Creative industries as a part of the ECOC project

Carlos Martins

We have a couple of projects in the area of creative industries. Probably the most important of them is an entrepreneurship program we have been developing since 2011. We have opened a call for ideas and for projects and we are going to open a new incubator. We are going to select 24 projects out of 200 applications and we are going to provide help for them not just by developing a plan for getting some funding but also by providing some coaching and help to build connections with the different markets.<br><br>Other important project is the one we developed within the fashion industry. We don’t have tradition of fashion, but we have tradition of textile. So the idea was to link both areas and it is quite successful program not only because of the economic impact, but also local universities understood the importance of this project. Now they are including it in their degree system and also a new institute for design was opened where fashion will have a specific role. So it is a demonstration of the opportunity for the operation like this - to have fashion as one of the investment areas with bringing an added value for traditional industries at the same time - to be part of the European Capital of Culture project.&nbsp;<br><span><br>The last one is about the digital fabrication. We invest a lot into trying to prove that even a small city like Guimarães can have an important role in this area. All this agenda of the 3D printing - the <i>Make It Yourself&nbsp;</i>philosophy - is part of our program and we did it in several ways. Not just by creating a successful project of digital creation happening every day during the European Capital of Culture with more than 100 workshops free for everybody who wants to join but also trying to make it part of input for the print for European Capital of Culture. For example we produced part of our merchandizing and also part of our educational program using this kind of 3D printing technology. So these are three examples how creative industries can contribute to the European Capital of Culture program.</span>

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Carlos Martins

Carlos Martins

Chairman at ADDICT – Agency for the development of the Creative Industries in Porto, Portugal

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