CreaSus is a project co-funded by the European Union, under the Creative Europe programme, designed to guide and support CCSIs to make sustainability a key part of their operations and a competitive advantage. From October 2023 to September 2026, the process will be articulated combining the delivery of outputs such as a specific system of indicators for self-assessment and a toolkit for funding schemes, as well as capacity-building activities and piloting events in Spain, Ireland, Greece, and Italy, among other actions.
Our Mission
CreaSus will build more resilient and diversified CCSIs through enhanced business models through the integration of sustainability innovations, stimulating the growth of strong and competitive European cultural and creative enterprises of all sizes to be able to compete with global players.
CreaSus aims to guide cultural and creative industries towards adapting practices that benefit society and the environment, ensuring they are profitable and sustainable for future generations, by:
Positioning CCSIs as key-contributors to avoid or reduce negative impact on the environment, recognising their role as vital sources of wealth, prosperity, and European unity through cultural diversity.
Increasing and sharing academic knowledge on the topic in close collaboration with CCSIs managers and professionals seeking to leverage business strategies based on sustainability innovations.
Establishing culture both as a vehicle for European social cohesion and the promotion of European democratic and humanist values, and as a source of economic development, social prosperity and sustainable innovation.
Boosting the competitiveness and the economic potential of all sectors whose activities are based on cultural or artistic values and other individual or collective creative expressions.
Raising awareness towards sustainability topics by helping CCSIs adapt their offer and work, helping them adapt to the fast-changing audience demand and supporting them in innovation uptake.
Empowering CCSIs to integrate sustainable practices by providing them with an efficient and clear system of indicators for measuring and assessing sustainability within their organisation, and by sharing sustainable business models along with a sustainability funding schemes toolkit to guide them throughout implementation.
Management, administration and coordination
Co-design and co-definition of the sustainability assessment model
Testing the sustainability transformation model in CCSIs
Co-design and implementation of sustainability funding schemes toolkit with innovative financial and business models and partnerships
Communication and dissemination
Creative and cultural industries (CCIs) are a big part of Europe's economy, making up more than 4% of the EU's GDP and providing jobs for 6.7 million people, many of whom are young. These industries have been growing steadily, by 4.3% each year since 2008, and now form 10% of the service sector in most European countries. They're also becoming increasingly important for making cities more sustainable and helping them grow.
Culture and the freedom to create are crucial for the European Union and its people. They help strengthen democracy, develop new ways of thinking, improve societies, make local areas vibrant, enhance the quality of life, and contribute to individual well-being. Therefore, it's vital to have a strong, diverse, competitive, innovative, and sustainable cultural and creative industries ecosystem in Europe.
CCSIs are very different from one another and face unique challenges. One big challenge is the lack of policy guidelines on how to adopt sustainable practices in their products, services, and business models. This lack of guidance makes it hard for CCSIs to embrace sustainability since they often don't have the push from outside sources to do so. Recognising this, CreaSus believes that CCSIs can and should adopt sustainable innovations on their own, to become more competitive. Investing in sustainability can give CCSIs an edge and prepare them to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
To support this, CreaSus will create a toolkit for funding schemes. This toolkit will help CCSIs professionals and managers see sustainability not as an extra cost but as an opportunity to improve their operations and explore new sustainable opportunities.
CreaSus will also develop a set of indicators for to help CCSIs measure how well they're doing in reducing their negative impact on the environment and considering social factors. Furthermore, CreaSus will work with CCIs to create and implement actions for sustainable transformation, offering guidance and training through the CreaSus self-assessment platform. The project will also provide a toolkit for navigating financial and market opportunities related to adopting sustainable practices. Learn more about all the wealth of results you can expect from the project here.
CreaSus aims for an innovative approach that goes beyond just offering cultural and creative services. It's about building long-term relationships and investing in communities. CCSIs that adopt sustainable practices need to continuously improve their management, processes, and relationships. This not only adds value economically, socially, environmentally, and culturally but also makes CCSIs more competitive and relevant.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Leader: Fundación Banco Santander
This team will handle efficient management, addressing administrative, financial, and legal issues to keep the project on track. Key responsibilities include planning and participating in regular coordination meetings, providing guidance to partners for achieving milestones and maintaining consistent work quality, and ensuring the project plan is effectively implemented. The team will also monitor tasks, track project progress, and oversee finances to guarantee that work is completed on time, meets quality standards, and stays within budget. Additionally, implementing quality control on deliverables and conducting periodic reviews of the project from a management standpoint are crucial steps for success.
Leader: University of Bari
This group’s mission involves analysing the impact of sustainability on CCSIs and considering a fourth pillar of sustainability focused on culture. It aims to identify shared strategies and challenges across different CCSIs to promote a unified approach to sustainability. Additionally, the group will develop a set of indicators to measure sustainability within these sectors and create guidelines to help CCSIs enhance their sustainability efforts. This approach aims to improve CCSIs’ overall sustainability performance and offerings.
Leader: Fundación Banco Santander
The group will analyse the socio-economic context of pilot countries to understand how sustainability initiatives impact CCSIs differently. They will refine and test a set of indicators to ensure they accurately reflect the needs of each site, working closely with local CCSIs. This effort includes guiding pilot CCSIs in developing sustainability plans, identifying best practices, and tracking the effectiveness of their sustainability actions. The group also plans to create action plans for CCSIs to enhance their sustainability performance, engage CCSIs from various EU countries for broader representation, and promote the adoption of CreaSus by providing support through capacity building, coaching, and mentoring.
Leader: Mosaic
The group’s responsibilities include analysing existing funding schemes for CCSIs to pinpoint areas for enhancement and opportunities. They will collaborate closely with CCSIs, financial bodies, public authorities, and experts in a co-design process to develop a practical toolkit aimed at reducing the initial costs associated with integrating sustainability practices into business models. The group will work on defining training and support materials for CCSIs, alongside setting up monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress and effectiveness. Finally, they’re tasked with creating and sharing innovative business models that could drive sustainable growth within the sector.
Leader: WestBIC
This group is tasked with promoting the project’s activities at all levels, from local to European, and will develop the project’s visual identity and branding. They will set clear goals for spreading the word and engaging audiences, including managing the website and social media. Additionally, they’ll keep track of how well these efforts are doing. The group will also work on strategies to keep the project’s results in use long after it ends. This involves figuring out how to continue benefiting from the project’s key outputs, assigning roles for using these results, and considering the development of an EU-recognised certification. Their work ensures the project’s visibility and lasting impact.
