were Communication, Product or Service development,
marketing and other which were mostly recorded as ‘all of the above’.
57% used technologies as fixed line/ mobile devices
61% used sector specific software in their business
Again for 57% of these companies the innovation in using technology was driven
by customer demand, whilst surprisingly for the creative sector, only 5 were using
technology for artistic reasons these companies belonging to Audio Visual and
New Media.
The barriers to adopting and implementing new software in their business were:

Nearly 50% concerned with the high cost of technology adoption.

32% viewed a lack of training / unfamiliarity amongst employees as a
concern. Interestingly this is at odds with the view that education provided
the right skills for the sector.
The view of the sectors involved in SmartCulture in West Midlands is reflected in
their low confidence in the levels of strategic coordinated networking.
Only 10% felt that their sector was well networked and of these only 1 felt this to
be the norm.
The majority felt that there were not high levels of cooperation and communication
and that it was not a regular activity.
All interviewees apart from 1 felt that there was a need for increased opportunities
in cross sector cooperation.
Of the responder identified relevant sources of knowledge, 75% identified
Individual Knowledge Sharing & Co-operation as their priority. These included
public bodies, universities and other research institutions. Clearly the role of these
institutions in driving forward both collaboration and KTP Knowledge Exchange
Partnerships is a vital part of the sectors knowledge base. It is clear from the
answers around factors obstructing knowledge for the growth of their organization
is largely felt around accessing new markets.
There was no one area of development of resources identified by the CCI for the
cluster in 2013, rather there exists a wide range of needs . Where there was a
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preference, incubation space for business start-up and innovation accelerators for
existing business were identified.
For the ICT cluster representative answers, this was extremely similar.
What is clear at this initial scrutiny is that the developmental needs for both sectors
are very similar.
Universities, public bodies and research centers are cited as important to this
development
Accessing new markets and greater sector knowledge and collaboration is
important
Of the answers given in identifying a need for development and advice for ICT’s
nearly 65% were in agreement of this need for their sector. Again 65% of answers
saw the development of these would be beneficial at a regional level.
3.2 Preliminary comments of the focus group
2 focus-groups (Audio Visual and Cultural Heritage) were organised until this day
in the West Midlands and 4 more focus-groups will be finished during the following
weeks.
•
Work and practice changes as a consequence of funding cuts
There were distinct differences between sectors in relation to funding cuts, but
where engagement with public sector was a source of both funding income and
advice and brokerage, the companies/ organisations had adopted new working
methods. These range from a greater emphasis on ‘Volunteer’ and unpaid
positions (Public bodies) to commercial work meaning much longer working hours
and a departmentalizing of work for smaller SME’s who needed to maintain
operations on different projects by reducing their physical interaction to one
person.
In the cultural heritage sector this had also meant longer hours but with a reduced
‘paid’ workforce. The result meant that the engagement with SmartCulture –
Technologies was largely led by individuals with and interest or desire to use it
rather than a local authority directive or part of their job description, due to cuts in
spending the priorities were increasingly elsewhere. This also increases the
danger that good work, effective networking and projects that utilize technology
may be lost from an organization if that person leaves.
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•
Cross sector collaboration across the region
Cross sector collaboration across the region was felt to be a priority for those in the
discussion groups. For the same economic reasons that led to a reduction in the
ability to priorities technology use, ‘Networking’ and collaborations were
increasingly difficult – but were identified as a) A strength b) A need for the region
•
The role of public bodies in facilitating support and KTP
The role of public sector bodies and the noticeable lack of cohesion that existed
around them was a concern. The regional development agencies helped to
coordinate the sectors and the closing of them has left a gap. There is a desire to
engage with Universities and what is left of the public bodies aligned to cultural
and creative sectors. Universities are well placed to offer meaningful networks and
KTP’s with access to other international markets. The groups welcomed
collaborations and knowledge offered and would like to see more.
•
Strengths & weaknesses of the West Midlands
The region is seen as extremely diverse and rich in cultural heritage with UNESCO
world heritage status sites, museums and galleries in the hundreds.
In both the Audio Visual and Cultural Heritage sector, the small geographic area of
the west midlands is seen as a great strength.
Audio Visual – Because of the offer for location film and TV production – making it
a cost effective and vibrant location outside of the dominant London
Cultural Heritage – Because it has a wealth and variety drawing on both important
Industrial Heritage as well as unique popular cultural history.
It’s weaknesses were initially discussed as being related to its diversity- it is one of
the most diverse demographic and youngest areas in Europe but civic
representation finds it difficult to promote a coherent theme or ‘offer’ for the region/
cities represented.
•
Challenges for the development of SmartCulture in the region.
The challenges for developing a coherent strategy and inclusive plan largely were
felt to be around financial issues. There was a desire and an amazing amount of
knowledge and expertise on offer but these were sometimes difficult to utilize.
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Greater exposure and cross sector collaboration was seen to be very important to
maintaining and developing this work.
Political actors
The public sector /policy representation largely drew on those in a local role
enabling national policy. For reasons outlined in the regional inventory, regional
policy and funding specific to SmartCulture clusters was not a primary focus or
role. Key themes explored initially suggest:

The nature and scope of support currently offered to and distinct between
ICT & CCI sectors

Interaction with Academic research

Policy affecting SmartCulture development

Engagement with ICT & CCI sectors and current support and future models

Models of good practice
Economic actors

Current shape, scope and effectiveness of ICT sectors in West Midlands

Who
is
driving
economic
policy
and
support
in
the
–
region
effectiveness/Non Effectiveness

Engagement between ICT & CCI sectors, networking and knowledge
exchange offer

Strength and weaknesses of the region and regional offer internationally

Models of good practice in the field of SmartCulture
Research actors

Current state of the research activities in the ICT and SmartCulture fields

Current funding support and areas of focus relating to SmartCulture

Barriers to research in the themes involved in SmartCulture

Future developmental potential in collaborative research

Barriers and solutions to cross sector collaborative working and project
research
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4. SIENA/TUSCANY REGION (ITALY)
Starting from the SmartCulture methodology as developed and presented in
Deliverable 2.1 of the project, we have administered an online questionnaire
survey to the actors of the Sienese cultural and creative cluster, so as to draw out
a picture of the main characteristics, opportunities and challenges of the metasector.
The questionnaire was sent to all of the local relevant actors in the fields under
consideration, namely communication and media, architecture, arts and crafts,
heritage, design, publishing, games and software, ICT manufacturing, music, new
media, and audiovisual.
We obtained a total of 49 valid questionnaires, which represent all of the relevant
sectors involved.
Sample characteristics
Among the respondents, the most represented sector is the heritage one, with
covers the 43,2% of responses, followed by arts and crafts with the 13,6%, and by
music and publishing with 9,1% each. All other sectors are below 5%.
This profile denotes a preponderant weight of traditional cultural activities with
respect to cultural and creative industries and ICT, which are however
represented. This is also due to the strong characterization of the Sienese territory
as a heritage one, due to the presence of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a
province of 270.000 inhabitants. Games, new media and audiovisual overall cover
the 13,5% of the sample, ensuring anyway a fair representativeness of the CCIs.
Moreover, responses tend to over-represent traditional sectors over CCIs and ICT
ones, in that the former are generally more available to respond to questionnaire
surveys than the latter, which are typically small firms with a small number of
employees with little time available to complete surveys.
Nature of the organizations
Among respondents, the highest incidence is that of public bodies (36,7%)
followed by companies (26,5%), professionals (12,2%) and nonprofits (8,2%).
30,6% of the sample is made of organizations that have been in existence for more
than 20 years, whereas organizations who have been created in the last 5 years
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cover the 32,6% - the 36,8% has then been in place for 6 to 20 years so far. These
dates reflect the deeply rooted nature of the traditional local players operating in
heritage and art and crafts mainly, but we can also witness a recent growth of the
CCIs and ICT players.
Turnover, costs, and revenues
From the point of view of turnover, most of the respondents (58,7%) declare a
value below 100.000 euros, which clearly shows how the local creative economy is
mainly made of very small firms. 10,8% of the respondents fall into the range
100.000-500.000 euros, 10,9% into the 500.000-1 million euros, and 19,6%
beyond 1 million euros. The development of the Sienese creative cluster is
therefore possibly affected by a company size problem, and in particular by the
lack of a basic critical mass of medium-large firms that may act as the ‘engine’ of
the local creative economy, attracting major investments and customers.
In terms of sources of revenue, public grants have been the main source for 40,8%
of respondents, whereas 34,7% indicates market sales. Only in 4,1% of cases
inflow of resources is mainly due to venture capital. These data reflect a huge
reliance on a public patronage model whose incidence is likely to be reduced in the
future, therefore calling for a structural transformation of the macro-sector in terms
to higher exposure to markets and in particular of higher capacity to attract
investments. It is also important to stress how 6,1% of respondents indicates bank
loans as the main resource inflow, which might be a signal of the willingness of the
local financial sector to give credit to the emerging creative sector, but could also
alternatively reflect cash flow problems due to the economic crisis – two very
different alternative prospects for which we do not have conclusive evidence at the
moment.
Only 15,9% declare a stable turnover, whereas 4,1% registers a moderate
turnover increase (up to 10%), and 4,5% a sensible increase over 10%. The
general picture is therefore that of a deep crisis that is affecting the macro-sector,
with a very small number of players that face favourable prospects or a substantial
growth scenario.
Markets
As to reference markets, 36,7% of respondents indicate retail and final customers,
which mostly reflects cultural institutions which sell cultural services to the general
public (exhibitions, events, etcetera), or arts and crafts workshops selling artefacts.
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In both cases, touristic demand plays a relevant role. There is also a 20,4% share
that sells to the public sector, and only 14,3% that sells to other companies – a
general picture that reflects a relatively large dependence on public commissions
on the one side, and a still relatively under-developed business-to-business
system architecture that needs to be further developed to ensure future growth and
stability of the sector. Also of relevance is the high incidence of the residual
(‘other’) entry (28,6%), which indicates the existence of niche markets of various
nature.
As to the level of internationalization of the sector, it turns out that most of the
players (65,3%) have no access to international markets, whereas 20,4% declares
an incidence up to the 30% of turnover. Only 14,3% of the sample declares an
incidence over 30%, and 10,2% in particular are mainly internationalized firms with
an incidence over 50%. There is therefore an ample margin of improvement as to
the opening of the Sienese cluster to international markets, which will likely call for
a systematic and coordinated strategic development effort.
Strategic orientation
The relatively high reliance on public subsidies and commissioning, and the
prevailingly small size of the organizations explains the lack of strategic orientation
of most local players. Among respondents, 35,4% denounces lack of sophisticated
budgeting or business planning techniques in their activity, and another 37,5%
declares to reason in terms of one-year ahead budgeting and planning. 16,7%
operates within a 3-year scenario, whereas only 10,5% reasons in a time horizon
longer than 3 years. These data reflect a tendency to day-to-day management and
a ‘survival’ logic of coping with immediate opportunities and issues, but at the
same time reveals an intrinsic fragility of the sector in terms of long-term strategies
that is certainly obnoxious in terms of future growth prospects – and especially so
in the light of the above data which denounce that most players face a situation of
crisis.
The relatively modest development of entrepreneurial culture and the lack of
strategic orientation also clearly reflects when players indicate the main perceived
obstacle to the access to resources: for 60,9%, it is lack of public funds – which
indicates a low willingness to open up to the market and to improve
competitiveness, and a substantial psychological reliance upon a subsidy and
transfers logic. These data reflect a pre-crisis situation where the main local bank,
the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, heavily subsidized, also through its Foundation, all
kinds of local cultural activities, thereby encouraging the development of a
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spurious local cultural and creative economy poorly exposed to market pressures
and incentives. Now that with the crisis of the bank non-market subsidies are
dropped, local players fail to adapt to the new scenario and then implicitly refer to
the old one looking for alternative sources basically operating according to the
same logic – an expectation that is unlikely to be met in the coming future. Another
15,2% denounces an excessive risk adversion of financial institutions (further
supporting the thesis that the local financial system is not strategically orientated to
give credit to the emerging creative economy). The small size of most
organizations makes it very difficult for them to have direct access to capital
markets or to venture capitalists. Accordingly, when asked what channel they
regard as most promising to improve their access to resources in the future, 49%
of the players indicate public grants, and 26,5% donations and sponsoring. Only
4,1% focus on startup loans. Accordingly, 46,7% complains about the level of
public funding to the cultural and creative field and 28,9% denounces severe
under-financing. Only 22,2% finds the level of public funding reasonable given the
current situation, and a mere 2,2% declares its satisfaction for the status quo.
Slightly better but substantially analogous data are found for the perception of
public funding in the specific sector of ICT.
Also in terms of dynamics, most players perceive that the trend of public financing
in the cultural and creative field in the last five years has been substantially
negative (50%) or however fairly negative (28,3%). 2,2% even argue it has been
practically cancelled. 15,2% find it has remained basically stable, whereas only
4,3% perceives a positive trend however small. Once again, comparable data for
the ICT sector are slightly better, with a 10% share of players who perceive a
positive public support trend, but the basic picture remains analogous to the
former.
Considering that the most likely future scenario is that of a further reduction of
public funding, the years ahead are likely to bring more malaise and discontent
unless a drastic revision of the strategic orientation is undertaken.
System competitiveness
When asked whether the regional cultural and creative economy is potentially able
to attract substantial external resources, 45,7% of respondents denounces
pessimism, in that private resources are rare and difficult to find out, whereas a
further 32,6% even thinks that private provision of resources is an exceptional and
therefore unlikely circumstance. Only 19,6% thinks that hard work and good quality
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can eventually attract private resources, and just 2,2% thinks that good ideas will
eventually find private resources as the natural outcome. This picture then explains
why the local cultural and creative economy is psychologically so reliant upon
public finding: the private sector is just regarded by many as a not viable
alternative – with a consequent negative motivational incentive to pursue high
quality and to build competitiveness. Once again, an analogous thought slightly
better picture emerges in the specific ICT domain.
A complementary aspect comes from the perception of the role of the financial
sector, which for many (29,5%) is very little focused and supportive toward cultural
and creative players, and for a further 13,6% is not focused and not supportive at
all. There is a 34,6% that finds occasional signs of focusing and support, which are
not consistent enough to be reliable, plus an additional 6,8% which complains
more about the intensity of focus and support. Only 13,6% maintains that the level
of focus and support is fair enough. This negative perception of the willingness of
the financial sector to support the emergence of a cultural and creative economy is
another element that reinforces lack of confidence in the private side for the future
prospects of the field. Understandably, then, in spite of the declining level of public
resource provision, there is a 32,7% of players that thinks that the role of the public
sector in the support and promotion of the local cultural and creative economy has
been somewhat effective, and a further 34,7% that thinks that such role has been
only slightly effective. Negative judgments of various intensity add up to 32,6%,
which is of course a significant share but surprisingly lower than one could expect
from the previous data: in spite of the poor and declining funding, the contribution
of the public sector is substantially appreciated as the only viable channel ensuring
the future sustainability of the field.
When players are asked what is their perception of the relevance of CCIs in the
local political agenda, it turns out that 17,1% thinks that it is reasonably or very
relevant, and that an additional 63,8% thinks that it is at least modestly or
somewhat relevant. Only 19,2% maintains it is somewhat or entirely irrelevant.
There is therefore a perception that the future political agenda at the regional level
could be willing to do something to improve the situation, and that the
developmental potential of the field is not entirely overlooked by decision makers.
Data for ICTs are once again substantially analogous. On the other hand, when
asked to evaluate the level and quality of strategic planning in the CCIs field, only
10,9% finds it adequate, whereas for 86,9% it is either modest or inappropriate:
whatever the objectives and intentions of public policy in the field, then, there is
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ample skepticism that policy makers have the vision and skills to accomplish the
task. As in all other cases, the same picture carries over to ICTs in slightly better
terms. To be fair, a similar negative perception also affects the local level of
entrepreneurial culture in the field: 53,2% thinks it is below the national average
and an additional 4,3% thinks it is much below. 34% perceives it to be in the
national average, whereas only 8,5% finds it is over the national average or even
excellent. In the ICT field the perception is that the sector reflects the national
average much more but a 48.8% thinks it is below average and only 2,4% that it
reaches above average levels.
There is also a certain discontent with the role of local public agencies and bodies
operating in the ICCs field: 39,1% thinks they are lacking and at the same time
badly needed, and an additional 13% thinks they are lacking and possibly needed.
Another 45,3% thinks on the contrary that there are such bodies but that they
partially or completely lack effectiveness, whereas only 4,3% is happy with how
they operate. In this particular sense, the ICTs situation is not only analogous, but
worse: nobody is actually satisfied with the status quo. What are, then, the missing
functions that public bodies fail to perform? For 38,8%, they should act as territorial
fundraisers, attracting investments from outside – a position that again reflects a
lack of entrepreneurial culture or a weakness due to the small size of the
organizations in developing their own investment attraction strategies. An
additional 16,3% would favour a role of strategic investor of public resources,
namely, the rock-bottom component off the subsidy-oriented local cultural and
creative economy. Another 30,6% asks for a role of institutional facilitator – the
difficulty in implementing a wide-ranging and effective territorial cooperation is an
obstacle that public bodies could and should tackle. In the ICTs case, there is even
more desire of strategic investment of public funding. Both in the ICCs and the
ICTs players massively advocate (65,2% and 65,9%, respectively) a substantially
more active role of the public sector.
Also, there is a widespread complaint about the failure of the educational system
to provide the skills and qualifications that are needed for the ICCs sector: 80%
thinks that the existing programs are not adequate, and an additional 11,1% that
such programs are non-existing. Only 8,9% is happy with the current situation,
which raises slightly to 12,5% in the case of ICTs. Moreover, there is a split feeling
about the extent to which the educational system supports the development of an
entrepreneurial culture. 54,2% thinks it is poorly or very poorly supported, whereas
45,9% finds it is supported or even very well so – there is probably a diverse range
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of opinions as to how and in which sense such support actions should work.
However, there is certainly a critical overall perception of the adequacy of the
educational system in supporting the competitiveness of the local cultural and
creative economy that should be tackled promptly by specific targeted actions.
The aspect of the quality of the business environment, however, offers some room
for constructive optimism. 34,1% thinks that the cultural and creative field may be
embraced by the next generational of local entrepreneurs, whereas an additional
18,2% perceives such environment as receptive and favourable towards innovative
developments, a further 18,2% as favourable to the birth and development of startups, and another 6,8% as able to nurture and support local creative talent. Only
22,7% thinks that the business environment is clearly and strongly positioned on
specific (traditional) sectors and therefore relatively unreceptive to accommodate
the development of the emergent cultural and creative economy. This latter figure
rises to 33,3% in the case of ICTs. Such data therefore convey a strong sense of a
potential as yet untapped opportunity that could be successfully exploited if
supported by a targeted and effective policy action. There is moreover an almost
unanimous perceived need to further promote information and systematic support
actions for both ICCs and ICTs as a key factor of competitiveness, mainly at the
city and regional levels.
Technology
As to the use of technology, it turns out that 25% of the sample focuses upon
product and service development and 18,8% upon research. On the other hand, a
31,3% has communication as the main focus. Therefore, the level of technological
orientation in the local cluster on the basis of the sample of respondents seems to
be still relatively underdeveloped, but this figure more than others has certainly to
be adjusted keeping into account the large incidence of non-respondents in the
field of high tech cultural and creative start-ups. Technological orientation is mainly
driven by efficiency gains in production (51%), but there is also an important drive
coming from responding to customers’ needs (42,9%) – an indication that is only
partially coherent with the actual main focus of technological orientation previously
reported, but that is possibly at least partially explained by cost considerations.
When asked about the main barriers to technology adoption, high costs account
for 65,3%, compared to a 20,4% of lack of qualified personnel, and a 12,2% of lack
of familiarity with cutting edge technologies – therefore it is likely that there is room
for technologically-driven product and service development that is not exploited
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because of lack of adequate capitalization, in spite of the relatively low cost
reached by advanced technologies. This seems to suggest that an appropriate and
targeted micro-credit policy for small firms could drastically improve their
innovation performance.
Coordination
The level of coordination between ICCs and ICTs at the local system level is
generally perceived to be inadequate 58,3% thinks that communication is
occasional but not frequent enough, with an additional 35,4% that thinks that
actual communication is somewhat exceptional, and a further 4,2% maintaining it
is actually non-existing. Overall, only 2.1% is convinced that the actual level of
communication is satisfactory. Among respondents themselves, 52,2% admits that
its own commitment towards communicating with other ICC firms is still occasional,
whereas a further 23,9% admits that it is still not occurring, but there is an intention
to make it happen. Only 19,6% declares that they often or always work in
communication with ICC firms. Values for cooperation with ICT firms are once
again analogous. This area is clearly also one where a systematic policy action
could cause significant and relatively easy improvements in several respects – not
incidentally, almost everybody thinks that an increased communication with other
firms is essential (93,9% thinks that more opportunities for transversal
communication in the field are very useful or at least useful).
There is also a problem of improving the integration between the cultural and
creative field and other sectors of the local economy – 77,5% thinks that this kind
of communication is insufficient or at best occasional against a 22,4% that thinks
that it is occurring at least to a fair extent, and this is again a criticality where
cultural policy can do a lot to improve things.
Finally, in terms of international networking, 76,1% thinks that international
communication and cooperation for CCIs is occasional or exceptional, against a
23,9% that thinks that at least a few local players have a significant international
networking (the figures for ICTs are analogous). Once again, there is a significant
room for improvement that should be pursued more systematically, possibly with
joint, coordinated actions at the local level.
Conclusions
To sum up, the results of the online questionnaire provide a picture of the local
cultural and creative economy where the elements of fragility and criticality largely
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prevail upon strengths and competitive assets. There is clearly a potential for the
development of startups, and the local entrepreneurial culture is potentially
supportive in this respect, but the lack of a strategic vision and of a coordinated
policy action so far jeopardizes this opportunity to a large extent. The relatively
large weight of traditional sectors is also a potential obstacle to an innovative
orientation of the field, unless the former are in turn heavily affected by a big
innovative push – a prospect that is currently prevented by the declining level of
public funding and by the substantial dependence of the field upon public
resources. A serious effort toward attracting significant external investments and
increasing the focus of the local financial system toward the field, also in terms of
micro-credit projects, is needed to create the right conditions for a future growth
scenario.
We have conducted 5 focus groups, providing a fair and varied representation of
the various components of the local triple helix. In each focus group we have
discussed at length the issues of current criticalities and opportunities and
prospects for future development in the CCI and ICT sectors in the Sienese
territory.
A main issue that has emerged throughout the focus groups is the difficulty in
providing and adhering to a clear definition of what cultural and creative industries
are. The poor attention and communication given to the subject by Italian
institutions and media causes a certain conceptual confusion that affects not only
the general public but also operators and professionals in the field. Another
element of difficulty is the fact that local players are generally of small and very
small dimension, and therefore a proper industrial organization is still to be built up
to a large extent. Some participants tend to consider as part of the sector also
activities which are well represented and well organized in the territory such as the
food and wine value chain (the ‘industry of taste’). Others emphasize the crucial
role of a strong orientation toward innovation and a more mature and articulate
business culture.
Main criticalities
Many participants point out as a key critical factor the excessive bureaucratic
attitude of the public administration and of most of the local institutions, which
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tends to discourage entrepreneurial projects and obstacles the birth of new
creative initiatives.
Another main source of concern is the lack of advanced project management
skills, which causes mistakes and inefficiencies in the management of financial,
human and physical resources, with the consequence that many promising
projects end up not being financially self-sustainable in the critical development
phase, and are therefore terminated too early before they can display their full
potential.
There is also dissatisfaction with the general social orientation of the city, that
manifests some hostility toward the most innovative facets of contemporary
culture, and therefore prevents the knowledge, the effective diffusion and
communication of those aspects of heritage that go beyond the most traditional
dimensions which already meet local consensus and reflect consolidated
orientations. As a consequence, the participation of the local community to cutting
edge contemporary cultural initiatives is relatively low, whereas at the same time
there are complaints about an excessive individualistic attitude of the local
entrepreneurial environment, whose levels of cooperation among sectors and
among operators within the same sector are still relatively modest.
A common conclusion that emerges from all focus groups is the absence of a real
networking among sectors and operators, which fragmentary communication and
sometimes an inadequate infrastructural endowment for certain types of activities.
Many of the criticalities that emerge in the Sienese cultural and creative field are
seen as a negative consequence of the exceedingly paternalistic attitude of the
local bank, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena and of its Foundation. Already before the
crisis broke out, the excessive amount of transfers with respect to the scale of the
territory which benefited all kind of initiatives without a seriously selective
screening, and the consequent dismantling of a genuine entrepreneurial culture in
the field has caused a lowering of the quality of the local cultural supply and of the
competitiveness of its products and services. After the crisis, the effect has been
further amplified by the sudden lack of economic support which has violently hit a
field that had grown unaccustomed to adapt promptly and effectively to crises
counting on its own resources.
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Yet another issue is the progressive marginalization of the local, typical crafts in
favor of commercial, tourist oriented activities that do not properly reflect the
cultural characteristics and traditional skills of the community.
And finally, there is dissatisfaction for the fact that some of the most important local
heritage goods and some of the main local cultural events are managed or handed
over to external producers and companies in spite of the existence of relevant local
competences and companies that could do the job equally well if not better.
New technologies
Most participants believe that new technologies can substantially contribute to the
development of the local cultural and creative economy, also in terms of an
enhanced capacity to create new networks and contacts and to attract new public
and customers. They are mainly regarded as an excellent support in terms of
communication and diffusion of the contents and assets of the local heritage and
cultural programming, thereby also stimulating the development of a slower, more
reflective and attentive kind of tourism and higher levels of cultural participation.
What is felt as a fundamental aspect not to be lost, however, is the direct human
relationship with the customer, which has a strong importance in the local culture.
For some participants, new technologies are certainly indispensable for
communication, but there is also concern about digital mediated communication in
that, by excessively widening the customer base, ends up prejudicating the quality
of the experience of the heritage which requires enough motivation and
preparation on the customer side and calls for more personalized, slow and smallnumbers forms of tourism and more generally of cultural experience.
Solutions
Given the above described context, the focus groups have advanced various
proposals to tackle the most critical aspects in a constructive way.
The crisis does not merely represent a negative circumstance, but can become a
powerful incentive to creativity and innovation in a situation that was previously
relatively static and hostile to change. There is wide recognition of the existence of
a wealth of competences and professional skills on the territory, which may be
enough to prompt a real leap forward of the local ICC and ICT sectors. It is
believed that, in order to kick start a virtuous circle, it could be useful to start from
short-term, low-cost projects which are relatively easy to realize and may
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constitute a first pool of good practices to build upon, while at the same time being
compatible with the current modest availability of financial resources.
It is felt that the main priority is encouraging and sustaining cooperation across
cultural and creative sectors and within the sectors themselves, by creating
networks to facilitate information exchange and sharing of ideas so as to bring
about a considerable positive discontinuity in terms of innovation and growth
potential. By helping the local ICC players to gather and to begin to interact at a
new level, it would be possible to reach the critical mass that is necessary to
orientate in a much more constructive and effective way the attitude of local
institutions, with the consequence of easing the bureaucratic apparatus to make
more space for truly innovative ideas.
To increase cultural participation of the Sienese community, it is vital to
concentrate upon a different model of communication – more direct, stronger,
clearer, with a much more daring use of new technologies, vis-à-vis more
traditional communication methods. In this respect, it is necessary to close the
digital divide, helping local players to update both their skills pool and their
technological equipment, so as to help them to become more efficient and to be
able to reach out toward new markets, both at the local and at the international
level.
It has also been complained that there is some degree of territorial autarchy which
for example brings part of the Sienese public to be poorly attentive and interested
to what happens in other parts of the Province, and vice versa, and this creates a
substantial difficulty in reaching that critical mass that is necessary to launch the
virtuous circle. Also in this sense, an ad hoc systematic initiative to enhance
territorial interchange should be in order, possibly by making ample use of already
existing but not well developed enough digital platforms, addressing both the local
community and tourists.
To really favor the growth and the innovation performance of ICCs and ICTs, it
could be very useful to carry out a systematic mapping of the numerous public and
private idle physical assets that are present on the territory and could be amenable
to renewal and innovative reuse.
In conclusion, what is needed is to elaborate a coherent and widely shared
strategy that involves both the institutions and the local private players, and that
creates all the necessary synergies to enable local operators to realize what is felt
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to be a promising potential, that could substantially push forward the local
economy toward a new culture and creativity led development cycle.
12 interviews were organised in July and August in Siena (Italy). The interviewed
experts have been the following:
Political actors
There is a rather widespread recognition that, up to the present moment, local
public policy plans in the cultural and creative fields have been not particularly
effective, and that rather than an improvement of an already existing situation, it is
necessary to start again from scratch with a new culture of policy planning in the
field. This should be pursued not with a top-down attitude, but through a wide
collaboration between the institutions, the local players, and civil society.
The lack of a strategic vision of the policy experience of the recent past brings
about as a consequence a relative poverty of cluster policy initiatives in the
relevant sectors, even if it is recognized that the Province and the Sienese
Museums Foundation have undertaken meaningful initiatives in the field that may
be considered as a promising first step in this direction. The point is that the
Province in going to be practically cancelled in the future re-organization of the
Italian administrative system, and therefore policy initiative in the field must be
overtaken both at the City and at the Region level.
Again, in terms of the relationship between digital technology and heritage, there
are a few interesting initiatives promoted again by the Sienese Museums
Foundation for the creation of state of the art digital apps and eco-museums for
tangible and intangible heritage which provide an useful reference. The main
challenge to permit further development is the capacity to foster a much wider
digital alphabetization in the territory and a wider adoption of cutting edge
technologies across the small and very small local firms. What is at stake is the
possibility to turn the Sienese territory into a highly attractive creative cluster
characterized by a high level of quality of life, once the side competitiveness
conditions are met, and therefore this area of policy action should receive a much
higher priority in the near future.
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There is ample complaint about the poor cooperation background among local
stakeholders, and the need to make radical changes in this respect. The crisis is
felt as a real opportunity to change the previous equilibria of local interest and to
embrace a radically new, more constructive path. What is needed now is a
convincing vision around which to gather energies and brainpower.
The previous development cycle of the territory has been built on very far
premises, where the role of culture was very traditional and standardized, and the
consequences of this option are still very visible in the current situation. There is
therefore a weak entrepreneurial culture that has to be almost entirely rebuilt,
whereas local cultural operators must have to learn to take culture much more
seriously than they do now to make things happen. On the other hand, there are
some structural conditions that could make a difference if properly exploited, in
terms of the skills base and of the willingness of the young to try and reinvent the
local economy on different premises. And the main challenge for development,
then, is to convince not only the local policy makers but possibly the regional ones,
who are the only ones that have the means to bring the local economy out of the
pitfall, to seriously bet upon the Sienese cultural and creative cluster as a
laboratory of innovative cultural policy.
Economic actors
The ICT sector in the Sienese context is still in an embryo phase, and much more
joint public-private initiative should be pursued in the near future if Siena wants to
reach meaningful levels of competitiveness in the knowledge economy. There is
an interesting research activity going on and some interesting experimentations,
but there is at the moment not enough financial leverage to really enable the local
system to develop a large, relevant sector.
Also at the economic level there is ample dissatisfaction in terms of cluster policy
initiatives conducted so far. In particular, they are felt not to be concrete and
focused enough, and more orientated toward principles than toward policy
measures that can make the difference. On the other hand, there is strong
availability to constructively contribute to launch a new cycle of strategic cultural
planning by private operators if there is a serious commitment in this respect on
the public side.
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Likewise, there is a strong belief that the territory expresses skills and creative
power in the digital field that if properly encouraged could really make things
happen, but there is the need to make such reality, currently mostly overlooked by
the decision makers, much more visible and relevant at all levels and in the eyes of
all kinds of local and regional stakeholders. In particular, this requires dramatically
enhancing the financial startup opportunities for promising local young talent. The
same judgment reflects into the evaluation of the R&D and innovation capacities of
the territory. Only if the young local talent is given a fair chance it will be possible
to test whether the cultural and creative economy may be the next big thing of the
local economy.
As to the collaboration among the local stakeholders, the same considerations
made about the interviews to political experts also apply here, with a further note of
disillusionment from private operators which so far have hard an extremely hard
time to make their voice heard on the other side. Nevertheless, it remains a strong
willingness to start over again and to do it promptly and with energy. This means
that in the face of a previously dissatisfactory level of involvement of local public
bodies in the ICC and ICT fields, which is recognized by the public bodies
themselves, a radical change of attitude and mood is called for in the future, and to
make it credible this must happen quickly and credibly. Also the analysis of the
main strengths and weaknesses and of the main challenges ahead fundamentally
points out the same factors, thereby revealing that the diagnosis on the current
situation is widely shared, but not enough action has been undertaken to translate
it into practice.
Research actors
From the point of view of research actors, there is dissatisfaction with the state of
research in the fields of ICC and ICT, also because there has not been a clear
strategy in this respect in the past, in spite of the presence of good researchers
and specific competences, but at the same time it is acknowledged that the gap
could be promptly filled if proper action is undertaken, the window of opportunity is
still open even if it will not be for long.
There is great interest in the potential and applications of technologies in research,
not only for hard sciences but also and possibly especially with reference to the
humanities. There are pilot projects ongoing, some of which have obtained good
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results, but outside attention has been scarce and it has been difficult so far to
capitalize upon them to build larger and more ambitious initiatives.
The main obstacle to a good R&D performance is found in lack of proper
incentives and facilitation for cutting edge research that finds meaningful
applications in the cultural sectors, because for a long time the focus has been on
more traditional productive sectors, but there is an increasing demand from the
younger generations to do innovative work in the cultural and creative fields for
which so far there has not been enough space in terms of resources and positions.
Collaboration of research actors with local stakeholders has also been
fragmentary. There are some good examples but they are too isolated and at the
same time there are at the moment too many key stakeholders with which
constructive interaction has been almost non-existent so far. This is true in
particular in the case of the action of local public bodies in supporting research and
innovation in cultural and creative sectors, where only a wide local constituency
can create the conditions for really effective and durable initiatives.
The big challenge ahead from the research side is therefore a much deeper
integration of the research and educational sector into the local competitiveness
strategy, and especially so in the context of cultural and creative production. The
fact that the past record as to policy actions in the field has been poor in the past
provides an excellent opportunity to start over and to really experiment with
innovative actions and strategies, but this needs a clear political determination and
a serious work of strategic coordination and direct talk among all local main actors.
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5. SOFIA DISTRICT (BULGARIA)
The questionnaire was sent to more than 90 actors based in the region, to various
groups: cultural heritage – museums, galleries, computer and software companies,
film and theatre producers, music producers, academia and research, publishing.
All the sectors defined by the methodology were reached. Actually, 34
questionnaires are completed and we will reach 45 by the end of the month, so the
results will be included in the SWOT analysis.
Among the 43 questionnaires received by September, we can find various
companies and non-profit organizations, municipal cultural institutes, state cultural
institutes, audiovisual, ICT, software, information technologies, stage arts. Out of
34 respondents, 21 are private, 10 are NGOs working in the CCIs, 3 are state-run.
The following sectors are represented: audiovisual, new media, cultural heritage,
architecture, publishing, ICT, computer games & software and music, arts and
crafts, film production and distribution. Most have been in operation 5 years and
more; there are also companies with over 10 years on the market. Size: between
5-10 permanent employees, and many have part-time or volunteers working for the
company.
Few of the respondents are members of professional associations.
The results of the questionnaire show that most of the respondents have clients
located in the same country and work with local businesses as their partners. This
correlates with the fact that most are small to mid-size organizations.
Finance & funding
Most have a turnover to and above 100,000 euro; for most of them, the export rate
for their products is 30%. For most of the respondents, direct sales/services are
the main source of funding, followed by public funding and grants. Also, over 1/3
state that their turnover has remained stable or has only slightly decreased as a
result of the financial crisis.
Respondents also point out that the pubic funding is inadequate, in addition to the
high bureaucracy and heavy procedures for receiving public money.
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Roughly half of them have applied for local/regional funding, and half have applied
for EU funding. The majority respond that the public funding for CCIs is inadequate
to very low.
The same is true for the ICT sector. There is poor support from the banks and no
venture capital available for CCIs.
More than 50% of the respondents consider that the ability of the regional CCIs to
attract private funding and investment is limited.
Most rate the role of the public bodies for the development of the CCIs as
ineffective or rather ineffective. A greater number of respondents believe that the
development of the ICT sector is higher on the political agenda compared to the
CCI sector.
Education
On the issue about local educational system, most of the respondents think that
there are some programs for professional training in the CCIs or ICT sectors, but
their quality is poor or does not provide the required practical skills and
entrepreneurial culture needed.
According to the results, the level of entrepreneurial culture is good – at or above
national level for the ICT sector. The level is lower for the CCIs. Most respondents
believe that the education system lags behind the needs of the sectors. Most also
say that there is need for specialized support and consulting centers for the CCIs.
Introducing technology and innovations
Most of the respondents use technologies for the development of new products
and services, followed by management, and for research. Innovative technologies
are used primarily for creative purposes. The two main obstacles to adopting
digital technologies are the high costs and the lack of well-trained employees to
use them.
Knowledge factor
New knowledge is acquired using open source channels or sharing between
actors.
Obstacles to growth:
- Identification of new markets
- Identification of external markets
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- The lack of business advice
- Lack of access to technology
- Lack of qualified personnel.
Most respondents see it as insufficient and also see room for improvement;
cooperation exists to some extent between local actors; international contacts are
not that well developed either.
The types of resources that should be further developed for the CCIs:
- Innovation & design accelerators for existing firms
- Knowledge transfer centres
- Access to EU funding
- Production/studio spaces
The priorities for the ICT sector are:
- Innovation & design accelerators for existing firms
- Knowledge transfer centres
- Exchange programs
- Support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds
The following focus groups were organized in Sofia: audiovisual sector, computer
software, cultural heritage and policy makers; digital technologies research group;
TBA: design and new media; cross-disciplinary
Computer & Software Group
Professionals in the field are well-trained and well-paid and there is good university
education for the field; but there is a fear of brain-drain as many young
professionals are hired by foreign companies
There are good basis for development of living labs, e.g. DSLL, experiments with
smart apps, involving the user in the production of products [e.g. mobile apps for
the smart city]
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There is a good gaming industry and a the actors have experience with augmented
reality, internet of things (IoT), ubiquitous computing.
Participants think that better connections between the business and the culture
sector should be developed.
The municipality needs to set the development of the sector as a priority,
especially digital culture and the development of digital skills. Participants think
there is not enough public funding and not many BG companies can survive in
competition with large international companies.
Issues of digital divide; gap between young audiences and older people who many
not have access to internet or other digital technologies for consumption of cultural
content;
Copyright issues; ethics in the use of digital technologies and production of
content; legislation must be flexible and reflect fast pace of technological
developments. Technologies are becoming obsolete very fast, so we must be
careful what content is produced and distributed.
ICT are well-connected but the connection between this sector and cultural
heritage needs to be improved. Participants think that Cultural Heritage (CH)
operators must be proactive and seek assistance from ICT sector.
There is a lack of consistent and coherent national and local policies and
incentives for the development of projects in Cultural Heritage.
Lack of coherent policies for the restoration of cultural monuments, management
of the museums, etc, prevents more successful development of the sector.
More and more flexible funding mechanisms are needed. There is also a need to
establish interdisciplinary teams, with the participation of local administration, to
come up with strategic initiatives.
Strengths:

Good professionals in the sector;

Rich CH sector and opportunity for interesting projects and development of the
‘experience economy’

Sofia as candidate for European Capital of Culture 2019 might be a boost to
the region, but specific measures need to be included in the program
Weaknesses:

Marketing strategy for products to be improved
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
Better use of gaming industry and gaming products to promote CH

The business environment needs improvement at national and local level

Legislation and policies must reflect the fast development of technologies, but
administration does not always have the capacity to respond adequately to
issues

Digitization: there are not enough resources and no general policy for
digitization of CH; working on individual projects is not the answer.
Cultural Heritage and Local Policy Makers Group
Participants think there is a need for more studies of the various sectors in CCIs, to
gather data and improve the business environment. There aren’t many economic
experts who understand the specifics of the economy of culture; the public bodies
lack enough knowledge of what the sectors need.
Cultural heritage and cultural tourism show economic growth in recent years and
create jobs. Almost 90% of CCI and cultural heritage is concentrated in the city;
overall trend is economic growth, new businesses emerge. Cultural heritage, film
industry, design, software products show some of the highest growth rate among
economic sectors in the region (data until 2011).
There is also a need of policy and strategic framework for development of the
sector. The majority of the projects in the cultural field are infrastructure projects.
There is need to improve the management system of museums, galleries, provide
better funding, etc.
There is a lack of well-trained people who work in the system; most museum
workers are near retirement age which prevents the introduction of new
technologies; there is also a lack of adequate public funding.
The Cultural heritage sector recognizes the need for introducing new technologies
but don’t always know how. Digitizing museum collections is not enough; a
systematic analysis of the needs and services must be done.
The communication between local authorities, the ministry of economy, the
ministry of culture and all stakeholders needs improvement. There’s need of a
general economic frame, at national level, for the development of CCIs.
Better collaboration between national and local level is needed. Cultural Heritage
is a priority for the city in light of its application for European Capital of Culture.
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The Cultural institutes receive public funding but they should also fundraise on
their own.
Strengths:

Concentration of Cultural monuments and sites in the region

Economic growth will continue; boost to CH with the Sofia ECoC 2019
application

Good international cooperation in CH preservation, for example, with Italian
cities

Money allocated for infrastructure projects

Culture Program of the Municipality and the Cultural Calendar offer funding to
new projects in the sector
Weaknesses

No financial incentives for CCI sectors

Poor regulatory regime for the business’ involvement in CH preservation and
development

Lack of experts and trained specialists, for example of cultural and art
managers

Trend of decreasing overall budget for culture at municipal level

No national strategy for CCIs exists; the municipality cannot carry out its own
independent policy
The regulatory framework at national and local level needs to be changed to reflect
the modern trends of development in CCI and CH; there is no policy for digitization
of CH, for example. More financial support is needed for the development of CH in
the region, the state needs to be more involved in the process.
Audiovisual Sector Group
Film, video games and design are among the sectors which have continued to
grow in the conditions of the financial crisis. There is a strong festival culture in
recent years (e.g. ON!Fest, Sofia Design Week, Sofia Film Fest).
Yet, there is a lack of adequate private and public funding. Sponsors and Privatepublic partnerships are hard to develop.The public bodies should recognize the
sector as economically important and support its development.
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The digital technology allows for innovative projects
and makes the sector
competitive. There is also a need to establish platforms to connect actors from
various CCIs for joint initiatives. Digital technologies are a must for the sector,
allow also for cross-sector innovations and new products.
Participants suggest a platform to present the products and achievements of the
actors in the field, but more efforts needed to attract international partners for new
projects.
Public bodies need to facilitate contacts between the business and the creative
sectors and to offer a better regulatory framework.
Local authorities need to increase their expertise about the sector in order to
improve the business and policy environment for the sector’s growth.
Strengths

Concentration of actors in the sector in Sofia

Opportunity to develop new projects within the city’s ECoC 2019 candidacy
Weaknesses

Insufficient funding

Lack of training programs at schools/universities for the sector; poor
connection between the education institutions and the business

No clusters or creative incubators exist; lack of experience in the region
and nationally with such projects
Traditional arts struggle to secure funding for experimental projects and more
initiatives to develop new audiences are needed.
There is also a need for better marketing of the successful projects and products
and generally speaking an improved marketing strategy of the region.
Computer games and software [research and academia group]
The academic education available for students interested in careers in the sector is
very
good.
Experience
is
gained
through
many
international
research
projects.Sofia concentrates most of the education facilities in this sector and some
of the best experts.
However, there is a lack of funding and of structured cooperation between private
actors, the public bodies and the academia.
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Participants think that the digital technology is an essential part of modern
education and it provides capacity for producing innovative products.Young people
are inspired to create and have many ideas.
Collaboration can be improved; the researchers work well with schools but the
administration can be more flexible and invite more experts to work on strategic
documents and other initiatives.Cooperation between university and municipality is
poor
Public bodies need to recognize the sector as their partner. Municipality could
commission projects from the sector.
There is a need to introduce new funding mechanisms for the sector e.g. a
dedicated funding program or guarantee fund for projects in the sector.
Gaming industry is strong and should be used also for e-learning and education in
schools. Small IT companies need support – financial, organizational.
There is a lack of clusters and interdisciplinary projects and a need for better
international cooperation and learning from the best.
Participants also propose to develop a system for apprenticeship and internships
for the young people.
Sofia
Development
Association
organized
14
in-depth
interviews
with
representatives of the local administration (Sofia Municipality), academia, and
businesses. The interviews were conducted in July, August, and September.
Policy Makers and Political Actors
Overall, the local policy makers are interested in the topic of CCIs and the
development & application of digital technologies in the cultural heritage field.
However, at both the local (Sofia Municipality) and the national (Ministry of Culture,
Ministry of Economy) levels, the policy makers recognize 1) lack of existing
strategic long-term programs for development of the CCIs and digital technologies;
2) lack of productive cooperation between local governments, national authorities,
and the organizations and businesses in the field; 3) lack of funding and further
budget cuts for initiatives in the CCIs in general.
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Sofia Municipality has a long-term strategy for the development of culture, “Sofia –
a Creative Capital 2013-2023.”
The Strategy aims at improving the cultural
infrastructure of the city (new construction as well as renovation, new urban
spaces for culture and the arts), support for innovative artistic projects, education
initiatives, as well as support for the CCIs in the region.
The candidacy of Sofia for European Capital of Culture 2019 has provided
additional incentives and has made possible more concerted efforts by the local
policy makers and other stakeholders in opening up a dialogue for the future of the
CCIs as well as for allocating public funds to support their development.
There are no specific policy documents or municipal administrative units
responsible for developing initiatives in the area of the CCIs or SmartCulture. They
are included in the strategic programs and plans for culture, education, urban
development, etc.
Further measures in the area of cultural heritage are included in the Integrated
Plan for the Development of the City of Sofia 2014.
In contrast, at national level the draft of the National Strategy for the Development
of the CCIs is still pending approval. Expectations are that the document will be
approved next year, followed by the development of an Action plan for the
implementation of the strategy. A new National Strategy for the Support of the
SME sector 2014-2020 also involves specific measures to boost the development
of the CCIs. At national level, there is no specialized body in charge of developing
and implementing long-term policies in the field of the CCIs.
The most important support measures implemented by local political bodies in the
cultural, ICT and SmartCulture fields include:
Municipal Funding Program Culture: now in its 7th year of operation, the program
priorities include: Access to culture, cultural and human capital, cultural heritage of
the changing city, City of the creative economy, Equal participation in global
cultural processes. The program is managed by Directorate Culture of Sofia
Municipality. It funds projects in the field of culture and the arts, including also
projects in the field of digital technology, innovative cultural events, digital culture,
etc., on the basis of open calls for proposals.
Municipal Funding Program Europe has a wider scope, as it does not restrict the
proposals to the area of culture only; the program sets annual priorities which are
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in line with the overall strategic development priorities of the municipality in the
fields of education, culture, social services, ICT, technological development, etc.
A recent measure is the Fund for Innovations in Culture, a fundraising initiative of
Sofia Municipality, aimed to gather funds from private and public donors as well as
individuals, in support of the city’s application for European Capital of Culture. The
Municipality has committed a percentage of the annual budget to the Fund. The
Fund is expected to start operating by the end of 2013.
The Ministry of Economy and Energy is currently implementing two initiatives, 1)
stARTs, targeting high school students in the professional schools of arts,
specifically to improve their entrepreneurial culture and skills, and 2) the project
Th13teen Arts, an open competition for creative business ideas in the CCIs, as
part of the world initiative Creative Business Cup.
The creation of clusters is a new field for Sofia and Bulgaria. There are no clusters
specifically created to support the CCIs, ICT, and SmartCulture sectors.
Recently, the Cluster for Innovations and Culture was registered as a public body;
it is yet to begin its operation. The cluster brings together more than 20 members
from the academia, ICT, culture, education, regional development sectors.
The municipality recognizes the need to use digital technologies to inform the
citizens better of its policies, to create better connections between the local
administration and other stakeholders (businesses, the NGO sector, citizens); for a
more transparent government.
The strategy for culture prioritizes the protection of cultural heritage and the
cultural-historical monuments on the territory of the municipality though it does not
explicitly provide for measures (and the respective financial resources) to use
digital technology for the socialization of this heritage. Several infrastructure
projects are going on, they concern primarily archaeological excavations and
restoration sites.
The municipality makes all efforts to involve all stakeholders in the process of
communication and joint project development. The administration feels that
through its funding programs (i.e., Culture, Europe – cf. above), it has a good way
of reaching the main actors in the field of CCI and ICT.
Though there is a council of representatives of the academia at the Mayor’s office,
to advise the mayor and the administration on research and issues, relations with
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the academia and the businesses, etc., not enough has been done to include
those actors actively in the decision-making process.
The resources of the region – cultural heritage, cultural monuments, development
of cultural and tourist routes, are not well used and not enough is done for their
promotion and presentation in the region and abroad.
Measures at national level, such as legislative changes to allow for more effective
public-private partnerships, sponsorship by businesses, etc., are needed. There is
a lack of financial resources.
Better visibility and information about the projects initiated/implemented/funded by
the municipality in CH, digital technologies, etc.
Strength: it is expected that the city’s candidacy for European capital of culture will
boost the efforts at both political level, i.e. better communication and coordination
of all stakeholders, as well as at the level of human and financial resources, for
further initiatives in support of digital technologies development and their use to
expand the access to cultural heritage.
Availability of funds both for important infrastructure projects as well as for
innovative projects; better communication to the citizens on the strategic priorities
for the development of the city; better professional expertise on the part of the
municipal administration in the fields of CCI and digital technologies.
Need for well-trained people in the administration who understand the processes in
the creation of cultural products, their use, the implementation of digital
technologies, etc., so they can better evaluate proposals coming from other actors
for innovations in the CCIs.
Economic actors
Businesses and institutions involved in the CCIs and the digital technologies still
see challenges for their further development in terms of 1) regulations and policies
at the local and national level, 2) availability of dedicated funding for new projects;
3) lack of priorities to work long-term for Sofia to become a smart city (the city had
made a commitment to develop a smart specialization strategy for the region, but
so far there is not much progress made).
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The ICT sector has the potential to develop and deliver high-level products, but
there is no mechanism yet to allow the smooth collaboration between the city
administration and the businesses
The creation, development and institutional capacity of clusters involving ICT and
CCIs in the region are still in its initial phases. There are some funding programs
which provide operating grants for the establishment and institutional development
of high-tech clusters, but only few projects have been approved. The collaboration
between various actors – education, research, businesses, local government, also
needs improvement.
The businesses feel that the cultural institution should initiate the contact if they
want to create innovative products for their museums, for example. There is need
of some kind of directory or platform to link actors in the two sectors and facilitate
collaboration.
The businesses will also benefit from learning more how they can help the cultural
sector; CSR should not be the only way for sponsoring meaningful projects.
There are some good examples of cooperation between the businesses and
cultural operators, but the overall feeling is that things are done piecemeal, not as
part of concerted, well-planned long-term efforts. [Ex. Project online culture by
eDesign; digitization of archive collections, etc. ; the Old Sofia Blog, the digitization
of the Serdica archaeological site]
There is capacity to develop high-quality products (mobile apps, software, etc.);
there are talented youth and developers, but more should be done to involve
students in the universities and recent graduates in the development of innovative
projects;
- the gaming industry, the video and animation industry are well-developed
[example, ON!Fest], they have also a strong contribution to the economic
development of the region.
- good potential and products also in the area of e-learning, but more should be
done to introduce the products in schools, universities, etc.
Businesses will benefit from better connections with the education and research
institutions in the region, in terms of the development and application of new
products, providing opportunities for young professionals to gain and strengthen
their expertise; create better environment for start-ups in the field of CCI and ICT.
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- closer cooperation between the businesses and the ministry of culture, ministry of
economy, the municipality is needed;
- there is need for coherent and consistent strategic documents at all levels.
No specific strategic documents exist for the development of either sector;
strategic and policy measures are part of the integrated plan for the development
of Sofia Municipality.
Local policy makers should consult at various levels with the economic actors in
order to 1) gain up-to-date knowledge of the development of the sector; 2) gain
better understanding of what types of collaboration would be most productive; 3)
establish mechanism for ongoing communication for exchange of ideas,
introduction of best international and local practices, etc.
- policy makers, the research actors and the businesses should jointly decide on
the priorities of the sectors in the region
- specific measures are needed to support the companies in the CCIs, especially
the so-called nanocompanies, because they can bring added value to the local
economy.
Strengths:

human resources

creative young people

Sofia is one of the best connected cities in the world with half of the
municipality’s territory providing free quality Wi-Fi

the city concentrates a high percentage of all the businesses in the CCI and
the ICT sectors in the country

high economic impact of the CCIs on the regional economy
Weaknesses:

lack of funding for start-ups

better connection between businesses and the research world in the
application of new products

the education system should provide young people with better knowledge and
skills for entrepreneurship

museums and galleries should invest in developing their art collections, before
introducing digital technologies and developing innovative products.
There is a need for restructuring the curriculum at high school and university level
to involve more internships and entrepreneurship education and for improving the
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system of professional schools as pipeline for young entrepreneurs in the CCI and
ICT sectors.
Introducing tax incentives, e.g. reduced tax VAT for the publishing sector,
incentives for film production, etc. is also a proposition made by the participants,
as well as changing the public perception of the CCIs as a sector that can create
jobs and contribute to the local economy, even in times of crisis.
Research Actors
There is lack of connection between the academic research institutions and the
CCIs; this is also why the introduction of innovative products and digital
technologies in cultural heritage lags behind or is not always the best in quality and
performance. To alleviate the situation, it is important to have an encompassing
vision for the development of the CCI sector, with clearly defined short-term and
long-term goals, taking in mind that cultural processes can be channeled by
providing the resources for their realization but cannot be administered.

there is research potential in the individual arts but not of the CCI sector itself

good facilities in research and academic knowledge of the CH

good research potential in the ICT sector
No consistent academic or research policies in this aspect; efforts initiated by the
academia suffer from lack of funding or are underfunded;
No research labs specialized in cross-cutting research/application of DT in the CCI
or Cultural Heritage.
The region and the city of Sofia have by far the greatest potential for using digital
technologies to represent the city’s cultural heritage, as the city concentrates the
best research specialist, academic institutions and ICT specialists. For that reason,
it is highly recommended to use the available funds from the municipal budget to
fund specific research projects. Sofia is at the cross-roads between the East and
the West and digital technologies should be the best way to show the world the
ancient cultures that have interacted here, between Central and Western Europe,
the Mediterranean and Asia Minor.
- new degree programs established in the universities (cultural management,
Cultural and Historical Heritage in the Modern Information Environment, Protection
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of Cultural and Historical Heritage, Culture Tourism, Digitisation and Digital
Libraries, etc.)
There’s need for a centralized platform to provide information and link the various
actors in the process: academia, the business, cultural institute and operators.
There’s also need for a better visibility and valorization of the results of various
scientific and research projects.
New and better funding mechanisms to support the development and
implementation of new curricula, new internship programs, etc.
Municipality can define certain priorities in the development of the city and use this
as a platform to work with the research and education centers.
Local and national decision-makers should clearly recognize as priority the
development of innovations and the public investment in intangibles.
Strengths:
Most universities and research institutions are state-funded; they are becoming
better at securing private funding or grants for their research activities;
Strong university programs in IT, software development, cultural studies;
Young people have better access to technology today and can easily become
creators and co-creators of new products.
Weaknesses:
Underfunding of cutting-edge research, not enough or lack of research labs;
Development and introduction of new education/training options for specialists in
the CH, because they are the people who can create the professional content for
any technological product (texts, multimedia, etc). It is necessary for science to
interact better with the CCIs: the academia can provide the knowledge to the CCIs
to find the best way to present it to the audience.
Within the challenges for the development of SmartCulture in the region, we can
mention the vailability of sustainable funding to NGOs, cultural operators, cultural
institutes and the disparity in the compensation of the people and researchers in
academia and those in the business sector and the CCI; this can be discouraging
for the academics to engage in joint projects with the other sectors.
Synergies between the research and the business must be created.
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6. BRAINPORT EINDHOVEN (NETHERLANDS)
The Dutch online questionnaire was sent to more than 300 actors based in the
Eindhoven. It was sent to specially targeted representatives in CCI’s and ICT
sector, to larger mailing lists of both the Municipality of Eindhoven and of the
Design Cooperation Brainport – Capital D.
44 questionnaires were received from various actors in the following sectors:
 3 Architecture
 1 Audiovisual
 1 Computer games en software
 3 Cultural Heritage
 18 Design
 1 ICT
 8 Arts & Crafts
 2 Music
 5 New Media
 1 Advertising, Media agency
 1 Publising
Design is the most represented sector – The word design however is also
indicated by the policy maker at the government, a magazine, a design office also
working on ICT applications, etc. Therefore the sector Design also holds CCI’s and
ICT professionals.
Of the 44 respondents their clients are located:
Outside of the EU:
2
In the EU:
18
In the same municipality:
2
In the region:
9
In the same country:
11
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The results of the questionnaire do not verify the statement indicating that the
regional level is the most suited to respond to the needs of the CCIs. The regional
level is indeed suited for some of them, but most of the CCIs (and other
organisations respondents) have clients located in the same country and/or in the
European Union.
for this expansion; in any case, it has to be taken into account before implementing
a new innovation policy towards CCIs.
Finance & funding
Out of the 44 respondents, 22 gain income primarily from direct sales/services,
followed by 12 respondents who receive funding from public bodies as main
income.
According to the results, we cannot say that CCIs are primarily funded by the
public bodies. The most important financing source for CCIs and ICT firms is direct
sales/services.
13 respondents answered that the main obstacle in accessing finance is a lack of
time to apply for grants/incentives, and also 13 persons answer that it is difficult to
get funding. Only one person mentioned the slow procedures for public incentives
as an obstacle.
The majority of the respondents find that public funding reasonable, considering
the current situation.
The response to the questions if specialized public body exists for the CCIs and
ICT clusters is extremely diverse. 22 of the respondents say that for CCIs they
exist but are not or not sufficiently efficient and 10 answered that they do not exist,
of which 2 state not to need one. The same counts more or less for ICT.
Only 14 of the respondents evaluate positively the ability from the regional CCIs to
attract private funding and investment, 22 respondents answer negatively.
Education
Of the 42 answers, 19 consider the educational system good (enough) for
providing the right skills and competences for young people intending to make
career in the CCIs, 12 think that the existing programs should be developed and
improved, especially concerning CCIs. Leaving 11 respondents who think the
system is not of sufficient quality to make a career in CCIs. A similar result has
been given for ICT.
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Though the methodology puts forward the idea that the CCIs suffer from a lack of
entrepreneurial culture, the results of the questionnaire show the contrary. Most of
the answers are positive on this issue (considering high or fair level of
entrepreneurial culture for the CCIs); only 4 of 43 consider it moderate.
According to the answers received, the main objectives when innovating in
technology is:
 Artistic Reasons
 Gain efficiency in the production of a service
 Match user demands.
However the high costs are a major problem preventing them from adopting digital
technology. This has been also underlined during the focus-group dedicated to
cultural heritage, who are in search of good business models for this.
Another large barrier is the unfamiliarity with the newest technology.
Knowledge factor
The answers from the online questionnaire reveal that the main knowledge factors
obstructing the growth of an organisation are, in order of importance:
 the identification of new markets
 the lack of network
 the lack of qualified personnel
 the lack of business advices
The respondents are equally positive as negative about the level of communication
and networking between CCI’s and other knowledge and information based
sectors in the local economy. Also an equal number of respondents answers that
this happens on occasion.
The same division counts for the international networking of CCI’s. For ICT the
answers are slightly more positive.
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And yet, the majority agrees on the interest and necessity of improving
collaboration between CCIs and ICT, as reveal the in-depth interviews and focusgroups.
Of the types of resources that should be further developed for the CCIs sector the
most important according to the respondents is:
 support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds
followed by:
 Knowledge exchange centres
 Production / studio spaces
 R&D labs
For the ICT sector of equal importance are:
 support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds,
which is especially highlighted by the CCIs
 Knowledge exchange centres
Followed at distance by
 Production / studio spaces
 R&D labs
This document presents the pre-analysis of the focus-groups organised in the
Eindhoven region. 6 focus-groups were organised in August in Eindhoven (The
Netherlands). The participants of the focus groups are listed in the annex.
According to the questions of the focus-groups put forward by the methodology
and the results outcome from these debates, we herewith report and analyse the
current state of various sector/sub-sector in the Eindhoven region and conclusions
for a smarter future.
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Audiovisual & New Media
In Eindhoven New Media is on the (political) agenda, it is a so-called spearhead.
But there is still a long way to go. There is a paradox when talking about new
media and the relevance of a regional angle. It’s better to ask what does new
media need and who can help them develop and how can the regional context play
a specific meaningful role. The economic crises urged people to come up with new
ways to act, New media can be a good and cost-effective solution. However with
budgets under pressure the fundamental feeding ground might become less fertile.
In general in Eindhoven there is the tendency to work relatively isolated, there is a
tendency to introversion. There seems to be a missing link, the dynamic between
the sectors does not happen automatically. Some actors have good networks,
others not. However there is much creativity and innovation capacity in Eindhoven,
many ‘makers’ and ‘thinkers’ are working here, each with their own valuable
networks. There is a positive mind-set and much potential. Focus point should be
how to connect the existing expertise and who can orchestrate these connections,
without interfering in the decentralised way the actors want to develop their
products and services.
Architecture
In Architecture digital media is widely used to connect with users, general public
and expert networks. Social and professional networks and file sharing programs
enable architects to more quickly consult with their clients, access niche experts,
share with colleagues, find freelancers to work project based, and consult with
wide audiences for general ideations. New software facilitates architects to draw
(autocad, BIM) and make realistic 3-D models. The crises urged architects to a
different approach, using more and more freelancers on project basis and using
special software to limit time for drawing and model building. Freelancers however
do not provide the same knowledge there used to exist in architects offices and
also are also more focused on the virtual, the image. This is partly a result of the
software like BIM-models where the computer generates the building plan which
can go directly to the builder, leaving the architect only with the role to provide the
images.
The downside of this ever faster and image-based way of designing is that the
cultural context now sometimes comes second, and that architecture can become
ephemeral. It will be important that the architect becomes a contractor, someone
with an integral vision, who looks at the future but keeps a link with the past: old
and new belong together.
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Positive about the digital networks is that it is easier to work internationally
(international assignments, clients and colleagues), although currently regulation is
a large barrier.
Arts & Crafts
Internet is very important: to have an online store/collection/repertoire/archive, and
to use social media to market the companies. However other applications of digital
media for Arts & Crafts should be further explored, because the actors see that
they can benefit from these applications, such as live streaming, involving
customers, image-building/improving, sharing knowledge, stimulating cross-over
networks, Time and money are however barriers in the exploration of these
applications, as well as the knowledge of the employees in this field
Even though there are some prominent Arts & Crafts actors in the city, the feeling
is that the city promotes mostly Design and therefore other actors, like galleries
and theatre are let go, resulting in a mono-culture. The city has a good business
climate and a positive image of design city, and this could benefit the Arts & Crafts
if. Investments should be made in a larger and more diverse (mixed) Arts & Crafts
sector in the city, in stimulating an improved image for the Arts & Crafts in the city
and in the creation of more cohesion in the sectors.
Cultural Heritage
Cultural heritage actors use digital media to show their collections, as a
commercial medium and for educational purposes. Internet gives them a
worldwide platform and open data enable the generation of projects from existing
collections. An immediate problem they encounter here however is the copyrights
when posting cultural collections on the internet. In Eindhoven most actors are in
phase 1: digitizing their collections. Due to the crises however actors have less
money to spend on their institution, on personnel and on developing new
opportunities to reach customers. Much time is now spent on finding funding
instead of unlocking their collections, although innovative ways to involve
visitors/customers is now very needed. The need to innovate is apparent to the
actors, however they lack time, money and often knowledge to achieve this. There
are many sectoral networks, but cross-over networks seem not to be found.
Next to this, cultural heritage actors wonder what they can financially gain by
digitalizing, what are the business models? If they would make a large investment
in a digital application, how can they capitalize on this? They search for a way to
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work with ICT and Creative Industries in such a way that all parties gain from this,
that the knowledge exchange is interesting for all.
Although they encounter a high ambition of the city in this sector, a high innovation
capacity and much positive energy in the creative sector, they currently see a lack
of focus and (financial) investment to fulfil the ambitions and potential. Their
challenge is to find connections to the ICT sector.
Design
Digital media are used and developed to a large extend in this sector, ranging from
commercial to educational purposes to co-design platforms. Social media is used
extensively and various online communities exist. Many pioneering products and
services are being developed in the region, there is a large variety of highly
qualified designers, there is high quality design education, manufacturing, crossover collaborations, inspiring environments and good breeding grounds, and many
prominent events to stimulate and promote design. In the region however, there
seems to be not enough market for the products and services designed and
additionally designers have too little entrepreneurship and/or access to risk capital
to market their designs. Also, the stimulating policy from the government is slightly
caving.
Design and technology was wonderfully stimulated in a climate provided by Philips
in the past decades; with Philips going worldwide, the connection with large (hightech) companies is now missed by the sector. The sector would welcome a
facilitating role from the government (facilitating, not steering), to stimulate the
attraction of more large (high-tech) companies in the region (for expertise and
market), the conservation of the ‘raw’ areas, breeding grounds, in the city with
room for experiment (these areas house small young design and ICT offices), and
a connecting route through the city between the various city hotspots as they find
the urban fabric not sufficiently dense to create momentum.
Eindhoven is known as the Dutch city of design. Even though the community is
very fond on this image, the image often focuses on product design, while
designers apply design in a much wider context, which is currently not clearly
visible to the world, and should be branded better. Also this image brings along a
great responsibility to keep fulfilling its promise and keep innovating.
Cross-sectoral group
All representatives agree that Eindhoven over the last ten years has become more
and more visible as a smart city and as a design city. It has the ingredients to excel
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in SmartCulture: there is ambition, political will, a large skilled creative and cultural
industry and ICT community, high quality education, a permanent flow of new
technology developments, and a stimulating environment, amongst others.
However they find that the region is lacking a vision and a body to orchestrate this
vision. Additionally there is the need for a hub, which connects the existing
individual networks and therewith stimulates cross-sectorial collaborations.
The region is currently dealing with several challenges, influencing the
SmartCulture potential.
Collaboration between sectors varies greatly, some actors have well-established
cross-sectorial networks, others none to little. The existing networks have holes,
which are already long existent and prove not to heal by themselves. Therefore an
agenda could be formulated in order for the network to identify and fill its holes.
Additionally, many CCI’s and ICT professionals wish to develop their work
individually, but when working digital one cannot stay decentralized, one should
connect in a network. The challenge is how to create a network without steering?
Can one orchestrate a vision through connecting people?
In all sectors the financial crises is stimulating new ways of thinking how to reach
customers, how get assignments and how to manage work. Digital media is then
sometimes a good solution, however with budgets under pressure less budget is
available for new media applications; this in a time when the need for applied
innovations is more and more acute.
Following this need: what tools can be envisioned to map the newest
technologies? Once on Google they are already “old”; the new innovations happen
in hidden places. Appropriate networks and related events could share these latest
innovations.
In the region, there are some large companies, which could benefit the
SmartCulture potential. However a vast increase of high tech multinationals would
improve the market, knowledge and employment for the CCI and ICT sector,
turning Eindhoven into a more attractive location for CCI’s and ICT professionals,
and therewith an even smarter culture. Additionally the CCI’s are currently lacking
a certain entrepreneurship.
The government should play a facilitating role in making the region leading in
SmartCulture: they can be a broker between the different parties, they can make a
more attractive city program and texture meeting the wishes of the design
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communities, they can improve the image of the region and can for example
stimulate a better mix of cultural actors.
In the last years Eindhoven has claimed its position as a Smart City and a Design
City; the challenge now will become to live up to this image, to keep developing
and investing in innovation. For this a vision is needed, not by the government, but
coming from the community itself.
Twelve interviews were conducted in August and September in Eindhoven (The
Netherlands). This pre-analysis gives an overview of our most important findings.
According to the methodology and the results outcome from these interviews, we
suggest to report and analyse the following issues highlighted by the experts,
depending on their field.
• Economic actors
- The cultural field has lack of knowledge in reference to ICT & digitalization
- Public bodies should facilitate the digitalization process better
- The support that the government has for the coop of digitalization and culture
should be exposed more
- Actors from all fields should work together in this process, Eindhoven has the
facilities
- Digitalization should be a selective and well-thought through process
- Digital cultural information should be easy to access for everyone
• Public Actors
- Possibility for government support is not well-known in the field
- Digitalization of culture should promote and educate
- Information should be adapted to different demands in society
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- Bring together ICT and Design (facilitated by local governments)
- Cross-overs between economic and cultural sector should be stimulated
• Research Actors
- Education in ICT should have a stronger link to the cultural field
- There should be a better syncronisation between different actors in the
digitalization process, as well as a better syncronisation between different cities
and regions
- The cultural field needs a better understanding of ICT (local government can
facilitate in this)
- Digitalization of culture is a process that should be carried out with care (research
has to play a part)
7. CENTRAL DENMARK REGION (DENMARK)
The Danish online questionnaire was sent to more 126 actors based in the Central
Denmark Region - All the sectors defined by the methodology were reached.
33 have submitted which we consider a good result for a relatively small region like
the Central Denmark Region. The majority of respondents are museums and
galleries. It has been difficult to reach the ICT and CCI and motivate them to
participate in the questionnaire, which is an experience and feedback we will bring
with us further in the process of SmartCulture project.
Profile of the respondents:
Among the 33 questionnaires received by mid-August, we can find:
• 3 actors from the ICT sector, including 2 firms and 1 cluster
• 8 creative & cultural industries, 5 companies and 3 clusters
• 18 cultural actors, including museums or galleries and 1 cluster
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• 3 have not submitted a profile. They represent 2 administration and development
departments in the region and 1 educational institution.
“Museums” is the most represented sector - and the majority are cultural history
museums which corresponds with the representation of museum types in the
region.
It is significant that questionnaire had greater success attracting the cultural actors
than the ICT and CCI sectors. An explanation could be that the companies can’t
see the direct benefit participating in questionnaires like this one. To compensate
for the lack of response from the individual companies, we have tried to reach
clusters, non-profit organizations and network in the ICT and CCI sectors.
Apart from that, the other sectors are more or less equally represented:
audiovisual sector, cultural heritage, arts & craft, design, publishing, ICT
manufacturing industries, computer games & software and music.
Market – localisation of the clients
The actors - both the CCI, ICT and cultural actors - in the Central Denmark Region
are generally focused on the home-market (local, regional and national markets).
Only a few companies have markets in the EU or beyond EU.
The actors target their products and services primarily towards the public, tourists
and guests, which corresponds with the fact that museums are majority of
respondents. The companies focus on “other companies” and “the public sector”.
Finance and funding
Majority are financed through public funding. 36% are financed through direct sale.
15 have experienced at decrease or a dramatic decrease in the public funding over
the latest years. On the other hand they find that the level of public funding to CCI
companies is suitable considering the crisis and overall situation.
17 out of 33 have had a stable return on investment.
The result implies that the majority of the respondents rely on public funding when
it comes to research and development. Finding private funding seems to be
difficult especially for CCI - it seems a bit easier for the ICT. Only if you work
focused, good projects can attract private money.
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Education:
On the issue about local educational system, the majority of the respondents
consider it good. A few calls for higher quality and skills that applies to CCI
activities.
Entrepreneurial culture:
Compared with the rest of the country - Denmark - the respondents finds the
entrepreneurial activity above average. Both when it comes to CCI and ICT.
22 respondents find level of entrepreneurial focus in the educational system is
agreeable. 9 disagree. There might be a potential for improvement.
Dealing with technology:
There is a need for clusters and network in the field of CCI and ICT, especially at a
regional level and in the field of their own branch. This corresponds with the
respondents focus on a home-market.
Most of the respondents use technology for communication aiming to live up to the
users’ needs. 6 respondents use technology to improve artistic and aesthetic
needs.
The biggest barrier to invest in new technology is the high cost. On a second place
is the lack of knowledge about technology and on a third place lack of knowledge
amongst employers.
Knowledge factor:
The answers from the online questionnaire precisely reveal that the main
knowledge factors obstructing the growth of an organisation are:
• first, identification of new markets
• the lack of business advice
• the identification of external markets
• the lack of access to knowledge.
Coordination between CCIs and ICTs
There is a potential in improving network and strategic coordination in the Central
Denmark Region.
Resources to bedeveloped:
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The types of resources that should be further developed are quite similar for the
CCIs and for ICT sector:
• support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds
• Clusters and network
• R&D labs, which also reveals the importance of the triple helix leg.
3 focus-groups were organized in June 2013 in Aarhus and Viborg (Denmark).
Design
There is a culture of development through projects which is becoming a nuse
around the neck of many companies. Partly because of the lack of depth and partly
because of lack of continuity.
Furthermore it is difficult to establish loyal customers and long term agreements.
The involvement of the users in the creation of products and processes challenges
the companies. The question is how to involve the user in the creation process and
still create new and state of the art products.
There is a need for “dating” between professionals.
Audiovisual sector
Is concerned with state of art models and processes for creation and identifies the
audiovisual sector as the opposite of a production company. working with culture,
when the task forces the companies to develop something new.
Change can be forced either internal in the company or because of external
changes. Companies needs to pay attention to what is happening in society - the
world outside the company . A way to be aware of that is network with other
companies.
New Media
The situation for new media companies seems to be good. A sign is that local
companies have succeeded to break through on an international market. Those
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companies who have the biggest success are the ones who involve their users in
the development process.
There is a geographical and mental barrier in the region between Aarhus and the
area outside of Aarhus. A way to develop companies located in the province, are
to pinpoint the flagships for inspiration and learning for others. A general problem
for making business is that you have to think both long term and short term at the
same time. And mostly it is the latter that gets most of the focus.
Publishing & printing
The way Libraries are running their business is old fashioned - borrow books. A
new way of thinking is to think of a library as place where you can access
knowledge and experiences.
There is a huge potential in interdisciplinary cooperations, where you can distribute
experiences from one place to another. The interfaces and the solutions should be
made in partnership with CCI and ICT.
Computer games & software
It is the customers who decide what is valuable in a company. If you can’t attract
customers you haven’t got value.
When it comes to digital cultural products it is absurd to think of them in terms of a
single region. The value and the products have a broader perspective. Often it is
difficult to create long term earnings from digital cultural media.
Cultural Heritage
In the outskirts of the museum landscape there are some barriers in terms of lack
of network/digital infrastructure and digital skills. To develop and promote digital
cultural products is therefore difficult - but nevertheless needed to attract visitors,
tourists, and finance to the development of the Museums. The cultural institutions
must to be even more creative in the way they develop digital solutions and make
business. A way to push the development of small and medium scale museums
are to focus on digital cultural flagship projects, publicity and visibility.
The museums must think strategic and focus on their authenticity and ask
themselves what they do, why they are doing it. And for whom? And next - how the
digital can enrich and support the cultural experience and user interaction.
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In this way the museums, CCI and ICT companies can establish a common
platform for development. There are many talented people and start-ups in the
region, but they need challenging projects and finance to keep them in the region
Research shows that the CCI and ICT in the Central Denmark Region are doing
quite well. There hasn’t been as much recession as expected. There is big
potential in the region and many challenges.
A challenge is for instance:

to cooperate across sectors and make reliable business models and
agreements that takes every partner into account.

that users tends not to be loyal to specific products or brands any more.
Therefore the products needs to be where the users are - both in the fysical
and in the online world.

to create clusters for professional networking among the actors. This is
very important for innovation and creation of new partnerships.
6 interviews were organized in September in Viborg and Aarhus (Denmark).
Political actors
Local public policy plans in the cultural, ICT and SmartCulture fields
SmartRegion
In Central Denmark Region we are working on a large scale initiative with the
strategic focus on how to establish 'Smart Cities in Smart Regions'. The concept
involves the innovative synergies between urban and rural development and the
digital economy. Basically the idea is to establish a new eco-system and policy
framework for companies, knowledge institutions, public administration and
citizens in order to commonly develop ICT based creative solutions that are both
able to solve the challenges that society has and create new markets.
The challenge is to find new ways to organize this in order to exploit the potential
that digitalization holds for many societal challenges, from energy, waste disposal,
traffic, turism/entertainment.
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SmartCity Aarhus is a vision about sustainable growth and innovation of Aarhus
City through digital media and partnerships. http://www.smartaarhus.dk/
Local cluster policy initiatives in the CCIs, ICT and SmartCulture sectors
Shareplay
Shareplay is an ambitious transmedia venture launched by the Central Denmark
Region and the North Denmark Region. Our mission is to take part in the
development of the future media sector.
Meaning Making Experience
Help museums go digital and co-create with new partners.
more.creative
It is at the latest initiative and backbone of the development of the creative industry
in Central Denmark Region. Through a network the vision is to make the region a
central international hub. A hub as a creative arena with representatives and
strategic partnerships from a variety of branches. that can inspire, learn, create
and develop through synergies and knowledge of each other’s work.
Status of the Central Denmark Region (strengths & weaknesses)
The strength is that Aarhus, the second biggest city in Denmark, is in the Central
Denmark Region and attracts lots of small ICT and CCI’s. Compared to the other
regions in Denmark, Central Denmark Region has a rich representation of
museums and cultural institutions.
The weakness is that the development is very much focused around Aarhus City partly because the actors of CCI and ICT are situated there. There is a potential to
develop the areas outside of Aarhus through experience design and cultural
tourism. Some companies and shops along the West coast has already seen the
opportunity and has invested in broad band that makes development of digital
experience easier and more accessible.
The strength is a great support in the region from all sectors: political, technical
and research to develop a SmartRegion, where ICT and CCI plays an important
role. The strength is a high scale of professionalism and academics. It is important
to have the deep knowledge at hand, but at the same time the deep knowledge
can be a barrier to co-work and co-create with other partners with another
professional background.
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It is exactly in the co-creations across the region, the municipalities, the sectors
that there is a chance and a realistic opportunity to develop.
To do that the actors need a stronger international focus to build up the experience
and expertice to produce for bigger markets than the local and national ones.
There are a couple of flagship companies in the field of computer games and film
but to support the development for more companies in that direction it demands a
more strategic way of thinking when it comes to partnerships that can help the
ICT’s and CCI’s to reach more customers. One example in the region is Funday
Factory
Challenges for the development of SmartCulture in the Central Denmark Region:
SmartCulture calls for a specific set of competencies to know the handcraft in
depth and network strategically. That takes time to develop and calls for long term
investments and support and a trust into the initiatives already created.
The region needs the right people, who are visionary, stubborn, diplomatic and can
take criticism and a lot of pressure to take the pioneering steps These kinds of
people should be nursed and supported.
Need more informal meeting points and an overall political strategy which is
communicated and funding/finance along with it. Funding/finance that supports
development and creation of prototypes and proof of concepts.
Economic actors
The field of digital experience at Museums and especially at libraries are growing
substantially right know. This has made it possible for the company to open an
office in Sweden and there is a wish to expand further to the countries around
Denmark.
The biggest challenge is the supply chain when it comes to sales, production and
delivery at deadline. Concerning museums the sales-perspective is more based on
network and bid.
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Collaboration with all the stakeholders of the Central Denmark Region (including
the role of the local political bodies to improve it)
The network with local stakeholders is very important when it comes to
partnerships, sharing experience and help with sales to an international market
and knowledge of new technology.
If business in the region shall grow and develop it takes partnerships.
The Central Denmark Region can help with that through facilitation of new cross
disciplinary partnerships and co-creations that experiments with new cultural
technology and media.
Research actors
Current state of the research activities in the ITC and SmartCulture fields in the
Central Denmark Region (description of the main labs and their main projects)
The creation of the “Information Technology City” at Aarhus University - also called
“Katrinebjerg” shows that there is development in this area and a will to support
and continue it. http://www.katrinebjerg.net/
Dig.Hum.Lab
DIGHUMLAB will be a national, distributed research infrastructure that integrates
and promotes digital resources, communities, tools and opportunities to Danish
researchers in the humanities and social sciences, and also at European and
international levels. http://dighumlab.dk/
Participatory Information Technology (PIT), http://pit.au.dk/
New development is happening when it comes to products and the ways users
engage and access contents and media. Digitalization has transformed the relation
between the media and the user. It is a transformation of “time”. you can access
contents at any moment and expect to do so. Social media is another development
and co-exists with old medie like Radio and TV.
This gives the user the possibility to participate and create dialogue. More people
have a voice which gives new opportunities and new challenges product wise but
also in research.
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R&D and innovation capacities of the Central Denmark Region (including initiatives
and education)
The overall capacity is good.
The area “Katrinebjerg” has lifted the level of network, educations, research and
the possibilities for academic CCI and ICT entrepreneurs.
The “City of Film” in Aarhus is an investement and cluster with film companies.
This year there has been established a new school of Film, which focus on the
commercial market.
The University has put great effort into building up network to ICT and CCI in order
to give the students knowledge about working life and a channel to establish
internships and jobs after educations.
Status of the Central Denmark Region (strengths & weaknesses)
The strength is that the region has strong visions - best shown with the initiative
SmartRegion and SmartCity.
The weakness is a too high frequency of new initiatives instead of investing in the
ones which already exist.
The strength is the opportunity to create synergy and to give the public access to
meaningful experiences and to secure the diversity of contents.
The weakness is that the media companies see each other as competition rather
than partners. A partnership and focus on co-creation with public and private
partners could help the smaller actors and lead their development to the next step.
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8. MADRID (SPAIN)
8.1. Preliminary results of the online questionnaire per regional
context
The questionnaire was sent to 400 people and organizations from CCI sectors in
the Madrid Region, and was completed by 49, which covered all related sectors in
the established methodology.
49 questionnaires were completed including 26 from different companies and 10
from public entities. Most of the respondents (31) were organizations over 10 years
old.
The most represented sector was Audiovisual (cinema and TV), with 14
respondents, followed by Cultural Heritage (10), new media (7) and Video (5).
It is striking that 25 respondents (51%) stated they do not belong to any
association.
Market and Clients
Regional CCI companies are generally micro enterprises focused on the local
market, 20% within the Madrid region and 50% nationally. 16.3% operate at the
European level. They are mostly micro SMEs employing between 0 and 5 people
and although they do hire temporary staff, they do so in a reduced amount. Billing,
over 50% of cases is below 200,000 €.
Finance & Funding
The financing via public support and through the company's sales are balanced in
the survey, but considering that the questionnaire was filled in by ten public bodies
we must conclude that the main source of funding is product sales and services.
As expected, 50% of respondents say they have seen a reduction of over 10% in
sales in the crisis stage (since 2008) and a 25% reduction set between 2.5% and
10%.
In addition to this dramatic sales reduction, respondents complain of the difficulties
to obtain financing due to the drastic cuts in public subsidies (that the majority
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consider low and insufficient), of the risk aversion of financial institutions, and of
the difficulty to guarantee the loans they could receive.
Despite the reduction in public aid, this source of funding is the most requested,
even though expectations are not achieved: respondents request national support
(27) European (20), regional (11) and municipal (7).
There is a certain insecurity and discouragement when both ICC representatives
as ICT sector, reported they find it difficult to attract financing and investment
nowadays to their sectors.
Education
In this area there is a clear difference in opinion on whether the education system
provides appropriate youth training in the ICT and ICC sectors. Respondents'
opinions are split down the middle as to whether there is adequate training or not.
In the ICT sector the number of positive opinions is almost twice that of negative
opinions. The overwhelming majority of respondents believe that entrepreneurship
is not contemplated or endorsed by the formal education system.
The majority opinion of the respondents is that the culture of entrepreneurship in
the CCI and ICT sectors in the Madrid region are similar and, in both cases,
remain above the national average, but few believe that the regional culture of
entrepreneurship is up to European or global standards.
The respondents mainly use technology to assist in the development of products
and services for clients, followed by communication/marketing/management and in
third place for research.
Respondents' technological goals in the use of technology are to respond to
customer demand and gain efficiency in management. However, most of them
consider the cost of tools and digital technologies is a barrier to access, as is the
lack of personnel qualified to handle them. This opinion, which also emerges in
personal interviews and Focus Groups, is surprising and indicates the failure of the
national education system to adapt to the new digital environment, especially
considering current levels of unemployment.
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Knowledge factor
Respondents claim that the main sources of knowledge come from the relationship
with industry associations, conferences and international events, and knowledge
sharing at the individual level. All types of organizations in the survey obtain similar
figures.
The opinion given on the barriers that hinder knowledge obtaining by the
respondent organizations is very interesting. First they cite lack of qualified
personnel, then lack of contacts and thirdly the lack of identification of new
markets.
Coordination between CCI and ICT with international networks
Both in the ICT and CCI sectors, the coordination and collaboration with
international networks is discrete, though slightly higher in the ICT.
As for the type of resources and actions to be promoted in the short term for the
CCI and ICT, both first point out the need of support for projects and European
funds. ICT agree on the need for laboratories, which is not that important for the
CCI. Then both mention professional exchanges with other countries, accelerators
of innovation and knowledge transfer centres.
8.2. Preliminary comments of the focus groups
6 focus groups were organized in the region of Madrid during July and September
2013.
Current opinions and trends detected:
1) The participants generally do not completely understand the concept and
content of CCI, or its scope within European programs made for this sector or,
therefore, its practical relevance.
Consequently there is no sense of belonging to the CCI sector, and therefore no
feelings or strong ties arise among members that motivate them to collaborate in
achieving common goals.
2) As for the status of the CCI sector in this region, views vary but they generally
agree that the sector is in constant transformation and that this will accelerate in
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the future with ICT and the digital environment. Negative points cited include the
difficulty to get financing for projects and activities and to create new stable
business models that others will perceive as an opportunity.
Moreover, the majority opinion is that regional authorities fail to support the sector
strongly enough despite its economic relevance and do not create channels of
knowledge and collaboration.
3) Collaboration between the different CCI players in the region is said to be
scarce or limited, with plenty of room for improvement. Distrust is also said to be a
problem among small content creators and large technology companies, which
precludes helpful collaboration between the two.
4) There is a complete consensus regarding the negative impact of the
national/European economic crisis on the sector, most notably in the unwillingness
of banks to make loans to companies to finance projects and the lack of demand
from TV companies and consumers, who have less disposable income to spend
on CCI products.
5) Among other problems facing the industry, there is mention of the regulatory
environment whose various aspects will be detailed in the final assessment, the
need to be more innovative, and access to both market and consumers.
6) The sector's strengths included trained, highly creative professionals, the
potential of the Spanish language, and a good technical, transport and
communication infrastructure, plus good cultural infrastructure and a valuable
cultural heritage. Good universities and training potential, an intense cultural
offering and an open attitude among citizens and members of the sector, favoring
communication and creation.
Weaknesses include the small size of the companies and the shortcomings that
this implies. Their expertise in creating products remains unsupported by an
adequate distribution network, which is vital for monetizing production. It was
mentioned that regulatory complexity makes it difficult to compete with products
and services from other regions. An insufficient command of the English language
is an obstacle but there will be improvements in this regard. Overly high and
complex taxation is also cited as a problem in competing with other regions. No
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concrete strategic vision from the regional authority towards the integral
development of ICT.
6) As for how the government can help industry, a solution is said to be the
establishment of scenarios agreed by all political options so that the sector can
develop in a stable environment with medium-term policies accepted by all
stakeholders. It would be very welcome if they also want to support the
development of strategies in the medium/long term defined by the industry.
7) All participants agreed on the need to adapt to the digital environment and
develop their businesses within it on account of the opportunities offered, though
all admit the difficulties involved.
8) Activities regarded as worthwhile for improving the connection between industry
players include the creation of collaborative projects, sectoral and cross-sectoral
networking, training and communication/information in the CCI sector, and support
for SMEs. Finally there was a reference to the creation of formal structures for
collaboration between companies, training and research with assistance from the
government.
9) Madrid's ICT Audiovisual Cluster could boost the aforementioned activities by
acting as a neutral agent.
10) As for the challenges to finish 2013, participants agree to weather the current
crisis – and to generate new models of public/private collaboration and dialogue.
They aim to develop common strategies in agreement with all players in the CCI
sector.
8.3. Preliminary comments of the in-depth interviews
12 interviews were organized in July and September 2013 in Madrid (Spain).
Current opinions and trends detected:
1) All participants consider the contribution made by ICT to CCIs as positive, owing
to its being an appropriate, time-saving way to distribute any digital content
(especially CCI-related) and make it available to the public. It gives creators new
experimental options which in turn lead to higher quality products.
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2) However, most respondents also agree that no existing comprehensive regional
policy currently considers ICT at the global level. Despite its important role in the
regional economy, its good technical infrastructure and rich cultural heritage,
regional authorities typically show little interest towards the ICT/Digital Culture
sector. Some respondents from specific subsectors do acknowledge support from
the regional authority. Asked to what degree public measures support CCIs and
the ICT sector in the region, the answer is negative.
3) There is little knowledge of the content and exact meaning of “CCI” as a
concept, accompanied by a consequent low sense of belonging to the sector.
There is a conceptual conflict between entertainment and the cultural industry,
perhaps because the former is somewhat "in awe" of the latter.
4) With regards to how well the respondents get on with the public sector, they all
claim to have a good relationship on the whole. Nevertheless this seems to be at a
personal level rather than in achieving results.
Their relationship with the University and training centers is also appreciated
although some consider regional universities must make a leap in quality and
adapt to the digital world.
Their relationship with the world of culture is open and productive (with room for
improvement).
The CCI sector's relationship with the financial world has always been complicated
and this is even more notable under the current circumstances. The financial
sector is considered to be overly conservative.
5) Concerning future actions to transform the Madrid region into a CCI/ICT leader,
reference is made to networking and collaboration among industry agents,
facilitating knowledge and creating forums for exchanging experiences, and the
development of platforms for multidisciplinary and integrative projects where
creation, culture, industry and finance can flourish with support from regional
authorities to generate a rich and stable ecosystem.
There is also mention of the need for experts in new online distribution methods.
6) Regarding strengths there is reference to capital, the large number of connected
people in the sector, talent, intense cultural life, important links with Latin America
and the cultural infrastructure.
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Perceived weaknesses include a degree of cultural and economic conservatism
versus other European or Spanish regions, as well as a lack of training and
expertise in very specific and innovative areas. There is also mention of a lack of a
regional image, poor packaging and distribution facilities, a certain cultural isolation
with regards to emerging countries and a tendency to set up creative
microbusinesses without sufficient commercial and financial backing, and a
tendency towards short-termism among political authorities.
7) Finally, as proposals for future growth, reference is made to the need for
regional CCI/ICT actors to agree upon long-term sustainable strategies to generate
powerful and stable ecosystems, which would require new technical staff and
managers trained and adapted to a new environment.
Suggestions include improving communication and collaboration among all
regional players, which would increase the sense of belonging to the sector, and to
improve the capacity and skills to market CCI products using ICT resources.
Likewise, there is a need for greater political support and improvement in the
regulatory environment for some of the subsectors that make up the CCI universe.
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PART III: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
This part of the Deliverable summarizes the preliminary results of the regional surveys:
The online questionnaires have been translated into the official languages of each
region and online distributed to large samples in order to achieve 45 valid answers.
 The French online questionnaire was sent to more than 650 actors based in the
Nord-Pas de Calais region. Among the 43 questionnaires received by midAugust 2013, 42% actors from the ICT sector, 31% from the Creative and
Cultural Industries and 27% cultural actors, including museums or galleries and
cultural associations. New Media is the most represented sector, while other
sectors are more or less equally represented (audiovisual sector, cultural
heritage, arts and craft, design, publishing, ICT manufacturing industries,
computer games and software, and music).
 The Basque online questionnaire was sent to more than 320 actors based in
the Basque Country region. Among the 43 questionnaires received by
September 2013, audiovisual is the most represented sector followed by
design. The other sectors are more or less equally represented (new media,
cultural heritage, architecture, publishing, ICT manufacturing industries,
computer games & software and music).
 The UK online questionnaire was sent to more than 500 actors based in the
West Midlands covering the ITC and CCI sectors, museums, galleries and other
cultural organisations including Public & Private entities. All the sectors defined
by the methodology were reached.
 The questionnaire was sent to all of the Sienese relevant actors in the fields
under consideration. A total of 49 valid questionnaires were obtained. Among
the respondents, the most represented sector is the heritage one, with covers
the 43,2% of responses, followed by arts and crafts with the 13,6%; games,
new media and audiovisual overall with 13,5% of the sample, and by music and
publishing with 9,1% each. All other sectors are below 5%.
 The questionnaire was sent to more than 90 actors based in the Sofia region.
As of 22 September 2013, 34 questionnaires are completed: 21 are private, 10
are NGOs working in the CCIs, 3 are state-run. The following sectors are
represented: audiovisual, new media, cultural heritage, architecture, publishing,
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ICT, computer games and software and music, arts and crafts, film production
and distribution.
 The Dutch online questionnaire was sent to more than 300 actors based in the
Brainport Eindhoven region in the Netherlands. 44 questionnaires were
received from various actors in the following sectors: architecture, audiovisual,
Computer games en software, Cultural Heritage, Design (41%), ICT, Arts &
Crafts (18%), Music, New Media, Advertising, Media agency and Publising.
 The Danish online questionnaire was sent to more 126 actors based in the
Central Denmark Region. From the 33 questionnaires submitted, the majority of
respondents are museums and galleries (54%). It has been difficult to reach the
ICT (10%) and CCI (24%) and motivate them to participate in the questionnaire.
Apart from that, the other sectors are more or less equally represented:
audiovisual sector, cultural heritage, arts & craft, design, publishing, ICT
manufacturing industries, computer games & software and music.
 The questionnaire was sent to 400 people and organizations from CCI sectors
in the Madrid Region, and was completed by 49, which covered all related
sectors in the established methodology. The most represented sector was
Audiovisual (cinema and TV), followed by Cultural Heritage, new media and
video. It is striking that 25 respondents (51%) stated they do not belong to any
association.
Regarding the first descriptive answers about the questionnaires, the following
highlights may be extracted from the preliminary analysis.
 Most of the CCIs in the Nord-Pas de Calais, the Basque Country and Madrid
have clients located in the same country and/or in the European Union, so the
results refute the hypothesis that the regional level is the most suited to respond
to the needs of the CCIs. The use of new Information and Communication
Technologies might be a reason for this expansion. However, in regions such
as Siena, Sofia and Eindhoven, there is therefore an ample margin of
improvement as to the opening of the region to international markets. This
correlates with the fact that most are small to mid-size organizations.
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 In the educational field, there is a clear difference in opinion on whether the
education system provides appropriate youth training in the ICT and ICC
sectors among the clusters. Respondents' opinions are split down the middle as
to whether there is adequate training or not. The overwhelming majority of
respondents believe that entrepreneurship is not contemplated or endorsed by
the formal education system.
 The main objectives when innovating in technology are gaining efficiency in the
production of a service and matching the demands of the users (Nord-Pas de
Calais, Basque Country, Madrid). However, in the Sofia region, innovative
technologies are used primarily for creative purposes. The large majority of the
regions consider the cost of tools and digital technologies a barrier to access,
as the lack of personnel qualified to handle them.
 According to the methodology, the most important knowledge factors
influencing the growth of an organisation are linked to information about market
opportunities. The answers from the online questionnaire precisely reveal that
the main knowledge factors obstructing the growth of an organisation are first,
the identification of external markets (Nord-Pas de Calais, Basque Country,
Sofia, Central Denmark); the lack of business advice (Nord-Pas de Calais,
Sofia, Eindhoven, Central Denmark); the identification of new markets (NordPas de Calais, Basque Country, Sofia, Eindhoven, Central Denmark, Madrid)
and the lack of qualified personal (Nord-Pas de Calais, Sofia, Eindhoven,
Madrid.
 The types of resources that should be further developed are quite similar for the
CCIs and for ICT sector: innovation and design accelerators for existing firms;
support to access to develop European projects and to access European funds;
R&D labs, which also reveals the importance of the triple helix leg; or
production and studio spaces.
Furthermore, the Deliverable includes some conclusions of the Focus Groups
conducted in each of the regions. Erreur ! Source du renvoi introuvable. presents
the list of SmartCulture sectors that have been targeted by each of the regions. In all
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the cases, the focus groups consisted of a discussion of approximately 90 to 120
minutes, led by a trained moderator, involving 6 to 8 people recruited for the session
based on their belonging to a SmartCulture sector. As it can be seen, each cluster has
defined at least five focus groups related to the different SmartCulture sectors and a
final focus group with key figures of the cluster and representative of each sector in
order to carry out the final wrap-up evaluation. The conclusions of such focus groups
will be used as the basis for the SWOT analysis.
Table 0 Summary of the focus group conducted.
Nord-Pas
Basque
Birming
de Calais
Country
ham
Siena
Sofia
Eindhoven
Central
Dk
Madrid
Advertising
Architecture
X
Arts and crafts
X
Audio-visual
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Computer
games and
software
Cultural
Heritage
Design
X
X
X
Music
X
New Media
X
X
Publishing
X
X
Mix
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
According to the questions of the focus-groups put forward by the methodoly
(deliverable 2.1, p. 39) and the results outcome from these debates, the partners seem
to agree on the following points, which will be appropriately developed in the SWOT
analysis:
 In the participating regions, all the actors agree that the major strength of which
the citizens are aware is the rich and diverse cultural heritage and UNESCO
world heritage status sites, museums, galleries etc.
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 There is a will to collaborate in the SmartCulture field, within the region and also
within the European Region. Participants think that efforts should be made for
participating in collaborative projects, since for them, working on individual
projects is not enough.
 The regions also benefit of good professionals in ICT and CCI sectors and
partners agree that there is a huge potential in the interdisciplinary
collaboration.
 When talking about the weaknesses of the regions in SmartCulture domain, the
partners also agree on several common points as the lack of financial
incentives for the CCI sector or where public funding exists, partners accuse a
lack of private funding.

There is also room of improvement for the applicative R&D in the participating
regions and of the relationship between the research actors and the economic
ones.
 The different juridical framework is also perceived as a barrier in the
SmartCulture field, at European level.
 In the regions there is also a consensus regarding the lack of skills and lack of
experts and of trained specialized in the museums, who can understand deal
with the new technologies.
 Regarding the digitalization, the partners noticed that the actors are
complaining about the lack of financial resources and general policies in this
domain.
 In some of the regions participants find that there is no national strategy in the
SmartCulture field, no funding for clusters and start-ups.
Finally, expert opinions have been gathered through in-depth interviews with policy
makers and sector experts: political actors, research/ education actors, economic
actors.
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The moderator has asked some questions to discuss in more depth some additional
aspects in order to collect a more articulated collection of views and information. The
length of these interviews has been from one hour to 90 minutes. The experts have
been selected among three main groups: policy makers, economical agents and
educational partners. An average of 12 interviews have been conducted per region.
The results of the interviews come to confirm the majority of the statements revealed
by the participants to focus-groups.
Starting from the preliminary comments, we can also highlight the main issues revealed
by each region:
 An important strength of the regions is identified, once again, as being the
human resources, the good professionals and creative people, with lots of
projects and good ideas.
 On the other hand, the current financial status, due to the mondial crisis, is
identified as an actual barrier for them, and its negative impacts are visible in
the reduction of funding, so there is less public support.
 Generally there are good relationships between the regional actors and, in
some regions good public support in the field of ICT and CCI.
 There are already several innovative projects and initiatives in the cultural field,
implemented by research labs or directly by enterprises.
 The relathionship between the research and the enterprises, the private R&D
should be developed and improved.
 There is also room of improvement in the relationship between the cultural
actors and the economic ones.
 Participants agree that there is a lack of strategy in the SmartCulture field and
there is no strategic vision, at regional or national level.
 In the regions it seems to observe a lack of coordination and union between the
stakeholders, to define an action plan in the field of the digital culture.
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 Regions are giving a high importance to the cultural field, but there are
important steps to make for the development of the cross fertilization between
ICT enterprises, CCI and cultural field.
 There is a general will to create a synergy between the artistic, the creative, the
industrial etc. People are also willing to collaborate and to be informed about
the opportunities existing at European level to develop the cultural digital field.
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Annex I: Sectors and subsectors of the CCIs (Deliverable
D2.1.1)
Sector
Architecture
Sub-sector

Architecture

Interior architecture

Landscape architecture

Generation of creative content for film, TV and
radio (commissioning and scriptwriting)

Production for film and TV (all activities involved in
creating a movie, TV show, commercial or
interactive programme for a script)
Audio-visual
sector

Film and video distribution

Screening of film

Broadcasting of TV and radio content

Audience consumption and retail

Support services (specialized equipment facilities,
storage facilities)

Media-related activities (trading of broadcasting
time)

Industrial design for manufacturing and services
(creation of new tools, machinery, equipment and
Design
products)

Graphic design (logos, stationery, posters, layouts
and covers, signs)

Entertainment software

Video games
Computer games

Computer programming activities
and software

Web portals

Data management and hosting

Digital Rights Management
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Publishing

Literature (books)

Journalism (newspapers and magazines)

News agencies

Printed matter

Brochures

Guides

Fine arts (sculptors, painters)

Artistic handcrafts (goldsmiths, potters, leather
crafters, jewellers, textiles)
Arts and crafts

Visual arts (photography, curators, conservators)

Performing arts (theatre, dance, folklore, opera,
circus, magic shows, poetry, storytelling)
New Media
Cultural Heritage

Interactive arts

Souvenirs

Cross-media and trans-media

New cultural media

Museums

Archives and libraries

Exhibition and cultural centres

Archaeological sites

Natural parks

Composers and songwriters composing lyrics and
melodies

Music
Musicians who lend their voices to these lyrics and
melodies

Musical work publishers

Record companies related to the manufacture,
promotion and distribution of phonographs
Advertising

Reproduction of phonograms from masters

Advertising and media agencies
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Annex II: NACE Codes for the CCI Industries (Deliverable
D2.1.1)
Sector
NACE codes included

71.11 Architectural activities (building design and
drafting; town and city planning and landscape
Architecture
architecture)

74.1
Specialised
design
activities
(interior
decorators)

18.2 Reproduction of recorded media (reproduction
from master copies of gramophone records,
compact discs and tapes with music or other sound
recording; master copies of records, compact discs
and tapes with motion pictures and other video
recordings; master copies of software and data on
discs and tapes)

59.1
Motion
picture,
video
and
television
programme activities (production of theatrical and
non-theatrical motion pictures whether on film,
video tape, DVD or other media, including digital
distribution, for direct projection in theatres or for
Audio-visual
broadcasting on television; supporting activities
sector
such as film editing, cutting, dubbing; distribution of
motion pictures of other film productions (video
tapes, DVD) to other industries; as well as their
production; buying and selling motion picture or
any other film production distribution rights)

60.1 Radio broadcasting (activities of broadcasting
audio signals through radio broadcasting studios
and
facilities
programming
for
to
the
public,
transmission
to
of
affiliates
aural
or
to
subscribers; radio broadcasting activities over the
Internet; data broadcasting integrated with radio
broadcasting)

60.2 Television programming and broadcasting
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activities (creation of creating a complete television
channel programme, from purchased programme
components,
self-produced
programme
components or a combination; programming of
video-on-demand channels; data broadcasting
integrated with television broadcasting)

74.1
Specialised
design
activities
(industrial
design, i.e. creating and developing designs and
specifications that optimise the use, value and
appearance
Design
of
products,
including
the
determination of the materials, mechanism, shape,
colour and surface finishes of the product)

74.1
Specialised
design
activities
(graphic
designers)

58.2 Software publishing (publishing of computer
games for all platforms; publishing of ready-made
(non-customised) software, including translation or
adaptation of non-customised software for a
particular market on own account)

62.01 Computer programming activities (designing
the structure and content of, and /or writing the
computer code necessary to create and implement
system software, software applications, databases
Computer games
and software
and Web pages; customising of software)

63.1
Data
processing,
hosting
and
related
activities; Web portals (provision of infrastructure
for hosting, data processing services and related
services;
specialized
hosting
activities;
data
processing activities; operation of Web sites that
use a search engine to generate and maintain
extensive databases of Internet addresses and
content in an easily searchable format; operation of
other Websites that act as portals to the Internet
providing updated content)
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SMARTCULTURE

18.1 Printing and service activities related to
printing (printing of products such as newspapers,
magazines, books and brochures, maps, atlases,
advertising catalogues, smart cards, periodicals,
business
forms,
greeting
cards
and
other
materials, and associated support activities such
as bookbinding, plate-making services and data
Publishing
imaging)

58.1 Publishing of books, periodicals and other
publishing activities (book publishing, newspapers,
journals and periodicals)

63.9 Other information activities (news syndicate
and news agency activities furnishing news,
pictures and features to the media; information
based search services on a contract or fee basis;
news clipping services and press clipping services)

18.12 Other printing (printing directly onto textiles,
plastic, glass, metal, wood and ceramics)

47.78 Other retail sale of new goods in specialized
stores (retail sale of souvenirs, craftwork and
religious articles; activities of commercial art
galleries)

74.2 Photographic activities (commercial and
consumer photograph production; film processing)
Arts and crafts

74.3 Translation and interpretation activities

90.0 Creative, arts and entertainment activities
(production
of
live
theatrical
presentations,
concerts and opera or dance productions and other
stage productions, support activities to performing
arts for production of live theatrical presentations,
concerts and opera or dance productions and other
stage productions, activities of individual artists
such as sculptors, painters, cartoonists, engravers,
etchers, individual writers, independent journalists;
restoring of works of art; operation of concert and
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theatre halls and other arts facilities)

91.0 Libraries, archives, museums and other
cultural activities (botanical and zoological gardens
Cultural Heritage
and
nature
reserves
activities,
operation
of
historical sites and buildings and similar visitor
attractions)

59.2 Sound recording and music publishing
activities (production of original (sound) master
recordings,
such
as
tapes,
CDs;
releasing,
promoting and distributing sound recordings to
wholesalers, retailers or directly to the public;
sound recording service activities in a studio or
Music
elsewhere, including the production of taped ( i.e.
non-live) radio programming; music publishing, i.e.
activities of acquiring and registering copyrights for
musical compositions, promoting, authorising and
using these compositions in recordings, radio,
television, motion pictures, live performances, print
and other media)

Advertising
73.1 Advertising (creation and realization of
advertising
campaigns
conducting
marketing
for
different
campaigns
media;
and
other
advertising services aimed at attracting and
retaining customers including the promotion of
products,
point-of-sale
marketing,
direct
mail
advertising or marketing consulting)
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ANNEX III: List of the participants to the regional survey
1. Nord-Pas de Calais (France)
Focus groups:
Design
-
Alexandra Pisco, Managing director at Maisons de Mode
-
Frédéric Bonin, Design Manager & entrepreneur at Axone Design
-
Damieux Breux, graphic professor at EFFICOM and founder of a graphic
agency
-
David Ferron, Innovation & design projet manager at Programme 3pod,
CCI Lille
Audiovisual sector
-
Nicolas Deprost (WHAC)
-
Pascale Debrock, CEO Plaine Images
-
Camille Merlier, Céline Watelle et Benjamin Robine, Télés Nord-Pas de
Calais
-
Antoine Manier and Anne-Charlotte Fauvel, Rencontres Audiovisuelles
New Media
-
Tom Gauthier, V-Cult
-
Alexandre Equoy, Taktus
-
Jean-Michel Flamant, Idées-3com
-
Alexandre Reitzmann, ZicMeUp
-
DominiqueTourte, Invenit Editions
-
Marie Seygnerole, Encre Nomade
-
Arnaud Lecompte, Nord Compo
-
Jean-Pierre Rays, Jouve
-
Hervé Molin, UNIC
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SMARTCULTURE
-
Laurent Tricart, Plaine Images – Imaginarium
-
Marc Lavigne, general delegate from Game In
-
Charles Christory, Adictiz
Cultural Heritage
-
Véronique Petitjean, LaM
-
Alice Cornier, Ecomuseum of Avesnois
-
Chloé Gilleron and Anne Sophie Berger, Musenor
-
Maurice Decroix, La Piscine and the Federation of the Friends of Nord Pas
de Calais Museums
Cross-disciplinary
-
Henri Acloque, responsable of ICTs for the Calais city
-
Geoffrey Wesse, responsible of multimedia for the International Center for
Lace and Fashion of Calais.
-
Thomas Chuzeville, Lille Design
-
Patrick Bertolo, EuraTechnologies
In-depth interviews:
Political actors
-
Laurent Matuszczak, Department of Economic Development, Council of
Region
-
Donato Giuliani, Head Officer for the European and International
Cooperation, Department of Culture, Council of Region
-
Christophe Bolot, Head of Economic Development department, Sandrine
Becqueriaux, in charge of image and design policies, Lille Metropole
-
Bruno Cavaco, elected representative of Lens territory and President of the
new-born SmartCulture Cluster, Jean-Pierre Hanon, Department of
Economic Development & Catherine Facon, project manager in charge of
economic development at Lens-Lievin Metropole.
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SMARTCULTURE
Economic actors
-
Raouti Chehih, Chief Executive Officer of EuraTechnologies
-
Nathalie Delannoy, project manager at InfoNord which regroups ICT
enterprises
-
Fabrice Galloo, Chief Executive Officer of Regional Digital Cluster (Pôle
Regional Numérique)
-
Chekib Gharbi, Chief Executive Officer of CITC (The Innovation Center of
Contactless Technologies)
Research actors
-
David Simplot-Ryl, Director of INRIA (National Institute for Research in
Computer Science and Control)
-
Laurent Grisoni, Team leader of LIFL (Computer Science Laboratory of
Lille)
-
Fréderic Gendre, in charge with the scientific mediation and communication
at MESHS (European Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities); Janis
Monchet, department of development and scientific management; Cynthia
Pedroja, Department of Digital Documentary Ressources
-
Stéphanie Roussel, Research Engineer at University of Artois – Research
Center in Computer Sciences of Lens.
Other additional interviews:
-
Xavier Colin, Chief Executive Officer of WTPL la MINE (Music Industry
Nord Europe)
-
Sandra Faggioni and Julian Alvarez, Play Research Lab
-
Pierre d’Huy, EDHEC Business School
-
Vincent Leclercq, Chief Executive Officer of Pictanovo (audiovisual and
multimedia cluster)
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2. The Basque Region (Spain):
Focus groups:
5 focus-groups were organised in July and September in the Basque Country.
-
ALHÓNDIGA BILBAO - Culture & Leisure centre
-
AZKUE FUNDAZIOA - Foundation for the development of the Basque
language by use of ICTs
-
BASQUEGAME - The association of videogames in the Basque Country
-
BERRIA - Newspaper
-
BLUE DESIGN - Industrial design company
-
CINEMA AND VIDEO SCHOOL OF ANDOAIN
-
DEIA - Newspaper
-
DIARIO VASCO - Newspaper
-
DIMADO - Industrial design company
-
EIDE - The association of industrial design in the Basque Country
-
EIKEN - Cluster of the Basque Audiovisual
-
ELHUYAR - Publishing house and R&D foundation
-
ELKAR - Publishing house
-
ETB - The Basque Public TV
-
IKASPLAY - Videogames company
-
INNOVA4B - Innovation and business consulting company
-
INTERACTIVE MARTIN - Videogames company
-
IRUSOIN - Production company
-
KOMA ZERBITZU KULTURALAK - Cultural heritage consultant
-
MORIARTI PRODUKZIOAK - Production company
-
MUSEO SAN TELMO - Museum of Basque society and citizenship.
-
ODEI - ICT consultant
-
POLE OF INNOVATION OF SAN SEBASTIAN CITY
-
PULSAR CONCEPT - Videogames company
-
TRIDENT STUDIOS - Videogames company
-
UBIQA - Transmedia & Crossmedia company
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SMARTCULTURE
Political actors
-
San Sebastian City Council “ Fomento” - Development Society
-
Basque Government – Department of Cultural Heritage
Economic actors
-
BEAZ - Business Innovation Centre
-
EITB (Basque Public TV) - Engineering and Exploitation Department
-
San Sebastian European Capital of Culture 2016
-
Tabakalera - International Contemporary Culture Centre
Research actors
-
University of the Basque Country - Faculty of Social and Communication
Science
-
University of Mondragon (HUHEZI ) - Communication Faculty
-
University of Deusto - Faculty of Communication
-
CENTA - School of Audio-visual technologies
3. West Midlands (UK)
Focus-groups:
Audio visual sector
-
Stephen Badham : Creative England (Formerly Screen WM)
-
Robin Powell : Ember Television
-
Michael Bickerton : Film Maker/DOP
-
Richard Wood: Film Maker /Network Coordinator
-
Simon Wellman: The Herbert Gallery Media
-
Ilvars Veinbergs: Independent freelance Film Maker
Cultural Heritage
-
Justin Hughes: Project Officer, Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology
Service, The Hive
-
Gemma Dhami: Museums Development Officer (Arts Council England)
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SMARTCULTURE
-
David Nash: Curator - Worcestershire City Museum
-
Louise Price: George Marshall Medical Museum
Four additional focus-groups will be organised during the following weeks and
included the SWOT analysis.
Political actors
-
Dan Lawson (Training Networks Manager)
-
Garry Campbell BBC Metadata Service Delivery Manager (Information &
Archives)& BBC Technology, Distribution & Archives
-
Gemma Dhami – Arts Council England - Museum Development Officer
-
Judith MacKay – Digital Businesses Birmingham
-
Sussanah Goh - Birmingham Science City Demonstrator Development
Manager (Innovative Healthcare and Digital
-
Jo Lee (Arts and Culture Development Manager at Warwickshire County
Council.
Economic actors
-
Dan Licari – ICT, Developers cluster representative
-
Paul Davies - Producer /Managing Director – Junction Media
-
Andy Hartwell - Director of Substrakt
-
Matt Cusworth – Director of Frog & Peach video media production
company
-
Mark Sampson – Ironman records & independent tour manager working
internationally.
Research actors
-
Professor Vince Gaffney Chair in Landscape Archaeology and Geomatics
and Director of the Visual and Spatial Technology Centre (VISTA)
University of Birmingham
-
David Hopes - Research Fellow The Shakespeare Institute (University of
Birmingham)
-
Andrew Lewis - PhD Research Leverhulme Trust funded researcher
-
Dr Paul Long – Birmingham City University
434
SMARTCULTURE
4. Siena/Tuscany Region (Italy)
Focus groups
Design
-
Fabrizio Bartalozzi, graphic designer since 1998, Municipality of Siena
-
Andrea D'Amore, graphic designer since 1994
-
Claudio Santucci, geometer freelancer
Audiovisual sector
-
Daniele Marotta, cartoonist
-
Mauro Agnesoni, amateur photographer, Siena Fotoclub
-
Martino Castellani, musician in the band « The Shakers », student at Siena
Jazz
New Media
- Marta Tiezzi, freelancer, communication, social media, digital art
-
Simone Tiberi, In.fact srl, Digital Agency of Siena dealing with ICT, digital
publishing and interaction design.
-
Mirko Peripimeno, Spin-off, disseminating Cultural H eritage
-
Diego Giachetti, Start-up Siena
- Valentina Faleri, ex entrepreneuer, bookshop« La Zona »
- Fausto Tanzarella, writer and President of Pascal Editor
- Gabrio Iommi, Monte dei Paschi di Siena employee and collaborator Artweekly
-
Christian
de
Santi
Information systems,
technological
and
networks
telecommunications, Municipality of Siena
Cultural Heritage
-
Marie Ange Causarano researcher of Art History and Medevial Archeology since
2001
Luca Passalacqua, archeologist
-
Christian Posani, contemporary artist (Papesse)
-
Francesca Gallina, researcher for University for Foreigners of Siena
-
Carlo Infantino, International relations, Municipality of Siena
-
435
SMARTCULTURE
-
Gianna Tinacci, Superintendence for Architectural Heritage and Lndscape,
Provinces of Siena and Grosseto
-
Patrizia Turrini, State Archive
-
Luisa Dallai, archaeologist University of Siena
-
Antonello Mennucci, researcher, archaeologist, University of Siena
-
Lucia Goretti, violin teacher of Istituto Rinaldo Franci, Siena
-
Alessia Posani, University of Siena, Historical and Artistic Heritage
-
Gabriele Chianese, Contemporary Art Gallery « FuoriCampo «
-
Carolin Angerbauer, Punto Mobile's curator, Siena 2019
-
Martina Franchi, experimental theater « TeatrO2 »
-
Benedetta Landi, craftsman in Siena, Art Historian
-
Debora Barbagli, artistic heritage conservation at Santa Maria della Scala, Siena
In-depth interviews
Political actors:
-
Marcello Flores, former City Minister for Culture, Siena
-
Luigi Maria Di Corato, Director, Sienese Museums Foundation, Siena
-
Franco Rossi, City Minister for Culture, Montepulciano
-
Miriana Bucalossi, Corrdinator of Educational Policies and European
Projects, Province of Siena
-
Emanuela Carpani,
Regional Superintendent for
Architectural and
Landscape Heritage
Economic actors:
-
Angelo Romagnoli, professional actor, LaLut theatre company, Siena
-
Antonio Dell'Ava, multimedia engineer, In.Fact, Siena
-
Andrea Milani, Milani Architecture Studio, Siena
-
Laura Tassi, Vernice Cultural Projects, Siena
Research actors:
-
Francesca Gallina, University of Siena for Foreigners, ITALTECH
consortium
-
Marco Valenti, University of Siena and Archeotipo srl
-
Maurizio Boldrini, Director, master of Corporate Communication, University
of Siena
436
SMARTCULTURE
5. Sofia District (Bulgaria)
Focus groups:
Computer & Software Group
-
Оlga Georgieva, Department of Software technology, Sofia University
-
Evgenia Kovacheva, Virtech OOD, information technology
-
Stanimira Yordanova, Center for Technology and Information Society
-
Svetlana Dimitrova, Institute for Technology and Development
-
Маrtin Hristov, ICT Research Center
-
Аlbena Antonova, Business Information Center, Sofia University
Cultural Heritage and Local Policy Makers Group
-
Diana Andreeva, Observatory of Cultural Economics
-
Bilyana Tomova, Assoc. Prof., University of National and World Economy
-
Svetlana Lomeva, Sofia Development Association
-
Malina Edreva, Sofia Municipal Council, Chair of Committee on Education,
Culture, Cultural Diversity
-
Hristo Angelichin, Sofia Municipal Council
-
Galya Bezhanska, Head of Directorate Culture, Sofia Municipality
-
Mihail Belalov, Sofia Municipal Council
-
Kostanza Ivanova, Directorate Culture
-
Mariana Oreshkova, Director of Tourist Service Municipal Enterprise
Audiovisual Sector Group
-
Kalina Wagenstein, ArtOffice (theater)
-
Martichka Bozhilova, AgirProp Producers (film)
-
Ivan Bogdanov, Compote Collective (design & animation)
-
Julia Dencheva, Independent Theater
-
Gergana Dimitrova, 36 Maimuni (experimental theater)
-
Viktor Polikov, Inversia Actors
-
Ekaterina Kancheva, Theater Sofia
-
Albena Nacheva, Zadruga Video Production
Computer games and software [research and academia group]
-
Mira Madjarova, Institute of Technology and Development
-
Eliza Stefanova, Sofia University, software development, e-learning
437
SMARTCULTURE
-
Emil Stoyanov, Tetracom OOD
-
Alexander Grigorov, software developer
-
Oleg Konstantinov, information technologies, SULSIT
-
Krassen Stefanov, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Sofia University
Policy makers
-
Ms Ekaterina Djumalieva, Head of Directorate Cultural Heritage, Ministry of
Culture
-
Mr Ivaylo Grancharov, Head of Directorate, Business Environment and
SME Policies, Ministry of Economy and Energy
-
Mr Todor Chobanov, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Education, and Prevention,
Sofia Municipality
-
Ms Irena Dimitrova, Head of Directorate, Education, Sofia Municipality
-
Mr Hristo Angelichin, Municipal Councilor, Sofia Municipality
-
Mr Slavcho Chanev, Head of Directorate Culture, city of Pernik
Economic actors
-
Ms Maria Vassileva, curator, Sofia City Gallery
-
Mr Nikolay Tsenkov, Institute of European Initiatives, Sofia
-
Ms Maria Staleva, Producer, Sofia Film Fest
-
Ms Boyana Ghyaurova, Project Manager, Edno, Sofia Design Week
-
Ms Nikolay Barovski, Chairman of the Chamber of Architects, Sofia
-
Mr Georgi Kostov, eDesign, Sofia – TBC
Academia and Research
-
Prof. Dr. Lyubomir Halachev, Rector, National Academy for Theater and
Film, Sofia
-
Mr Yuriy Vulkovsky, Assoc. Prof., Sofia University, Department of Cultural
Studies
-
Prof. Dr. Valeria Fol, State University of Library Sciences and Information
Technology, Institute of Thracology, BAS
438
SMARTCULTURE
6. Brainport Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Focus groups:
Audiovisual & New Media:
-
Cees Jan Mol, Van Abbemuseum, Venturespring, U-approach (Moderator)
-
Olga Mink, Baltan Laboratories
-
Geert Bukkems, Erfgoed Brabant - Brabant Cloud
-
Diana Franssen, Van Abbemuseum
-
Lody Aeckerlin, Les Projecteurs
Architecture:
-
Marc Maurer, Maurer United (Moderator)
-
Rene Erven, Architectuurcentrum Eindhoven
-
Arie van Rangelrooij, Architecten|en|en
-
Emiel Westerhof, Kiemkennis
Arts & Crafts:
-
Ton van Gool, Gemeente Eindhoven (moderator)
-
Mariet Erica, Van Abbemuseum
-
Paul Dumay, Art Dumay - Foederer
-
Remon Aarts, Orkest Zuid (NatLab-project)
-
Steven Henry, Orkest Zuid (artistieke commissie)
-
Marcel Teheux, Teheux
Cultural Heritage:
-
Cris Kremers, Erfgoed Brabant (Moderator)
-
Luc Eekhout, Eindhoven Museum
-
Christine Berndes, Van Abbemuseum
-
Joep Huiskamp, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Design:
-
Martijn Paulen, Capital D (Moderator)
-
Ingrid van der Wacht, Factor-i (Moderator)
-
Remco van de Craats, EDHV
-
Igor van Hooff, Design Academy Eindhoven
-
Miguel Bruns Alonso, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
-
Adjan Kodde, Mirabeau
439
SMARTCULTURE
-
Manuel Wijffels, Denovo
-
Matthias Rauterberg, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
-
Ad van Berlo, Van Berlo
Cross-sectoral group:
-
Martijn Paulen, Capital D
-
Ingrid van der Wacht, Factor-i
-
Cris Kremers, Erfgoed Brabant
-
Cees Jan Mol, Van Abbemuseum, Venturespring, U-approach
-
Marc Maurer, Maurer United
-
Ton van Gool, Gemeente Eindhoven
Economic:
-
Rick van Hallen, Plan S Eindhoven
-
Olga Coolen, director Philips Museum Eindhoven
-
René Paré, director MAD Emergent Art Center, Eindhoven
-
Tom Doms, director Clearpixel studios Eindhoven
Public
-
Raffaela Vandermühlen, Head of Communications & PR, Dutch Design
Week Eindhoven
-
Sophie van Hof, Strategic Advisor, Municipality of Eindhoven
-
Fancy van de Vorst, Policy Advisor Economic Affairs and Labour, Industry
Economy & Culture | Creative Industry, Municipality of Eindhoven
-
Patrick Timmermans, director Erfgoed Brabant
Research
-
Joep Huiskamp, Member of Staff, Technical University Eindhoven
-
Marcel Teheux, Manager contacts & projects, Sint Lucas Eindhoven
-
Emmeken van der Heijden, Board Secretary, Fontys Eindhoven
-
Piia Varis, researcher Digital Culture & Media, Tilburg University
440
SMARTCULTURE
7. Central Denmark Region (Denmark)
Focus groups:
Design
-
Ulla Aude, Bureau Detours
-
Pia Buchardt, European Cultural Capital, Aarhus 2017
Audiovisual sector
-
Michael Kirketerp Tastesen, The Animation Hub
-
New Media
-
Mie Ellekilde, Meaning Making Experience
-
Dorte Hesdorf, Storyspot
-
Kim Halskov
-
-
Hans Nielsen, Head of It development at Randers Library
-
Gitte Møldrup Nielsen, Director at It-vest
Cultural Heritage
-
Jacob Thage, Head of Museum Jorn (Art Museum)
-
Henning Ringgaard, Head of Viborg Museum
-
Britta Andersen, Head of Gammel Estrup, The Manor Museum
-
Ingeborg Svennevig, Head of the Cultural history museums at Holstebro
-
David H. Olsen, Inspector at The Industrial Museum Horsens
Cross-disciplinary
-
Thorkild Andreasen, Theatre Carte Blanche
-
Morten Falbe Hansen, develop consultant at Central Denmark Region
Political actors
-
Jørgen Smidt-Jensen, Head of the board, Regional Museum Development
-
Kristian Bang Nørgaard, Manager of Shareplay, community of over a 1000
trans media companies
-
Randi Vestergaard, Head of communications at It-forum, community of
over 450 ICT companies
441
SMARTCULTURE
-
Anders Hermansen, Development consultant in the Central Denmark
Region, more.creative
-
Amanda Christensen, consultant at the municipality of Lemvig
Economic actors (planed, but not all executed yet)
-
Peter Lautrup, Cordura
-
Rune Nielsen, Kollision
-
Leif Andresen, MartinGroup
-
Lasse Jensby Dahl, DesignIT
-
Balasuthas Sundararajah, Redia
-
Jacob Mandøe, Yoke
-
Jens-Ulrik Carstensen, Proshopeurope
Research actors
-
Søren Bitch, Head of the City Archive in Aarhus
-
Per Jauert, (lektor) DigHumLab
8. Madrid (Spain)
Focus groups
Audiovisual
-
Pepe Caravallo, Creative Director at OCTV Productions, scriptwriter and
film director
-
Jesús Hernández, Director of the Spain office for the MEDIA Programme
-
José Luis Olaizola, Film and TV producer
-
Javier Bonilla, Film Producer, Adviser for Spain’s TV Academy
-
Puy Oria, Film and TV producer, President of the Association of
Audiovisual Producers of Madrid
-
Jorge Varela, Manager of the ECAM (Madrid School of Film and
Audiovisual)
Cultural heritage
-
Augusto Paramio, National Cultural Contact Point, Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sports
-
Victoria Ateca, Professor of Economy at the University of the Basque
Country, expert in Culture Economics, Member of the Board of Directors of
442
SMARTCULTURE
the Spanish Association of Cultural Heritage Managers, and Member of the
Board of Directors of the International Association of Culture Economics
-
Marcos García, Cultural Producer at Medialab Prado
-
Lucía Ibáñez, Cultural Projects at Factoría Cultural
-
Rosina Gómez Baeza, General Manager at Factoría Cultural
-
Juan Carrete, co-founder of Medialab Prado and Matadero de Madrid
New media
-
Nicolás Bergareche, Partner at Onza Partners
-
José Antonio Morales, IT Director at Vértice 360º
-
Alberto Goytre, General Manager at Reportarte
-
Zaher Soufi, General Manager at IEC Video and KBN Next Media
-
Salvador Soriano, Area Coordinator at the State Secretariat for the
Telecommunications and Information Society (Ministry of Industry, Energy
and Tourism)
Music
-
Miguel Araiz: Project Manager at Musiespaña, organist
-
Federico Prieto: owner of Master Acoustics, audiovisual producer of
concerts, violinist
-
Laly García: general manager at Coloratura, PR agency specialized in
classical music
-
Carlos Marén: owner of Marén Artists, representing opera singers
-
César Martín (CeM): Responsible of the Production Department at the
School of Creative Music
-
Alejandro Jassán: orchestra conductor
Videogames
-
Pedro González Calero, Director of the Master’s Degree in Videogames
Development at the Complutense University of Madrid
-
Gilberto Sánchez, Publishing Director at Virtual Toys and Member of the
Board of Directors at DEV (Spanish Association for the Game and
Entertainment Software Development and Publishing Industry)
-
Pedro Pablo Gómez, Professor at the Master’s Degree in Videogames
-
Guillermo Jiménez, Professor at the Master’s Degree in Videogames
443
SMARTCULTURE
Mixed focus group
-
Laly García: general manager at Coloratura, PR agency specialized in
classical music
-
Atocha Aguinaga, Cultural Manager at ARCE, Association of Cultural
Magazines of Spain
-
José Luis Olaizola, Film and TV producer
-
Rafael Espinosa de los Monteros, CEO and owner of Fluzo Studios
(videogame developer)
-
Carolina Fenoll, Cultural Manager
Political actors
-
José Tono, Director of CentroCentro (www.centrocentro.org)
-
Marcos García, Cultural Producer at Medialab Prado (http://medialabprado.es)
-
Pablo
Berastegui,
Coordinator
of
Conde
Duque
Cultural
Centre
(www.condeduquemadrid.es)
-
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Culture
Economic actors
-
Rafa de Ramón, Manager of Utopic_Us (www.utopicus.es)
-
Miguel Ángel Doncel, CEO of SGO (www.sgo.es)
-
Carina Pardavila, Partner at MyWay Research (www.my-way.es)
-
Ignacio Pérez Dolset, CEO of Zed (www.zed.com)
-
José Antonio Félez, film producer and member of the Board of Directors of
FAPAE (www.fapae.es, Spanish Audiovisual Producers)
Research and academy actors
-
Hipólito Vivar, Director of the Audiovisual Technologies (FONTA) research
group of the Complutense University of Madrid, Professor of New Media
Audiovisual Technology
-
Pedro González Calero, Director of the Master’s Degree in Videogames
-
Jorge Calderón, Manager of U-Tad (www.u-tad.com)
444
SMARTCULTURE
445

Regional Inventory and Analysis

Transcription

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