The gathering brought together regional authorities, cultural hubs, higher education institutions and cluster managers to bridge the gap between high-level European Union policy and local creative industries ecosystems.
The session opened with strategic framing from Daniela Santopolo of DG GROW (European Commission), who outlined the critical role Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs) play within the broader Pact for Skills framework. Addressing a sector dominated by micro-enterprises and fragmented networks, Santopolo emphasized why localised, regional intervention is essential for effective upskilling and reskilling. Building on this, Astrid Hannes from ERRIN provided practical guidance on aligning policy and funding. She explored future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) prospects and National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), offering actionable strategies for regions to blend European, national, and local funding streams.
The focus then shifted to dynamic real-world applications. Four active RSPs showcased how theory translates into regional impact: Becky Riches presented Creative South’s cross-regional collaboration model; Jenny Tingvall Kornmacher shared how Region Skåne integrates skills into smart specialisation strategies and focuses on enabling diversity; Anna Spechtenhauser highlighted Stuttgart’s use of creative collaboration to navigate automotive mobility transformations and Mareile Zuber detailed Amsterdam’s focus on skills intelligence, cross sectoral potential of creative skills and micro-credentials within urban creative ecosystems.
Momentum continued with energetic pitches from regional representatives across Europe—including Piemonte, Emilia-Romagna, the Basque Country, Brussels, and Ireland—who shared their progress, challenges, and collaboration needs.
The event culminated in a major milestone: the official re-launch of the Working Group on Regional Skills Partnerships under the Creative Pact for Skills. Serving as a platform for knowledge exchange, policy feedback, and strategic partner matching, the Working Group marks a significant step forward in turning EU-level skill goals into lasting regional impact.
The Regional Skills Partnership (RSP) Creative South also harnessed the Cyanotypes Creative Agency Framework during an Open Pilot to co-design a strategic stakeholder engagement strategy.
Developed alongside strategic partners from Emilia-Romagna and the Northeast Italy, this co-creation effort stems from a shared vision to build an interregional bridge, identify systemic fractures and commonalities, and unlock levers for cross-regional collaboration.
The pilot was showcased at Creative Skills Week together with ART-ER, Fondazione Fitzcarraldo, and members of the FiRE network.