Creative force for green transition

Start date: 1 May 2023
Closing date: 30 April 2026
Budget: SEK 12.4 million
Project Manager: Barbro Renkel

The Creative Power for Green Transition project is a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Region Västerbotten, Umeå Municipality and Umeå University Holding.

The project will accelerate the green transition in Upper Norrland by stimulating entrepreneurship and new innovations in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) and creating conditions for these companies' innovative power to enrich other sectors.

The project will support business development, internationalisation and strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration - primarily between CCIs and industrial companies in the green transition. The aim is to increase the involvement of cultural and creative entrepreneurs in the ongoing societal transformation, strengthen the competitiveness of their businesses and provide support for internationalisation and exports.

The project's activities will also contribute to increased gender equality and inclusion in business by promoting collaboration between male- and female-dominated industries and ensuring that more venture capital and investments end up in companies started by women.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Accelerate green transition and development in the WN by stimulating entrepreneurship in cultural and creative industries (CCIs) to business development, internationalisation and strengthened cross-sectoral collaboration.

• 1 new platform promoting creative and industrial symbiosis between KKB and industrial companies has been developed, with 50 companies collaborating and 10 new products and services emerging
• 50 companies have been supported through a new KKB accelerator. Which promotes green transition by supporting companies with particular growth potential
• 50 cultural and creative enterprises have been supported to explore new international markets and expand their international networks, addressing the need for improved conditions for SMEs to internationalise.

The project contributes to cross-sectoral collaboration arenas with new working methods, changed attitudes and approaches within industries, green innovations and increased innovation power and better conditions for commercialising development ideas.