Kick-off for a new EU project for cultural & creative industries in Cottbus

Stakeholders from the Lusatian cultural and creative industries came to the Start-up Center Startblock B2 at the BTU main campus in Cottbus on June 23, 2023, at the invitation of Lausitz Marketing AG, to learn more about the project, which is unique in Germany, the new, industry-related European funding framework and the EIT Culture & Creativity. In addition, the kickoff event aimed to inspire supporters and participants for the network, which is to take on concrete form within the next two years and demonstrate concrete economic benefits for cultural and creative enterprises. These companies from Brandenburg and Lusatia will have the opportunity to become part of the European network.

In a press briefing and in the subsequent kickoff "EIT Culture & Creativity" , Dr. Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the State of Brandenburg, Prof. Christiane Hipp, Professor of General Business Administration, in particular Organization and Business Management at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Bernd Fesel, Chief Executive Officer EIT Culture & Creativity and Jens Taschenberger, representative of Lausitz Marketing AG, provided information on the contents, opportunities and prospects of the project for Lusatia. In addition, Dr. Donata Haag and Jörn Krug from the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolff reported on their experiences with the first steps of the application process.

Dr. Christian Ehler has been committed to ensuring that the EU focuses on the cultural and creative industries in the current Knowledge and Innovation Community. Prof. Christiane Hipp has been in Brussels since April 1, 2023 as an advisor for science and culture for the state of Brandenburg, where she performs tasks to coordinate the network as well as being available as a contact person for companies in the Lusatian cultural and creative industries.

About the EIT Culture & Creativity
The EIT Culture & Creativity opens up special opportunities for the cultural and creative industries in Lusatia. It is the latest of nine thematic "Knowledge and Innovation Communities" (KICs) in Europe initiated by the EU on specific economic topics. The European Partnership in EIT Culture & Creativity includes stakeholders in around 20 countries in Europe and will be subsidized by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) with up to 70 million euros per year over the next few years. This funding is also intended to specifically fund the special structures of the cultural and creative industries in the regions. In the coming years, the EIT Culture & Creativity will support innovative university programs, projects, products, processes and start-ups in the cultural and creative sectors in Europe through calls for proposals.

Eleven sectors are included in the culture and creative industries:

• Music industry
• Book market
• Art market
• Film industry
• Broadcasting industry
• Performing arts market
• Design economy
• Architecture economy
• Press market
• Advertising market

Facts and figures (All figures refer to the year 2020)

• Turnover of the creative industries in Germany (Europe): EUR 160.4 billion (EUR 509 billion)
• Share of GDP: 2.8 percent
• Number of employees in the creative industries in Germany (Europe): 1,250,000 (approx. 12,000,000)
• Number of companies in the creative industries in Germany: 259,320

Further information

www.eit-culture-creativity.eu
www.ehler.eu
www.lausitz-marketing.de