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The importance of innovation and creativity for the competitiveness of the European economy can hardly be underestimated. The Lisbon agenda, which aims at making the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010, recognises innovation as a key driver of the economic performance of cities/ city-regions in the current post-industrial economy. The European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009) reconfirms the need for Europe to strengthen its capacity for creativity and innovation, in order to be able to cope with the challenges of globalisation.
In order to enhance their innovative capacity, many cities in the North Sea Region strive to place the 'creative city' concept on their policy agenda. Current policies focus on improving entrepreneurship in creative industries, on building networks or providing space for such activities, and on developing creative zones, incubator spaces or hotspots. Still lacking however, is an integrated evidence-based strategy for cities to strengthen their innovative capacity that also explicitly takes into account the interactions between these local policies and the goals set in Lisbon and Gothenburg. This project therefore aims to build and implement an innovation and creativity strategy by means of a methodology of pilot projects developed and carried out by, and in, cities across the North Sea Region, hence having a strong transnational basis.These pilot projects will take the triple helix of 'organisational capacity' of government, educational institutions and private businesses as a starting point, thus contributing to a strong programme of transnational interchange of learning, materials and best practice. Disseminating the outcomes of the project will unlock a formidable potential in improving the innovative capacity and competitiveness of cities in the EU. The creative industries are marked by a high number of microenterprises, freelancer and start up companies. According to recent studies, it is estimated that in the EU member states about 6.4 million people are working in the creative sector; most of them in 1.4. million microenterprises or as freelancers. This project will provide not only a long-sought contribution towards enhancing Europe?s capability to pursue creativity and innovation, but also allow the North Sea Region to fully realise its potential in a way not seen before. |