What happens when you bring together creative industries, visionary projects, and people who truly believe in collaboration? You get a European ecosystem where ideas turn into concrete initiatives, and innovation becomes the driving force of sustainable development.
On July 16, 2025, in Munich, we participated in the closing event of the FRIEND CCI – Fostering Resilience and Innovation in Europe through Networking Development of Clusters in the Cultural and Creative Industry Ecosystem project. It was an important moment for all the partners involved, for the funded SMEs, and for the key players from the cultural and creative ecosystem in Bavaria, such as the Bavarian Cluster for Cultural and Creative Industries (BLVKK) and München Kreativ, an initiative of the City of Munich.
The event marked the conclusion of a journey that began in 2022 with the launch of the project, co-financed by the Single Market Programme (SMP) of the European Commission and coordinated by a consortium formed by Venetian Cluster (Italy), France Clusters (France), Cluster IDiA (Spain), ITALCAM (Germany) and OpenHub Creative Cluster (Romania).
A European project with tangible results
FRIEND CCI’s main objective was to strengthen resilience and promote innovation, digitalisation, and sustainability in the cultural and creative industries (CCI), a key sector for Europe’s identity and economic dynamism. Through the two calls launched in 2023, the project achieved significant results:
- 70 project proposals submitted by 161 SMEs from over 15 European countries
- 22 funded consortium projects, with a total budget of over €1 million in grants
- 84 specialised service providers involved in digitalisation, sustainability, and internationalisation
Among the funded initiatives are:
- C.U.B.E. – cultural documentary about industrial heritage, produced using green practices and digital solutions
- Film Your Vision (FYV) – ESG short films born from collaborations between companies and filmmakers
- Carr-E – sustainable urban mobility solution, a modular e-bike with 3D printed components
- COSMO – multimodal personality assessment platform
- FTAI – training programmes supported by artificial intelligence
Presentations and partnerships for the future
The Munich event focused not only on showcasing the tangible results of the funded projects but also on building new bridges between regions and stakeholders in the cultural and creative industries. During the event, BLVKK officially became a member of the CR.EU MetaCluster, confirming the continuous growth of this European network and its commitment to long-term collaboration.
For OpenHub, participating in this project was a valuable opportunity to support CCI startups, gain international perspectives, and actively contribute to building a more resilient European ecosystem. Beyond the results, FRIEND CCI reconfirmed one essential belief: innovation is better achieved together than separately.
Do you want to discover more about the projects and organisations that are part of the FRIEND CCI ecosystem?
Create an account on the dedicated platform and connect with entrepreneurs, clusters, and initiatives from across Europe. It is the ideal place to find partners, explore new ideas, and stay up to date with opportunities in the cultural and creative industries. Sign up now on the platform and become part of the FRIEND CCI community!
