Creatives overlooked in national innovation strategies

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From design studios to gaming startups, Europe’s cultural and creative industries are widely recognized as engines of growth. Yet behind the consensus lies a fragmented policy landscape that risks holding the sector back.

Over the past two decades, cultural and creative industries (CCI) have become firmly embedded in policy thinking at EU, national and regional levels. Governments increasingly recognize that creativity is not just about art – it is also about innovation, competitiveness and economic resilience.

A recent Policy Landscape Analysis by ekip, examining policy documents from 12 European countries, suggests that this shift is more than rhetorical.

“There is a clear shared understanding across Europe that CCI matters,” says Elisa Kraatari researcher at HUMAK, Finland and the author behind the analysis. “You see it in the language – the same priorities come up again and again.”

From Helsinki to Lisbon, policymakers describe a sector that is digital, innovative and globally connected. The vision is strikingly consistent: creative businesses should be technologically savvy, environmentally sustainable and internationally oriented, contributing to both cultural vitality and economic growth.

Uneven support across countries

But beneath this consensus lies a more uneven reality. While some countries have developed robust support systems, most of them lag behind, with patchy funding and limited strategic direction.

Only some countries have dedicated public bodies for developing and promoting the cultural and creative industries (CCI). The most active nations collect data to track policy impact over time and enable comparisons.

”However, such data remains inconsistent, despite widespread recognition of the need for stronger evidence. Countries with established monitoring systems—such as Estonia, Flanders, the Netherlands, and Sweden—offer valuable models for shared learning and capacity building,” says Elisa Kraatari.

The value of the creative economy extends beyond GDP and employment figures. Its real impact lies in shaping society—strengthening social cohesion, enriching education, supporting mental well-being, and driving societal innovation.

Innovation’s blind spot

The problem is that, while the cultural and creative industries (CCI) generate benefits across policy areas, governments rarely act in concert. Silos persist: trade and industry pull one way, cultural policy another, leaving CCI caught in between. As the ekip Policy Landscape Analysis shows, innovation policy still largely overlooks the sector altogether—a blind spot that risks undermining not just innovation systems, but the foundations of future societies.

That challenge is particularly acute because CCI sits at the intersection of multiple policy areas. Its impacts are felt across culture, industry, education and innovation – but responsibility for supporting it is often fragmented between them. The gap is especially visible in innovation policy, where CCI is still often overlooked. Despite growing evidence that creative practices drive new ideas and approaches, many innovation frameworks remain dominated by science and technology sectors.

“This disconnect is one of the biggest obstacles,” Elisa Kraatari says. “Creative industries are inherently interdisciplinary, but our policy systems are not.”

From the perspective of ekip, this is more than a missed opportunity. It risks weakening Europe’s broader innovation ecosystem.

“If you ignore the creative sector, you are ignoring a key source of experimentation and problem-solving,” says Elisa Kraatari.

A platform for change

To address these gaps, the ekip platform connect policymakers, researchers and practitioners across Europe. By bringing together data, case studies and practical tools, it aims to move the conversation from analysis to action.

The goal is not just to improve individual policies, but to foster collaboration across sectors and borders.

“The ekip platform offers a Europe-wide “policy airlift” for the like-minded and interested to discuss and develop together future policies and support measures that allow different fields of CCI to flourish in innovation ecosystems.

Looking ahead

Recent international initiatives suggest that momentum may be building. Efforts such as UNESCO’s Mondiacult Declaration and the European Commission’s new cultural policy agenda signal a growing recognition of culture’s strategic role.

For proponents of CCI, the task now is twofold: to keep the sector visible, and to push for more coherent, forward-looking policies. That means tracking developments across adjacent fields – from innovation to sustainability – and making stronger connections between them.

It also means imagining new frameworks that better reflect the realities of a hybrid, fast-evolving sector.

“We need policies that are as dynamic as the industries they support and the ekip platform offers a base for this.”

For more information see the ekip White Paper: Stop putting on acts, make a difference! Time to (finally) frame policies for culture, creativity, and innovation, available in the Knowledge Bank.