Umeå hosted international conference about research design

Umeå, the European Capital of Innovation 2018, hosted an international conference about research design in the beginning of September this year. EU-representatives, local actors and researchers within the discipline were invited to discuss the future of design and innovation. One prominent guest who participated virtually was Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

Cities, Design and Innovation

The EU-conference aimed to raise a discussion about cultural and creative industries (CCI) in preparation for the European institute of Innovation and Technology´s (EIT) launch for the CCI Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC). On the 2nd and 3rd of September, high-level experts gathered to elaborate on different ways of which KIC can benefit the development of example hybrid innovations and new business models. Furthermore, the conference investigated the role of CCI post-Covid in order to explore potential consequences within the sector.

Opening speech by the Commissioner Mariya Gabriel

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, held an opening speech virtually to set the scene for the conference. Gabriel started off by showing her gratitude to the Mayor of Umeå and the organizers for making the event possible. She continued by highlighting the effects of the coronavirus emphasizing the setback for small enterprises and freelancers this pandemic has caused. Gabriel also congratulated Umeå for being a good example on how to keep the cultural sector attractive through investments as Umeå was the European Capital of Culture 2014. Followed by Ms. Gabriel, Eva Kali, Member of the European Parliament, and Martin Kern, director for EIT, participated as speakers during the event, just to mention a few of them.

Together with the City of Umeå, the event was arranged by Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Industry Common Foundation, Umeå university (eXpression) and the Region of Västerbotten. The conference was divided into four parts in which each module focused on a certain topic. The ambition was to provide the participants with knowledge and new insights on CCI, as well as the future developments in the post-pandemic era.

The conference is recorded and can be seen by registered participants.

Read more about the conference here.

Read more about Umeå, European Capital of Culture 2014 here.

Read more about Umeå, the European Capital of Innovation 2018 here.

/ Elvira Ahlring

18 Sep 2020 Innovation policy

Innovation policy

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