European Year of Creativity and Innovation

European Year of Creativity and Innovation
Name	European Year of Creativity and Innovation
Date	2018
Location	European Union
Organizer	European Commission

European Year of Creativity and Innovation The European Year of Creativity and Innovation was a thematic designation by the European Commission intended to promote creative activity and innovative practice across the European Union in 2018. It sought to connect cultural, scientific and industrial actors to stimulate competitiveness, inclusive growth and social cohesion across member states such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The designation aligned with strategic documents from institutions like the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and agencies including the European Innovation Council.

Background and designation

The designation built on previous thematic years such as the European Year of Volunteering 2011, the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, and the European Year of Citizenship 2013. It was framed within policy instruments linked to the Lisbon Strategy, the Europe 2020 Strategy, and communications from the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. Endorsement processes involved consultations with bodies like the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, and national ministries from capitals such as Brussels, Rome, Berlin, Paris and Madrid.

Objectives and themes

Primary objectives included strengthening links between institutions such as the European Investment Bank and creative clusters like La Gaîté Lyrique and Tate Modern, supporting partnerships akin to the Horizon 2020 framework, and fostering skills seen as complementary to initiatives at UNESCO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Thematic strands mirrored priorities in documents from the European Council and projects funded by the Creative Europe programme, addressing links between cultural producers represented by IETM, technology incubators like Station F, and research centres such as the Max Planck Society and CNRS.

Key activities and initiatives

Activities ranged from grant competitions administered by the European Commission and calls under Horizon 2020 to public events hosted at venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, the Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester), and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Pilot initiatives included collaborations with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, partnerships with foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on social innovation, and hackathons modelled after events in Silicon Valley and TechCrunch Disrupt. Educational workshops drew on curricula from institutions like Sorbonne University, University of Oxford, ETH Zurich and professional networks such as IFI and Young European Entrepreneurs. Festivals and awards paralleled formats from the Venice Biennale, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Turner Prize to showcase cross-sector projects.

Participation and stakeholders

Stakeholders included national governments (for example, ministries in Finland, Sweden, Poland and Portugal), regional authorities such as the Flanders Government and Catalan Government, municipal actors like the City of Barcelona and City of Amsterdam, cultural operators including European Cultural Foundation, academic partners such as University College London and Humboldt University of Berlin, private sector partners like Siemens, Philips and Airbus, and civil society networks such as European Youth Forum, Culture Action Europe and European Network of Cultural Centres. Financial backers and evaluators included the European Investment Fund and auditors from the European Court of Auditors.

Impact and evaluation

Evaluation drew on methodologies used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and evidence gathered by research organisations such as the RAND Corporation and the European Policy Centre. Reported impacts referenced increases in cross-border collaborations similar to transnational projects under Erasmus+ and measurable outcomes comparable to results sought by the European Structural and Investment Funds. Case studies involved collaborations with entities such as Fab Lab Barcelona, D-Lab at MIT partners, and incubators like Station F; evaluators compared outcomes with performance indicators used by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for innovation policy assessment.

Legacy and follow-up programs

Follow-up actions referenced continuity with the Creative Europe programme, integration into Horizon Europe priorities, and alignment with strategies from the European Green Deal and the Digital Single Market. Legacy networks sustained links among organisations such as European Cultural Foundation, European Institute of Innovation and Technology, Startup Europe, and regional platforms like Nordic Innovation and EIT Urban Mobility. Long-term influence was observed in policy documents from the European Commission and in continued funding flows involving the European Investment Bank and national research councils like DFG and ANR.

Category:European Union initiatives