As a highly export-oriented economy with a fragmented business structure, Austria has been relying on steep innovative dynamics more than ever, due to radical changes in society and the economy brought about by globalisation and digitisation. The creative industries play a crucial role: they constitute a significant driving force for the economy in terms of growth and innovation. The innovative and transformative force exerted by the creative industries contributes to the generation of sustainable jobs (especially in small and medium-sized enterprises), improves the appeal of cities and regions as business locations and strengthens regional innovation systems.

 

At the centre of the creative-industries strategy for Austria framed under the auspices of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy are the goals to make the creative industries tangible as a key economic and competitive factor and to strengthen them, to foster the initiating role of the creative industries for Austria as a place for innovation and to support Austria’s international image as a creative country of culture and innovation. Fields of action and measures to achieve this are based on three complementary pillars:

 

1. empowerment – strengthening the competitiveness of Austria’s creative industries

2. transformation – exploiting the transformative effect the creative industries have on other sectors of the economy, public administration and society

3. innovation – strengthening the innovation system by innovation taking place in the creative industries

You can read more about Creative Industries Austria’s strategy  for the Creative Industries in the presentation below and read more on their policy here.