Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IN SITU (Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31
"IN SITU: Place-based Innovation of Cultural and Creative Industries in Non-urban Areas" aims to better understand the forms, processes and governance needs of CCIs located in non-urban areas and to advance their ability to act as drivers of innovation, competitiveness and sustainability where they are located. The non-urban constituency of the cultural and creative sector has grown in visibility and significance over the last decade in Europe and internationally but is still vulnerable due to the lagging attention of research and policy to its needs, characteristics and potential. In parallel, most knowledge about innovation in CCIs is derived from urban examples and processes and has an economic focus. Emerging ideas and observations indicate that how innovation processes occur in rural areas differ from those in cities.
IN SITU incorporates three interrelated dimensions: research, capacity-building and policy proposal development. Involving both Europe-wide research and place-based experimentation, IN SITU interlinks research and practice through six IN SITU Labs – hubs for networking, training and capacity building, and monitoring case studies - located in six non-urban regions in Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Croatia.
Specific needs addressed by IN SITU:
1. Invisibility of non-urban CCIs sector
2. Nascent knowledge base on innovation and competitiveness of CCIs in non-urban areas with many gaps
3. Non-urban CCIs need capacity-building skills development; new, more resilient/sustainable business models; and skills to manage desired cross-sectoral connections
4. Horizontal working networks and more connected ways of working among CCIs
5. More appropriate policies, strategies and planning frameworks for CCIs in non-urban regions
IN SITU incorporates three interrelated dimensions: research, capacity-building and policy proposal development. Involving both Europe-wide research and place-based experimentation, IN SITU interlinks research and practice through six IN SITU Labs – hubs for networking, training and capacity building, and monitoring case studies - located in six non-urban regions in Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Croatia.
Specific needs addressed by IN SITU:
1. Invisibility of non-urban CCIs sector
2. Nascent knowledge base on innovation and competitiveness of CCIs in non-urban areas with many gaps
3. Non-urban CCIs need capacity-building skills development; new, more resilient/sustainable business models; and skills to manage desired cross-sectoral connections
4. Horizontal working networks and more connected ways of working among CCIs
5. More appropriate policies, strategies and planning frameworks for CCIs in non-urban regions
In the period July 2023-Dec. 2024, the IN SITU project fully activated its research streams and other activities.
IN SITU identified possibilities for consolidation and the emergence of new domains in CCIs in non-urban regions of Europe based upon related and unrelated diversification [D1.2] and assessed the socioeconomic resilience of non-urban CCIs during the COVID-19 pandemic [D1.3]. In each Lab, IN SITU examined the innovation potential of CCIs, noting how regional characteristics influence the ability of the creative sector to innovate [D2.3] and identified subsectors with the highest potential for innovation [D2.4].
IN SITU assessed the state of (a) cultural policies, strategies and planning for CCIs in non-urban areas of Europe [D5.1] and (b) innovation policies and S3 (smart specialization policies) relevant for CCIs in nonurban areas of Europe [D5.2].
Qualitative research on the gender dimension of CCIs in non-urban areas [D5.5] was complemented by a quantitiative analysis of gender of cultural and creative occupations in the Lab areas (WP1 Suppl. Analysis) and ongoing gender monitoring of all project activities.
In the six Lab areas, 12 case studies (2 per Lab) were selected and activated [D3.2]. Guidelines for monitoring development and a self-monitoring tool enabled case studies to track key milestones, challenges and learning outcomes [D3.3]. A mentoring programme for the case studies was launched (WP4), a joint meeting was organised (Sept. 2024), and interim reports were developed (WP3).
Informed by research findings and practitioners’ needs, IN SITU created a capacity-building and skill development programme, a series of on-site workshops in each Lab to foster new entrepreneurial social and business models and innovation for CCIs (WP4).
The Consortium continued to identify research synergies and opportunities for collaboration, and carefully coordinated inquiries with special attention to inquiry ‘overload’ in the field.
Two in-presence working meetings were held in Lab areas: Galway, Ireland (Feb. 2024) and Šibenik, Croatia (Sept. 2024). Members of the International Advisory Board (IAB) were provided regular updates, participated in the Galway meeting (online), reviewed draft deliverables, and provided mid-point external reflections on IN SITU’s research [D7.1]. An interim Policy Brief was collaboratively developed based on research findings to date [D6.9].
IN SITU identified possibilities for consolidation and the emergence of new domains in CCIs in non-urban regions of Europe based upon related and unrelated diversification [D1.2] and assessed the socioeconomic resilience of non-urban CCIs during the COVID-19 pandemic [D1.3]. In each Lab, IN SITU examined the innovation potential of CCIs, noting how regional characteristics influence the ability of the creative sector to innovate [D2.3] and identified subsectors with the highest potential for innovation [D2.4].
IN SITU assessed the state of (a) cultural policies, strategies and planning for CCIs in non-urban areas of Europe [D5.1] and (b) innovation policies and S3 (smart specialization policies) relevant for CCIs in nonurban areas of Europe [D5.2].
Qualitative research on the gender dimension of CCIs in non-urban areas [D5.5] was complemented by a quantitiative analysis of gender of cultural and creative occupations in the Lab areas (WP1 Suppl. Analysis) and ongoing gender monitoring of all project activities.
In the six Lab areas, 12 case studies (2 per Lab) were selected and activated [D3.2]. Guidelines for monitoring development and a self-monitoring tool enabled case studies to track key milestones, challenges and learning outcomes [D3.3]. A mentoring programme for the case studies was launched (WP4), a joint meeting was organised (Sept. 2024), and interim reports were developed (WP3).
Informed by research findings and practitioners’ needs, IN SITU created a capacity-building and skill development programme, a series of on-site workshops in each Lab to foster new entrepreneurial social and business models and innovation for CCIs (WP4).
The Consortium continued to identify research synergies and opportunities for collaboration, and carefully coordinated inquiries with special attention to inquiry ‘overload’ in the field.
Two in-presence working meetings were held in Lab areas: Galway, Ireland (Feb. 2024) and Šibenik, Croatia (Sept. 2024). Members of the International Advisory Board (IAB) were provided regular updates, participated in the Galway meeting (online), reviewed draft deliverables, and provided mid-point external reflections on IN SITU’s research [D7.1]. An interim Policy Brief was collaboratively developed based on research findings to date [D6.9].
Applying the relatedness approach from Evolutionary Economic Geography based on occupations and markets [D1.2] revealed a disparity in diversification opportunities and comprehensively identified possibilities for consolidation and the emergence of new specialisations in cultural and creative activities across non-urban regions in Europe. The exploratory approach requires further validation for different regional levels to address issues relating to the granularity of the occupations and geography data.
Examining the relationship between creative and cultural activities and digital skills/capabilities in non-urban regions [D1.3] provided an original perspective to understand the socio-economic resilience of cultural/creative activities during the pandemic in non-urban regions. As an alternative approach to studying resilience, an original sensitivity index was computed to capture the sensitivity of a region to the COVID-19 shock
A Growth–Development Matrix developed as a strategic tool to classify CCI subsectors based on their sustainable growth and innovation potential in non-urban European regions [D2.4] provides a practical framework for identifying high-potential CCI subsectors.
Examining the relationship between creative and cultural activities and digital skills/capabilities in non-urban regions [D1.3] provided an original perspective to understand the socio-economic resilience of cultural/creative activities during the pandemic in non-urban regions. As an alternative approach to studying resilience, an original sensitivity index was computed to capture the sensitivity of a region to the COVID-19 shock
A Growth–Development Matrix developed as a strategic tool to classify CCI subsectors based on their sustainable growth and innovation potential in non-urban European regions [D2.4] provides a practical framework for identifying high-potential CCI subsectors.