How EU innovation policy can better support CCIs spaces, infrastructures, and ecosystems
The scoping note, authored by a multidisciplinary team (Technopolis Group, Politecnico di Milano, TU Delft, LiDD École de Design) for the ekip Policy Lab, analyses how EU innovation policy can more effectively support Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) through the development and use of innovation infrastructures and ecosystems. It first defines key concepts – infrastructures, innovation ecosystems, living labs, hybrid spaces, and a typology of infrastructure capacities (technical, intermediation, field‑building). It then maps the EU policy landscape, showing that while recent EU strategies (e.g., Technology Infrastructures, Horizon Europe, Creative Europe) emphasise shared facilities, they largely overlook CCIs, creating a policy gap. The note identifies opportunities (social dimension of infrastructures, cross‑sectoral fertilisation, innovation districts) and challenges (fragmented access, lack of networks, insufficient technical capacity, funding short‑termism, governance fragmentation, terminology heterogeneity, limited intermediaries). Evidence is drawn from literature, six scoping interviews, and a case study of the LiDD School of Design workshop. Stakeholder needs are summarised (reliable access, digital tools, interoperable standards, affordable spaces, inclusive governance). The document reviews existing EU‑level support measures (Horizon programmes, Creative Europe projects, Erasmus+, Interreg) and national examples (creative hubs, off‑site labs, field labs, IX Labs). It also outlines future trends from social‑listening: demand for fit‑for‑purpose, socially‑driven spaces, hybrid curatorial operators, and blurred typologies. Finally, six problem statements are formulated to guide the upcoming Policy Lab discussions on inclusive access, sustainable funding, CCI integration in open innovation, and multi‑level governance.
Topics
Defining CCI‑centric Innovation Infrastructures and Their Capacities
Establishes a broad definition of infrastructures (public or private co‑creation spaces) and introduces a three‑fold capacity typology: technical, intermediation, and field‑building.