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Europe’s content industries: New opportunities for storytelling, funding and technology

A Science|Business executive roundtable, supported by the European Commission (by invitation only)


Europe's creative and cultural industries are vibrant and vast, representing 4.2% of the EU's GDP, employing 8.4 million - and enriching the lives of citizens everywhere. The EU entertainment software industry is growing steadily and profitably. Video and film continue to be acclaimed European exports. And a profusion of new interactive and online technologies - from social media to virtual reality - are opening new opportunities for European entrepreneurship. To maximise its impact in the future, the European content industry needs to collaborate better with technology companies, innovate new finance and business models, and look to growing global markets while maintaining their European identities.

The latest legislation for Horizon Europe, the EU's next big research and innovation programme, proposes an ambitious effort to catalyse this kind of interaction and dynamism. At the same time, a range of other EU policies and programmes - Creative Europe, Invest EU, Digital Europe - are working to strengthen and support cultural and creative initiatives that can have an impact on the sector and promote international cooperation.

This Science|Business roundtable is intended to open a cross-sectoral, pan-European discussion on how these programmes might develop during the 2020s, and how these inter-related industries could best prosper in global and European markets. The dialogue will bring together leaders in video and film production, augmented and virtual reality, innovative finance, technology platforms, and in European and member state policy making. The half-day workshop, which will produce a published report of conclusions, will be opened by Christian Ehlera rapporteur in the European Parliament on the Horizon Europe legislation, and a strong champion of the future opportunities this fusion of sectors, technologies and finance can bring. Among the questions to be debated:

  • What are the three most important challenges facing Europe’s digital content industries over the coming decade? What can be done about them?
  • Does Europe have to own the platforms and infrastructure to succeed?
  • How can we better connect content and technology industries in Europe?
  • For the CCI work in Horizon Europe, what specifically could it do to make a difference?
  • How can the EU best organise the different programmes focusing on CCI?
Featured guests
Speakers
Christian Ehler
Member, European Parliament
Andreas Ehret
Vice President, Technology, Multiscreen Services Audio, Dolby Germany
Claire Bury
Deputy Director-General, DG Communications Networks, Contents and Technology, European Commission
Lucia Recalde
Head of Unit, Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes, DG CNECT, European Commission
Bernhard Grill
Director, Audio and Media Technologies, Fraunhofer
Guillaume Klossa
Special Advisor to Vice-President Ansip, European Commission
Jean-Paul Philippot
General Administrator, RTBF
Rikke Ennis
Chief Executive Officer, Reinvent Studios
Joao Santos
Chief Strategy Officer, NutAlone
Bernd Fesel
Managing Director, European Creative Business Network
Lyn Trytsman-Gray
Senior Vice-President, European Affairs, RTL
Lily Diaz-Kommonen
Professor; Head, Research, Department of Media, Aalto University
Ugo Bacchella
President, Fitzcarraldo Foundation
Marie Delbeke
Business Manager Equity Investments, PMV
Ross Biggam
Vice President, Government Affairs EMEA, Discovery Communications
Aletxu Echevarría
President, Basque Audiovisual and Digital Content Cluster (EIKEN)
Luk Overmeire
Technology Expert, VRT Research and Innovation
Arturo Cisneros
CLAVNA Manager, Audiovisual Cluster of Navarra
Paula Noya
Excellence and Technology Cooperation Manager, ADItech
Programme
Programme

08:15-09:00 Registration and welcome coffee

09:00-09:05 Welcome by by Marta Marin, Delegate of the Basque Country to the EU, and Richard L. Hudson, Vice-Chair of the Board & Editor-in-Chief, Science|Business

09:05-09:45 Creative and Cultural Industries in Horizon Europe and beyond

  • Christian Ehler, Member, European Parliament
  • Guillaume Klossa, Special Advisor to Vice-President Ansip, European Commission

09:45-10:45 Key trends: An overview

Panel and group discussion

  • Bernhard Grill, Director, Audio and Media Technologies, Fraunhofer
  • Jean-Paul Philippot, Director General, RTBF
  • Rikke Ennis, Chief Executive Officer, Reinvent Studios and Joao Santos, Chief Strategy Officer, NutAlone
  • Andreas Ehret, Vice-President, Technology, Multiscreen Services Audio, Dolby

10:45-11:15 Coffee break

11:15-12:45 Open discussion: Suggestions for managing change, encouraging cross-sector collaboration

  • What are the three most important challenges facing Europe’s digital content industries over the coming decade? What can be done about them?
  • Does Europe have to own the platforms and infrastructure to succeed?
  • How can we better connect content and technology industries in Europe?
  • For the CCI work in Horizon Europe, what specifically could it do to make a difference?
  • How can the EU best organise the different programmes focusing on CCI?

12:45-13:00 Conclusions for policy

  • Claire BuryDeputy Director-General, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission

13:00-14:00 Networking lunch

Information
Contact

For more information, please contact Stefania Gavra ([email protected])

Event pack
Photos

Photos
Photos

Europe’s content industries: New opportunities for storytelling, funding and technology, 11 April 2019, Brussels

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