Establishment of a regional platform for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries and Clusters in the Southern Mediterranean

With the aim of promoting employment, employability and business development in the Southern Mediterranean region as well as contributing to the growth of the industry, and thus creating new micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the European Commission identified the need to develop a regional programme in the field of cultural and creative industries clusters. This programme is entitled “Support for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries and Clusters in the Southern Mediterranean” and is developed and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The programme was launched during the first quarter of 2014 to develop business capacities and foster entrepreneurship cooperation and development in the cultural and creative industries.

Within this framework, the “Establishment of a regional platform for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries and Clusters in the Southern Mediterranean” project aims to complement these activities and contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU/UNIDO programme by strengthening and further developing its regional dimension. The project will deliver a regional platform for dialogue, exchange of experiences and dissemination of best practices within the cultural and creative business field. This platform will foster entrepreneurial cooperation with a particular focus on gender affairs. Furthermore, it will leverage the potential of the cultural and creative industries as well as promote new employment opportunities and inclusive growth in the Southern Mediterranean region.

The project will include the mapping and analysis of the current challenges faced by eight cultural and creative industries clusters selected by UNIDO in its EU/UNIDO initiative “Support for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries and Clusters in the Southern Mediterranean”. The UfM Secretariat will identify relevant enterprises and stakeholders in the same sectors as the ones identified by UNIDO in other Southern Mediterranean countries and will organise eight workshops gathering all the enterprises and stakeholders identified by both institutions. The workshops will provide an opportunity to identify common challenges across the region and define training needs for all the industries clusters.

This project falls within the second axis of the Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs): the development of the private sector and the promotion of inclusive growth.

About the promoter and partner institutions

The project is promoted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), a UN specialised agency whose mandate is to promote and accelerate sustainable industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition.

In recent years, UNIDO has assumed an enhanced role in the global development agenda by focusing its activities on poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability.

The Organization draws on four mutually reinforcing categories of services: technical cooperation, analytical and policy advisory services, standard setting and compliance, and a convening function for knowledge transfer and networking.

More information