Ebeltoft, Denmark – As part of the European gathering on "Culture & Creativity Driving Repair, Regeneration & Resilience" held at Maltfabrikken, Paolo Montemurro presented the pioneering work of the Regional Skills Partnership (RSP) Creative South. Representing Materahub as coordinator of the partnership, Montemurro highlighted how localised skills ecosystems in Southern Italy can serve as a scalable blueprint for rural, peripheral, and transitioning regions across Europe.
The event, hosted at Maltfabrikken—itself an iconic example of community-driven cultural regeneration—brought together creative leaders, policymakers, and cultural practitioners to discuss how creative industries can drive sustainable economic and social transformation.
Bridging European Policies and Local Ecosystems
During his presentation, Paolo Montemurro focused on the operational framework of Creative South, an initiative launched under the umbrella of the European Union’s Pact for Skills. Creative South addresses long-standing challenges in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in Southern Italy, including skill mismatches, talent retention, and fragmented training opportunities.
Montemurro emphasised that for culture and creativity to effectively fuel regional regeneration, institutional European goals must translate directly into local ecosystems.
"Building resilience in creative sectors requires more than top-down funding; it demands multi-stakeholder governance where educational institutions, local authorities, and creative businesses co-design learning pathways tailored to regional identities."
— Paolo Montemurro, CEO at Materahub & Coordinator of RSP Creative South
How Creative South Inspires European Regions
The presentation demonstrated how the Creative South model can inspire other European territories seeking to strengthen their creative ecosystems:
- Territorial Multi-Stakeholder Coalitions: Connecting municipalities, universities, training providers, and micro-enterprises into a cohesive network to bridge the gap between skills supply and demand.
- Focus on Peripheral and Transitioning Areas: Demonstrating how regions facing demographic and economic transitions can leverage cultural heritage, digital upskilling, and green transitions to attract and retain creative talent.
- Cross-European Knowledge Exchange: Facilitating peer-to-peer learning between Southern European contexts and Northern European hubs, such as Maltfabrikken in Denmark, fostering shared strategies for regional resilience.
Next Steps for the Network
The participation at Maltfabrikken marks another step forward in RSP Creative South's strategy to foster international dialogue, exchange best practices, and contribute to the broader European creative workforce development.