KKN: Pioneering solutions but little innovation
IN ENGLISH BELOW
When scientists in medicine make new discoveries or when new technological solutions are developed, there is an innovation system of working models, incubators, accelerators and funding that stands ready to take advantage of the inventions to build on, scale and commercialize them. But in cultural and creative nutritions/KKN it does not look the same. (we here use KKN but see it as broadly synonymous with cultural and creative sectors, FGM, and cultural and creative industries, KKB.)
- In the creative sector, exciting and new content is constantly being created, not only on stage but also in terms of light, light, effects, digital solutions and building technology, says Katarina Scott, project developer at Future by Lund. However, in the industry there is often a lack of structured innovation work, which uses resources and working models such as financing and incubators to transform the good ideas into scalable innovations.
Katarina Scott works with project development at Future by Lund but has a background in cultural and creative industries, including through the cultural incubator Creative Plot.
- Today we see little innovation money in culture. The investments concern financing for production and operations. At the same time, it is the case that when creative people make productions, possible innovations will surely arise, so from that point of view it is not a problem. But in order to really take advantage of what is being created, we need to find a completely new structure.
This could be the beginning of a way of working that can be called “Innovation by production” — where the innovations that occur during creative production are continued, where scaling of innovation is taken as seriously as content creation and art.
- At the moment we do not see any rigging where money is given to extract innovation from what has been an invention in a production, says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, who has worked for many years developing innovation support. If we actively consider our creative productions as innovation labs, we would get a lot more out. In order to innovate together in intersecting areas in a structured way, we need to be able to pool resources. There are many important functions through labs, special skills and tech companies, but it's a long way to having all the building blocks in place. If the industry gets better at developing scalable inventions, taking out patents and building businesses around it, more money can come back into the sector and more ideas can come to fruition.
Within the project team Work is underway to define what can be important components of an innovation ecosystem for KKN, called “Innovation building blocks”. It is about what infrastructure, work models, skills and funding may be necessary or useful in the work.
Open innovation and partner constellations are some key building blocks.
- It is important to be able to build solutions together, continues Katarina Scott. This is where the creative sector can be involved in creating spectacular, exciting and radical new solutions. Trust is an important starting point and it is a good basis for doing things together, finding opportunities and solutions in complex areas that you cannot cope with on your own.
There are a number of examples of innovative elements that could be taken further in an innovation system.
- We have several examples in our networks where great solutions have been made that could be scaled and used by more people. National Theatre Crea, which produces performing arts in Swedish Sign Language, has with the help of Humanist Laboratory at Lund University created an interactive avatar that speaks sign language. The performance The Ghost at Canterville has now premiered. This is a great solution, with a technology so good that it can convey nuances in finger movements and facial expressions, which is important in sign language. Here there is an innovation to develop from the solution born through a production,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth.
In the circus world, many solutions are being developed that could be scaled up. A circus act that uses technology to transform drones into a bird or a dragon with which to interact could give rise to several business ideas and not just be part of a fantastic performance. And it is not only in the circus performance itself that there is much to be gleaned.
- A large part of the daily life of the circus is about moving around and solving practical things. Brazilian Jack Circus have created a tent that they can quickly erect and take down, they think about sustainability and move as environmentally as they can and have a mobile power plant with them, says Katarina Scott. There are certainly many who would benefit from moving a business quickly, establishing themselves temporarily or using this in, for example, a disaster area.
Future by Lund testing Be Here Then, which is a digital platform to experience history, by telling the stories of the innovations from the Lund Innovation District. The idea is that the production will lead to new solutions together with the entrepreneur and founder of Be Here Then.
In recent years, the EU has significantly increased funding to develop innovation work with the creative sector, for example through the EIT Culture & Creativity and the Policy Project team, led by Lund University in collaboration with Future by Lund and 16 partners across Europe. This is an important development factor that sets the tone for innovation in the sector as an important resource for Europe's development.
- Through “innovation by production” we can strengthen the way of working with innovation with the creative industries. It enables tests and demos funded by production, co-developed solutions in the borderland between fashion, textile, cultural heritage, design, craft and theatre together with intersecting fields such as recycling, manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure and different types of visualizations and interactions. With “innovation by production” we create synergies between financing for cultural productions and innovation financing for scaling and investment, concludes Katarina Scott.
CCI: Many inventions, but little innovation
A sign-language-speaking ghost in the form of an avatar in a theatre production, a circus tent that can be set up in record time. Testi. But why is it that so few of these innovative elements are further developed and incorporated into an innovation system? Katarina Scott and Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth at Future at Lund and Lund University explore how the concept of “innovation by production” could function, particularly within the European projects team and IPA.
When medical researchers make new discoveries or when new technological solutions are developed, an innovation system with working models, incubators, accelerators, and funding is ready to capitalise on these inventions, enabling scaling and commercialisation. But the same structure doesn't exist within CCIs.
“In the creative sector, exciting new content is constantly being created—not just on stage but also in areas such as lighting, special effects, digital solutions, and construction techniques,” says Katarina Scott, project developer at Future by Lund. “However, the sector often lacks structured innovation efforts where resources and models, such as funding and incubators, are used to turn good ideas into scalable innovations.”
Katarina Scott, who works on project development at Future by Lund and has a background in CCIs through the cultural incubator Creative Plot, adds:
“Today, there is little funding for innovation within the cultural sector, with most investments focused on production and operations. At the same time, creative productions inevitably lead to potential innovations, so from that perspective, there isn't a problem. But to truly capitalise on what's created, we need an entirely new structure.”
This could mark the beginning of a new approach called “innovation by production” —where innovations that emerge during creative productions are scaled as seriously as the content creation itself.
“At present, there is no structured system where funding is allocated to extract innovations from what was initially an invention within a production,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, who has extensive experience developing innovation support systems. “If we actively viewed our creative productions as innovation labs, we could get much more out of them. To innovate together across intersecting areas in a structured way, we need to consolidate resources. While there are many essential functions, such as labs, specialized expertise, and tech companies, the building blocks are not yet all in place. If the industry were better at developing scalable inventions, filing patents, and building businesses around them, more money could flow back into the sector, and the ideas could benefit a broader audience.”
Within the team project, efforts are underway to define critical components for an innovation ecosystem for CCIS—components referred to as “innovation building blocks.” These include the necessary infrastructure, working models, expertise, and financing to facilitate the process.
Open innovation and partnership constellations are vital building blocks.
“It's important to be able to co-create solutions,” continues Katarina Scott. “This is where the creative sector can contribute both spectacular and radical new solutions. Trust is a crucial foundation—it enables collaboration, uncovering opportunities and solutions in complex areas that are impossible to tackle alone.”
There are numerous examples of innovative elements that could be integrated into an innovation system.
“We have several examples within our networks where fantastic solutions could be scaled and utilised by more people. Riksteatern Crea in Sweden, which produces performing arts in Swedish Sign Language, has collaborated with Humanities Lab at Lund University to create an avatar that speaks sign language. La produzione The Canterville Ghost ha iniziato. This is an outstanding solution, with technology advanced enough to convey nuances in finger movements and facial expressions, which are critical in sign language. Here lies an innovation ready to be developed from a production-born solution,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth.
En el mundo cirque, más soluções pode ser escala. For instance, a circus act that uses technology to transform drones into a bird or a dragon capable of interaction could inspire multiple business ideas beyond being part of a fantastic performance. Moreover, innovation extends beyond the circus show itself.
“Much of a circus's daily operations involve moving from place to place and solving practical challenges. Circus Brazil Jack has developed a tent that can be erected and dismantled quickly. They also prioritise sustainability, moving as environmentally efficient as possible, and carry a mobile power generator,” explains Katarina Scott. “Many could benefit from these solutions, whether for temporary business setups or in disaster areas.”
Future by Lund is also testing a digital platform called Be Here Then, which tells the stories behind innovations from the Lund Innovation District. Para este produção para o novo soluções en collaboración con el fondo de plataforma.
In recent years, the EU has significantly increased funding for innovation within the creative sector, with the team policy project serving as a flagship initiative to support the development of Europe's innovation ecosystems for CCIs. This is a vital development that highlights the creative sector as an essential resource for Europe's growth.
“Through 'innovation by production, 'we can enhance the way we work with innovation in CCIs,” concludes Katarina Scott. “This approach facilitates testing and demonstrations financed through production and co-developed solutions at the intersection of fashion, textiles, cultural heritage, design, crafts, and theatre, alongside cross-disciplinary fields such as recycling, manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure, visualisation, and interaction. By aligning cultural production funding with innovation financing, we create synergies that enable scaling and investments.”