Recommendations
how cluster management fosters CCI growth - drawn from the activities of the concrete action ECCL
1. An established political role: Due to the high fragmentation of the creative sector and since political decisions have a large impact on this sector, the cluster management is an essential institution with a strong voice to represent creative industries matters to regional public institutions, and policy makers. Too often the cluster management only seems to be the executing force of the political will, because of its strong dependence. It is recommended to establish mechanisms and structures (e.g. special bodies or committees) that assure an equal communication on a regular basis. -> the same goes for a better communication with institutions for higher education to raise the skilled workers needed and to stimulate entrepreneurship in this sector. 2. Collaboration thinking needs to become a matter of course: in order to overcome the lose practice of project-based cooperation and to support actual inter-facing of knowledge and talent to create innovations and economic stability, collaboration thinking on a regular basis needs to be fostered through clusters. There are two types of creative actors: the ones that aim to meet private or public final consumption needs and those which provide services to companies in other sectors. Both need to be supported to generate greater synergies -> collaboration between “artistic” and “functional” creativity. Excessive compartmentalization (architects only meet architects) among sub-sectors needs to be overcome! Inter-clustering is a much needed “next-step” for cluster development. Informal contacts or irregular meetings, which in rare cases lead to projects etc., need to be pushed to the next level: Between creative clusters, the set-up of an appropriate structure initiating and managing cooperation on a regular basis, including a monitoring and evaluation system, is recommended. 3. Internationalization: Creative products and services have a huge potential to attack international markets and they profit from access to a larger pool of experience and collaboration opportunities outside the region. Due to creative companies specificities (mainly size and stability), engaging in international activities is often only possible or more successful under the cloak of the cluster. Cluster members need to be strongly involved in the strategy development. A certain geographic direction, for example, should not be forced upon them. Instead of (e.g.) initiating only single fair appearances, long-term collaborations via a partnership network needs to be established (which may lead to co-financing or funding via open call for projects, exchange of professionals, etc.) 4. Peer-learning: Cluster managers trainings are highly important and needed but even more so needed is the exchange of experience on a regular basis. To expand the effect of teaching by purely spreading information and knowledge, the creation of a coaching group based on peerlearning is one important step. Collective reflection, criticizing, and interaction result in useful
instruction, stimulative ideas, or even common experiments. Peer-learning produces a horizontal communication that facilitates to work self-critical and solution-oriented. It is recommended to create and support a European creative cluster management peer-learning group. 5. Strategy development and implementation tools and capacity: the development of a strong cluster strategy is highly important for the stability of the sector, its weak reputation and visibility, suspicious actors and stakeholders as well as for the realization of potentially great future visions. The cluster management therefore needs effective tools and enough capacity to monitor and analyse this fast moving and trend driven sector and its environment, which needs to be revised more frequently and carefully than that of other more stable and predictable sectors. Public funding requirements needs to allow a revision of strategy and leave the main responsibility of strategy development with the cluster management and therefore consider the relevant capacity. 6. A creative location. The cluster management needs to compensate a lack of space and be themselves provided with a location to fit the many needs of cluster activities: Work-space for start-ups, freelancers or collaboration projects (e.g. to create prototypes) Neutral ground to meet, exchange, network, make business etc. Show-room and hot spot to see and experience creative work (creating visibility) The cluster management may also function as enabler to make more space accessible for creative workers (also bringing together the often lose mix of incubators, co-working spaces that already exist) -> e.g. unused public buildings, old industrial areas / basics: free internet, low rent 7. Entrepreneurial thinking: Even though creative clusters may always rely on external support (financially), they still need to push and engage in a more entrepreneurial thinking (membership fees, in-kind contributions or remuneration for certain services) – which additionally pushes this way of engaging in business in the minds of creative workers themselves. The cluster management needs to be aware of the importance of in-kind contributions that its members are capable to give. These non-monetary contributions and assets help to realize cluster activities, allows independence from financial (public) supporters, and raise external attractiveness (everyone wants to use cool creative locations). Again – cross-cluster collaboration may facilitate also to apply for larger funds or innovative open calls for projects. All recommendations are of course interlinked. ECCL is about to test tools and instruments that serve these recommendations.
Sources: ECCL document: o Report on creative industries in Warsaw o Creative and Cultural Industries in Catalonia. Analysis of Challenges Affecting Innovation o Strategic Diagnostic of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Lille Report I ECCL creative camps ECCL creative cluster managers interviews