Support technology transfer to the creative industries

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

SMEs represent 85% of all actors in the creative industry sector. They co-exist with global players and often face difficulties in adopting state of the art ICT technologies and accessing finance. Moreover, they operate on fragmented and localised target markets and have to bear high market costs which affect their international competitiveness. In this context, ICT tools and technological innovation are fundamental for the creative industries and their competitiveness. They widen creative possibilities and improve efficiency in all sectors.

The goal is to increase the competitiveness of the European creative industries by stimulating ICT innovation in SMEs, by effectively building up and expanding a vibrant EU technological ecosystem for the creative industries' needs and by fostering exchanges between the creative industries SMEs and providers of innovative ICT solutions.

Innovation Actions

Actions should support creative industries SMEs in leveraging emerging ICT technologies for the development of innovative products, tools, applications and services with high commercial potential. Proposals should ensure that creative industries SMEs are participants in the consortium and take on a driving role in the action, i.e. leading the innovation activities and liaising with end-users, ensuring that the work responds to a clear market demand. The draft business plan provided should demonstrate that the solutions are cost-effective, market-ready and targeted at existing markets with a potential for cross-border extension.

Proposals should make clear if the action would lead to impacts at European or international level and explain how the achievement of those impacts would be measured.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU between EUR 0.5 and 1 million for a period between 12 and 18 months would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. This does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals with a different budget or duration.

• For the project portfolio resulting from the Call: tens of innovative solutions with high market potential ready to be deployed by European creative industries SMEs.
• Stronger collaboration between ICT innovative technologies providers and creative industries SMEs to improve the competitive position of the European creative industries.