Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth will kickstart the discussion on the future of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) post-Covid with an opening speech at the Cities, Design and Innovation conference, hosted by the Mayor of Umeå, Sweden. It will feature keynotes, inspirational speeches and discussions on topics such as design for ethical AI systems, European digital sovereignty and social media platforms, new ways of registering intellectual property, upskilling and lifelong learning, urban environments as cross-domain hubs, system design for decentralised governance, social impacts of new technologies, the shift to circular economy, STEAM education and more. In this international conference and high-level expert meeting there will be discussions on the ways in which plans for a Knowledge and Innovation Community can benefit the development of goal-oriented, hybrid innovations, new business models and creative technology prototyping that is crucial for future development in Europe.

The conference runs on the 2nd and 3rd of September, and is available live online for those unable to travel.

This initiative kickstarts a whole series of activities about the role of the CCI, run with partners at the European Creative Business Network. The results of this conference will be taken forward as policy recommendations, and to be further discussed and developed with reactions and feedback as part of this programme.

Registration online free of charge: https://www.designbyumea.com/#kic-start