Building the creative city: Zagreb’s creative industries
The project aims to map the creative industries in Zagreb in order to have an evidence-based snapshot on how these industries contribute to social and economic development and increase the international visibility of the city. The outcomes of this mapping will be used as the basis for designing and implementing informed cultural policies that can promote local creative industries, increase their competitiveness and diversify the city’s economy.
The Institute for International Relations (IMO) was established in 1963 as a prominent research institute. Its fields of expertise and programmes include policy-oriented research and analysis in cultural cooperation, creative intercultural communication, as well as media and digital culture. The Institute also conducts major research projects aligned with the priorities set out by UNESCO and the Council of Europe in the fields of culture and communication.
- Zagreb’s creative industries are mapped and analysed.
- New local cultural policies are introduced to harness the creative industries, diversify the city’s economy, and increase its competitiveness and the quality of life of its citizens.
- Human and institutional capacities of all stakeholders are strengthened and connections among them are established in order to implement the adopted cultural policies and measures and to improve their management skills and competitiveness.
- Public awareness is raised about the importance of Zagreb’s creative industries, with an emphasis on its design sector.
- Researching and mapping Zagreb’s creative industries, including major goods and services, key firms and individual actors, as well as creating a statistical index for measuring the economic competitiveness of these industries in the city.
- Formulating cultural policies based on the results of the mapping exercise in collaboration with local authorities, through two consultation meetings.
- Establishing a local registry of creative industries and the Creative Industries Office.
- Strengthening business-related and managerial capacities of all stakeholders for effective implementation of the adopted cultural policies, through 15 training workshops and seven exchange sessions with public administrators and cultural entrepreneurs.
- Conducting a media campaign (on TV, radio, and the internet) to communicate the results of the mapping exercise and give visibility to the city’s creative industries and their importance for the city’s socioeconomic development.
- Contributes to the strengthening of existing local creative industries, namely the design sector, and the creation of new ones: by conducting capacity building workshops and networking activities, IMO encourages creativity and strengthens local production capacities.
- Contributes to the development of a dynamic cultural sector in Croatia: decision-makers and cultural practitioners participating in the project will have a better understanding of the current local market environment and policy situation that can lead to more informed decision-making.
