Norden: a creative region?

1. Dr. Dominic PowerUppsala University(and Østlandsforskning)Kultur og næring i regional utviklingNorden som kreativ region, Trondheim 4. – 5. oktober 2006dominic.power@kultgeog.uu.se

2. Norden: a creative region? “Det norske formannskapet vil derfor arbeide for åpne grenser og mobilitet for personer og kulturprodukter, samt bidra til å sikre bred tilgjengelighet av nordisk kunst og kultur.” Norges program for formannskapet i Nordisk Ministerråd 2006 • There is currently a political willingness to talk about culture as a key element of not just our identity but also our economic and regional futures

3. Why is culture important to economic growth? • Culture has been shown to create growth in 2 main ways: • Cultural industries themselves are growing and employing more people and firms • Vibrant cultural economies and cultures create spin-offs that are vital to other forms of economic growth

4. What can culture and creativity add to the region? • Creative activity → helps employers/region to attract & retain talent • Creative people → regenerate urban neighbourhoods →define region’s ‘brand’ → create ‘buzz’ • Creative workers → enhance creativity, innovativeness throughout economy • Cultural industries → investment, jobs, income, exports

5. The Export Perspective Inward investment and local Capacity Creative industry and International competitiveness Attracting tourists and visitors Attracting foreign investment and venture capital Expanding export of ‘creative products and services’ Creative Industry Growth Dynamics Attracting knowledge workers and new citizens Expanding export of creativity based ‘traditional industries’ Building Brands What can creative industry add to the region?

6. Municipality Employees % change 95-98/99 1 Stockholm 83225 +33.00 2 Oslo 52173 +40.60 3 Helsinki 43695 +38.02 4 København 42620 +7.08 5 Göteborg 30218 +28.03 6 Århus 21245 +19.47 7 Malmö 16970 +23.82 8 Espoo 12655 +24.84 9 Bergen 11893 +19.41 10 Tampere 10998 +13.74 • Concentrates in urban areas • But plenty of regional clusters FIN NO SE Employment in municipalities 1999 DK

7. An uneven regional distribution

8. Creative regions? What do we know about the characteristics of a creative region? • That it depends upon which type of industry we are interested in: music needs different things than furniture design • That all these industries are knowledge and innovation based… they grow fastest on the basis of knowledge and innovation

9. 3 hypothetical propositions on regional knowledge creation • Knowledge in regions is created through various forms of local inter-organizational collaborative interaction. • Knowledge in regions is created through increased local competition and intensified rivalry. • Knowledge in regions is created through spill-over effects following from the local mobility and sociability of individuals.

10. Creative regions? Knowledge and innovation in cultural industries is supported by: • A strong set of cultural institutions • State support (where wanted/needed) • Clustering (not necessarily for cooperation) in the region • Diversity of people and activities • Tolerance and openness to new ideas and people • Links with other places and markets • Strong creative brands and identities

11. Where do we want to go? There are good reasons for aiming to create: • Establish the Nordic region a global creative hub/region • To support the growth of (some) world class creative regions and localities

12. How do we get there? • Awareness that in addition to cultural policy… we need coordinated industrial policy supportive of innovative and competitive creative and cultural firms

13. How do we get there? Support the innovation and knowledge base • Internationalise the creative education sector • Do what other industries do: develop third level research and industry linked R&D • Complement creative education with business skills Cross-sectoral innovation - ‘related variety platforms’ • Linking creative firms to Swedish big business: Sony-Ericsson linking with Stockholm design firms • Ice-breaking funds: Denmark • Meeting places (real, virtual, or temporary) • Incubators

14. How do we get there? “Small, volatile and under-capitalised” Tessa Jowell, FT 2004 • Give business and entrepreneurial support and training, open VC, etc. • Help firms understand what is happening: market analysis, technological foresight, business model analysis… help them discover new opportunities before other industries take their markets (e.g. like IT firms taking the lead in selling music) • But make sure to have a focus on international competitiveness rather than local markets

15. How do we get there? Focus on the market (and it is often very far away) • Bring the world to us: help internationalize trade fairs; encourage inward investment to increase competition; encourage migration • Bring us to them: support for showcases, export drives, trade fair attendance

16. How do we get there? Love your neighbours! There is strength in numbers! Nordic (Baltic? European?) cooperation to exploit economies of scale and scope: • Nationally: cooperate on promotion, branding awareness, IPR and regulation • Regionally: linking clusters • Sectorally: linking firms

17. Creative Directions report • Report focused on policies to support commercial creative industry products and services, and therein support these industries at a regional level • Report identified 5 priority action areas • Hooking up firms within Creative Industries (e.g. music firm with music firm) • Hitting the market (Distribution/sales/export) • Creating world class knowledge/innovation • Hooking up firms across Creative Industries (e.g. music firm with film company) and with other industries • Entrepreneurship

18. www.nordicinnovation.net More information…dominic.power@kultgeog.uu.se