07 May 2024 - Brussels - The European Cultural and Creative Industries Meta-Cluster is born, a sharing reality for companies, public bodies and universities involved in the management, conservation and valorisation of cultural heritage and creativity. The signing in Brussels during the European Cluster Conference 2024 in the presence of the presidents of the European Cluster organisations - European Cluster Alliance and European Cluster Collaboration Platform.

On the occasion of the European Cluster Collaboration Conference, a collaboration agreement was signed between the two Euroclusters FRIEND CCI and CREATHRIV-EU dedicated to the cultural and creative sectors, which bring together the strategic and transversal public and private sectors of creative innovation and culture such as cultural heritage, design, media, literature, music, theatre, gaming, restoration, and which represent 6.7 % of the European GDP.
The agreement involves 9 European countries such as Italy (lead partner), France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Belgium and will soon expand to other countries.

The two Euroclusters, created thanks to funding from the Commission and in particular the EISMEA agency, have already been operating for more than a year, financing more than 300 companies for the development of innovative and collaborative projects between cultural and creative sectors and ‘traditional’ manufacturing sectors, for supply chain, product or technology innovation.
‘This cooperation agreement represents an important step towards the realisation of the Commission's ambitions to create a Pan-European network of clusters and is indicative of a support mechanism - represented by the new European initiative “Euroclusters” - that works and achieves its policy objectives.’ Says Valentino Izzo Programme Coordination Manager of Eismea
‘EU CCIs Meta-Cluster represents a great potential to create strategies and opportunities to develop skills, services and economically the productive sectors driving innovation and beauty and culture in Europe, useful also for other productive and manufacturing sectors,’ says Sergio Calò, Project Manager of FRIEND CCI and Director of Venetian Cluster.
‘This initiative brings together the experiences of 10 clusters and connects a myriad of actors in the European Cultural and Creative Industries ecosystem.

SMEs will benefit from a wide support network to face the challenges of the green and digital transition and become major players in the global marketplace.’ Says Giovanni Scaramuzzo project manager of CREATHRIV-EU for Basilicata Creativa.

‘This initiative is part of the EU's policies in favour of micro, small and medium enterprises and the involvement of territories at local level; a great result that brings European funding and policies closer to citizens and businesses,’ says Gian Angelo Bellati, President of Venetian Cluster Lead Partner of Friend CCI.
The establishment of EU CCIs Meta-Cluster is therefore a first step to connect the main European public and private actors of the sectors in order to grow international and interregional collaboration and create a hub of ideas, skills and applied innovation for new projects and services.
More Information

FRIEND CCI is a Eurocluster that aims to create connections, foster innovation and facilitate resilience in Europe's rich and diverse Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).
The coordinator is Venetian Clutser (Italy) and the partners are Cluster IDiA (Spain), Open Hub Creative Cluster (Romania), Italcam (Germany) and France Clusters (France).
Coordinator FRIEND CCI: sergio.calo@venetiancluster.eu

CREATHRIV-EU is a Eurocluster that aims to structure the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector at European level and support it for sustainable growth.
The coordinator is Basilicata Creativa (Italy), and the partners are Innoskart (Hungary), Baltic Film and Creative Tech Cluster (Lithuania), Coralia (Greece) and TWIST Cluster (Belgium).
CREATHRIV-EU Coordinator: g.scaramuzzo@exo-ricerca.it
ICC Network Coordinator: m.debry@twist-cluster.com