From Lund to Brussels: ekip strengthens Europe's work on the next framework programme
ekips event in Brussels attracted a lot of interest, both in the audience and in the form of speakers. Among the participants were Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board of the European Innovation Council (EIC), Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament with extensive experience in research and innovation policy, and Martin Hojsík, Vice-President of the European Parliament. Maria Pilar Aguar Fernandez, Director at the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), and Anna Spechtenhauser, Stuttgart Region Representative in Brussels and Head of the Design & Creativity Working Group within ERRIN, also contributed to give European and regional perspectives on how the cultural and creative sector can strengthen innovation and competitiveness in Europe.
“We are very pleased with the great turnout and the high quality of the dialogue during the event. It was clear that the cultural and creative sector is engaged, and that there is a strong interest in how it can be more clearly integrated into Europe's innovation policy,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, Coordinator of ekip at Lund University and CEO of Future by Lund.
She particularly highlights the value of the many initiated guests:
“The contributions of actors such as Michiel Scheffer, Christian Ehler and Martin Hojsík show how innovation today needs to be understood more broadly than technology and industry alone. Culture and creativity are central to Europe's ability to transform and remain competitive. We agree on this, but what now needs to happen is a system shift in which the creative industries are naturally included in an innovation ecosystem.
ekip is an example of international collaboration orchestrated from Lund, where academia, public actors and innovation systems come together in a joint effort at European level. The work is well in line with Lund University's strategy of combining research with societal relevance, and with Future by Lund's mission to strengthen innovation environments in which cultural and creative industries play an active role.
“I would like to extend a big thank you to the broad partnership behind ekip. Long-term cooperation between universities, cities, businesses and European network actors is crucial for us to contribute relevant knowledge and perspectives to Europe's continued policy work,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth.
“Through teamwork, we show how regional strength can contribute to European policy development. This is entirely in line with both the university's and Future by Lund's strategic orientation,” she concludes.
The event represents an important step in the team's continued efforts to position the cultural and creative sector as an integral part of Europe's future innovation initiatives.