The brief presents concrete ways to integrate digital, green, and creative competences (DGC) into regional innovation and Smart Specialisation Strategies. It highlights the crucial role of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and tourism SMEs as drivers of sustainable and inclusive growth — sectors that remain under-supported in most policy systems.
Drawing on pilot actions from nine countries, the document showcases practical examples of co-creation and cross-sector collaboration:
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hackathons in Austria and the Czech Republic,
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creative innovation labs in Hungary and Slovenia,
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storytelling and branding masterclasses in Germany and Italy, and
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digital communication academies in Croatia and Slovakia.
These initiatives demonstrate how creativity can accelerate green and digital transitions when embedded in real-world regional contexts.
Among the five key policy recommendations, the brief calls for:
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better integration of DGC competences into policy frameworks,
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recognition of CCIs as innovation enablers, and
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improved access to funding and training for SMEs in culture and tourism.
To support implementation, the C2T partnership developed several practical tools, including the DGC Competence Framework, Transferability Guidelines, and two online platforms — Media Factory and Knowledge Factory — designed to foster knowledge exchange and inspire replication across Central Europe.
The Policy Brief serves as both a reflection of the project’s achievements and a call to action for regional authorities and stakeholders to harness creativity as a strategic force for transformation.
Read more and download the Policy Brief: https://www.interreg-central.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Policy-brief_final-version.pdf