Photo 207640237 © Roman Didkivskiy | Dreamstime.com

Our community and Peer2Peer network is moving!

We are currently migrating our SPECTRA network and repository content of SPECTRA event recordings, webinars and good practice from the MIGHTY NETWORKS to a new platform, where you can join us at https://mycreativenetworks.com/

The new platform will provide a forum for discussion and collaboration, not only on the themes that SPECTRA has been addressing but beyond, on a wide and diverse range of projects, policies and initiatives influencing the creative sector and industries, extending the collaborative opportunities and engagement.

Do not miss the opportunity to join an international and ever growing community!

Creative Business Network

Reflections on SPECTRA participation at the Creative Business Cup 2024

An international investment and stakeholder forum was held to coincide with the Creative Business Cup event in Copenhagen on 2nd and 3rd June 2024. It offered a range of international networking and B2B matchmaking opportunities, which was facilitated through use of partner network of CBN.

The event on 2nd June connected different stakeholders and financiers to create new interlinkages and strengthen the connections between ecosystems, which will be leading to new joint activities on the partnership level and beyond, in Europe, with participation from all SPECTRA partners.

The stakeholders discussed common challenges and opportunities and learned about different good practices, business supports, initiatives and projects from Europe and beyond, such as Brewhouse Incubator, CzechInvest and StartUp Estonia.

This session was moderated by SPECTRA’s coordinator, Helena Deane (Western Development Commission, Ireland).

On June 3rd, during the Creative Business Cup Global Finals 2024, the SPECTRA investment panel discussion titled “Helping Investors Find the Next Big Thing” took place. How can investors from non-creative sectors be attracted to expand funding opportunities? What criteria do investors use, what challenges do they face, and what can be done to attract more investment in the creative and cultural industries?

The session moderated by SPECTRA’s Thierry Baujard (CEO of Media Deals, Germany). The panelists included:
Helena Rosandic
Helena lives and works in between Vienna and Dubai where she has been involved in the startup scene, innovation, and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) projects. Helena is a co-founder and president of 1MilionStatups – NGO for startups and entrepreneurs in SDGs, and Co-foudner of Startaparat – a innovation – communication agency. Over the years, Helena has managed communication and innovation projects for companies such as Mondi, P&G, Coca-Cola – Römerquelle, Unicredit – Bank Austria, Holcim, Hilton, Ferrari, Samsung, Domino’s, and more.

Ece Elbirlik Ürkmez
She started her career as a Designer/Partner at FormaDesign, Milan, later on worked as an architect at KonKur Construction Company in Turkiye between 2005-2011. In 2012, she participated in the organization of the first Istanbul Design Biennial of İKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts). She served as a Board Member of İnci Holding during 2013-2022. She continues her responsibilities as the Chairman of the Nomination and Reward Committee as well as a member of Sustainability Committee and Ethics Committee at İnci Holding. She took over the role of the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Inci Education Foundation, in 2020, with the title of “Energy Source”. The Foundation has recently developed a grant program in the field of sustainability research projects. She is a board member of Inci Family Office since it was established in 2013. Through the office the family invests in venture capital funds and startups among other asset management tools. Ece is also an angel investor and active in several NGOs.

The Creative Business Cup finals included, for the first time, representation of companies from Ireland (Grá Chocolates) and Bulgaria (Rosey’s Mark) via national partners CREW (Ireland) and BIC Innobridge (Bulgaria) as a direct output of SPECTRA project and its collaboration.

 

Anthony Shaughnessy - Portershed d

Joint Experimentation: Creative Reduction of Carbon Footprint: Ireland

Over 50 participants from across Ireland, gathered to showcase their ideas and technological prowess at the SPECTRA GenAI hackathon over the period of 2 days on 21st and 22 June 2024 (Friday and Saturday), at the Portershed, Galway City Innovation District, in Galway.

Congratulations to our top winners, Furrows, for their innovative approach to agricultural solutions.

The participants heard from Founder and industry veteran Joe Smyth who has been working in the AI space right from the early days. Helena Deane presented the SPECTRA Challenge and did the reverse pitch for the project. On Saturday, lightning talks gave teams insight into the hottest (Gen)AI resources out there, from Low Code to AI Workbench Zerve AI (Intel Ignite W23), and a fascinating talk on LLMs, with exclusive access to (Gen)AI Tools for teams to play with (with thanks to Notion, Vellum, and Zerve AI (Intel Ignite W23)).

John Breslin’s of University of Galway and European Digital Innovation Hub EDIH) Data2Sustaian, gave a talk on ‘Old Ireland in Colour’ containing fascinating images that show life in the 19th and 20th centuries Ireland with cattle markets, fishing villages, horse-drawn carts and traveler children, with colour having been restored to the old images with the assistance of AI.

A jury, consisting of Maurice O’Gorman (Galway Chamber of Commerce and Galway City Innovation District), Michelle Concannon (Signify Health) and Ainslie Peters (CREW) deliberated on the outputs of the 9 innovative hackathon teams.

Portershed’s Rosemary Gallagher and Dushyant Singh provided orchestration for this exceptional hackathon, with support from contributors and sponsors The Runway, Vhi, Genesys, Founders (NDRC and Dogpatch Labs), mentors: Rob O’Shaughnessy, Michael McClintock, Cuty Gupta, Greg Toth, Michael ODea, Stephanus (Fanie) Meiring, Anvesh Dwivedi and Emir Muñoz and facilitators: Maeve Lyons, Yixin Qiu, Raja Singaram, Andy McManagan and Gearoid Kearney.

Among the highlights was an artistic showdown between Galway-based artist Finbar McHugh and the AI platform, Midjourney.

This unique challenge took place on the rooftop of PorterShed, providing an inspiring backdrop with natural light and open air. Both Finbar McHugh and Midjourney were given the same prompt: “Create a piece of art in an abstract expressionist style that addresses environmental issues such as waste, water pollution, and monitoring water and air quality.” They had one hour to complete their artwork.

Finbar McHugh, renowned for his evocative and thought-provoking pieces, approached the challenge with a profound understanding of environmental themes. During the reveal, he explained his use of colour: shades of blue symbolised water purity, dark tones represented pollution, greens and browns depicted the earth scarred by waste, and airy swirls of grey and white illustrated the struggles of monitoring air quality. His piece was a narrative of environmental disruption and a call to action.

Midjourney, leveraging advanced algorithms and a vast database of artistic styles, created a bold and intricate piece that captured the abstract expressionist style with precision. The AI-generated artwork used striking colours and forms to evoke a sense of urgency about environmental issues, demonstrating how AI can interpret complex themes and translate them into visual art.

Both artworks were impressive and unique, however, Finbar McHugh’s piece was chosen as the favourite by the hackathon participants.

The GenAI Hackathon was more than a competition; it was a celebration of human ingenuity and the potential of AI. Finbar McHugh’s victory underscored the irreplaceable essence of human creativity, while the impressive output from Midjourney highlighted the promising future of AI in art. This event showcased the remarkable synergy between human talent and artificial intelligence, proving that while AI can enhance the creative process, the soul and emotion behind a piece of art remain uniquely human.

SPECTRA wishes to extend the credit for photography and event write-up to Anthony Shaughnessy and the Portershed.

Photo 305641914 © Thodonal | Dreamstime.com

Data informing a gender-equal ecosystem strategy

Gender statistics provide an evidence base for developing and monitoring policies and programmes oriented towards reduce gender inequality in access and use to all types of resources and exposes the bias in the level and type of interactions within the ecosystem.

Gender statistics have a crucial role in gender mainstreaming in CCSI industries and entrepreneurship development and policies and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the gender dimensions of entrepreneurship, which in turn can significantly change priorities in policy and programme interventions, as well as shaping the elements for the strategic vision of ecosystem growth. This action examine how to improve data collection instruments to ensure: Data is collected and presented by gender, data reflects gender issues, advance data comparability and harmonization of methodologies, agree on concepts and definitions, develop classifications and methodologies, harness the power of technology to leverage new sources of data, without overlooking the quality, confidentiality and reliability of the integrated information and promote use of information to guide the implementation of programme interventions.

SPECTRA has undertaken surveys within the ecosystems of Bulgaria and Ireland to establish the baseline and determine future action needed in this area, and an expert workshop was held on 11th June with the participation from Maria Staunton, from the Irish EMPOWER programme, to build capacity and skills in this area.

The task culminated in production of a Gender Data Action Plan, that outlines the recommendations for future steps to be taken, post-project.

Data Action Plan Recommendations included:

1. Enhance Data Collection Frameworks:

  • Develop standardized gender-disaggregated data collection methods to be used across CCSI sub-sectors.
  • Ensure that all publicly funded projects in the creative industries and entrepreneurship include mandatory gender data reporting.

2. Collaborate with Key Stakeholders:

  • Establish and nurture partnerships between government agencies, industry bodies, and academic institutions to enhance data sharing and analysis. This should include regional representation for all stakeholders.

3. Implement Gender Targets and Incentives:

  • Introduce gender targets for funding allocations in the creative industries, and further utilise case studies of best practice from lead innovator regions to support this.

4. Support Women through Targeted Programs:

  • Develop mentorship and leadership programs tailored specifically for women entrepreneurs in the creative industries.

5. Promote Awareness and Advocacy:

  • Develop awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of gender equality in entrepreneurship in the creative industries and ensure this is shared with policy makers and enterprise enablers to support further understanding of entrepreneurship in CCSI.
  • Encourage industry leaders and influencers to advocate for gender-balanced opportunities and representation through working groups that represent CCSI subsectors.

6. Regular Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Conduct annual reviews and publish reports on progress, challenges, and areas for improvement with a standardised approach to ensure ease of data comparison.

In conclusion, in addition to inclusive entrepreneurship and gender gaps in the creative industries, it is important to note the missing entrepreneurs are also from regions such as those of our SPECTRA emerging and moderate innovator regions. It is important that gender data actions include a concerted effort to ensure these regions are supported with key stakeholders included, and that data is available at a regional as well as national and European level.

By implementing this Gender Data Action Plan, Ireland and Bulgaria can make significant strides toward increasing the number of women innovators in the creative industries and entrepreneurship. Enhanced data collection, targeted policies, and best practice initiatives from the regional partners provide a strong foundation.

Photo 142306252 | Artificial Intelligence © Eamesbot | Dreamstime.com

Deep Dive into Ethical AI: SPECTRA’s BIC Innobridge hosts successful webinar

The Business Innovation Center (BIC) Innobridge recently organized a captivating webinar titled “EU AI Act: A Framework for Ethical AI, Creativity and Business Success.” Held on June 13, 2024, within one hour, the event attracted over 22 participants. This audience included a diverse range of professionals from the creative industries, business sector, and partners within the SPECTRA project community.

The webinar kicked off with an introduction by the SPECTRA project manager and coordinator Mrs. Helena Deane from the Western Development Commission, Ireland. She provided a clear overview of the project’s core objectives, setting the stage for the main event. Following the introduction, the floor was handed over to two highly distinguished speakers: Mrs. Ginka Hristova and Mr. Slavi Tankein of ILAC (International Legal Advice Centre).

Mrs. Hristova delved into the heart of the EU AI Act, exploring its core objectives and their potential impact on the creative and cultural industries. Her insights likely proved invaluable for attendees seeking to understand how this new legislation might shape their future endeavors.

Mr. Tankein then shifted the focus to the technical aspects of AI, highlighting the ever-increasing importance of cybersecurity. His presentation likely provided attendees with a practical understanding of how to navigate the technical landscape of AI development in a secure and responsible manner.

This webinar served as a vital component of the SPECTRA project’s ongoing activities. By delving into various topics related to the development of creative and cultural ecosystems, the project fosters innovation and empowers participants to navigate the evolving landscape of AI within this sector.

The strong attendance and positive response to the webinar showcase the growing interest in understanding the implications of the EU AI Act. As AI continues to play a more prominent role in the creative and cultural industries, initiatives like this webinar become increasingly crucial for fostering ethical and responsible development practices, especially as relevant to the creative sector.

A recording of this and other SPECTRA events’ content is available from https://mycreativenetworks.com/

Photo 144889949 | Intelligence © Tomert | Dreamstime.com

Synergies, Collaboration and Investment Opportunities in the Digital Age: Accelero Innovation Forum

Unlocking the Innovation Potential with Insights from the collaborative online forum led by ACCELERO project

The digital world presents unparalleled opportunities for innovation and collaboration. This is precisely the focus of the ACCELERO and SPECTRA projects ecosystems, which foster connections and knowledge exchange between more than 30 startups, investors, and business support organizations (BSOs). This article delves into three key initiatives within the SPECTRA and ACCELERO framework, highlighting how they leverage synergies, clustering, and the Quadruple Helix model to empower creative industries, discussed in an online forum on 25th June 2024:

The Euroquity platform: Connecting Innovation with Investment

Euroquity is a powerful matchmaking platform within the ACCELERO ecosystem. Imagine a space where startups can connect with potential investors and BSOs to accelerate their growth. That’s exactly what Euroquity offers. During the innovation forum, the SPECTRA and ACCELERO communities came together to showcase the platform’s functionalities and possibilities. Attendees learned how to create effective profiles, navigate search tools, and initiate meaningful connections. This collaborative approach connects promising startups with the resources they need to thrive.

Euroquity goes beyond matchmaking. It also provides valuable information within the ACCELERO community, contacts. Users can access news, updates on funding opportunities, and insights from industry experts. This comprehensive platform empowers startups and investors alike, fostering a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

The SPECTRA Investment Sprint & Pitch: Igniting Growth in Creative Industries

The SPECTRA project, another key initiative, targets startups and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) in the creative industries. The SPECTRA project recognizes the difficulties confronting the creative industries. It addresses these challenges by fostering collaboration within emerging and moderate innovation hubs. SPECTRA equips these regions to develop joint solutions, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to achieving national and European aspirations. Its centerpiece is the SPECTRA Investment Sprint & Pitch program and building stronger innovative ecosystems.

This intensive program helps creative startups and SMEs with the tools they need to secure funding and achieve sustainable growth. Participants receive expert coaching, mentoring, and workshops to refine their business models, perfect their pitches, and gain valuable insights from seasoned investors. The SPECTRA Investment Sprint & Pitch program goes beyond technical expertise. It also offers a crucial advantage: the opportunity to receive feedback from real investors. This invaluable feedback allows participants to identify strengths and weaknesses in their pitches, ultimately increasing their chances of securing funding.

The SPECTRA and Gender Data Action Plan: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

Gender equality is a cornerstone of a thriving innovation ecosystem. The SPECTRA project acknowledges this by integrating the Gender Data Action Plan into its framework. This action plan focuses on collecting and analyzing data regarding women’s participation in the creative industries. By understanding the challenges and opportunities faced by female entrepreneurs, the SPECTRA project can tailor its initiatives to provide targeted support. The Gender Data Action Plan, in conjunction with the SPECTRA Investment Sprint & Pitch program, empowers women in the creative industries. By addressing gender disparity and fostering inclusive growth, the ACCELERO ecosystem sets a positive example for the digital world.

 
A Collaborative Future

The ACCELERO project ecosystem demonstrates the power of collaboration in a digital world. By leveraging synergies between Euroquity, SPECTRA, and the Gender Data Action Plan, ACCELERO fosters a Quadruple Helix model. This model emphasizes collaboration between academia, industry, government, and civil society.

Through Euroquity’s matchmaking platform, SPECTRA’s investment program, and the Gender Data Action Plan, ACCELERO fosters a collaborative environment where creative ideas can flourish. This collaborative approach paves the way for a more innovative and inclusive future for the creative industries in the digital age.

Humans at Play: Skills, Tech & Demand in the Booming Creative & Gaming Industries

Deep Dive in Bulgarian Gaming Industry: First comprehensive study presented during webinar within the framework of the SPECTRA Project

On July 2, 2024, BIC Innobridge organized a webinar on the topic ” Humans at Play: Skills, Tech & Demand in the Booming Creative & Gaming Industries”. This event, part of the series of Deep dive sessions on various topics under the SPECTRA project, attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including investors, startups, and professionals from the creative industries in Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, and others, who participated in discussions and presentations.

A key highlight of the webinar was the presentation of the first comprehensive study of the Bulgarian gaming industry, conducted by Interkultura Consult. This study, covering over 1,200 participants, is the first of its kind in Bulgaria and examines the gaming industry ecosystem from both the professional and consumer perspectives and their preferences. Additionally, it includes the perspective of creatives, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of this sector.

The Interkultura Consult study, conducted in 2023 in the frame of project called Humans at Play: Creators and Users, reveals important data on the state and trends in the industry. The key points from it, presented during the webinar, include:
Scope and Research Methods: The different methods of data collection and selection were presented, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups. These methods provide a sufficiently detailed picture of the current situation and needs of the gaming industry in Bulgaria. They surveyed over 1,200 participants, who represent a wide range of professionals and users in the sector, which contributes to a reliable analysis of key trends and challenges.

Gaming Industry – Key Skills and Attitudes: The study identified the key skills needed for success in the gaming industry, as well as the attitudes and motivation of professionals. This type of creativity seeks a combination of technical and creative skills. Key competencies include programming, game design, sound design, and screenwriting. The attitudes of professionals in the industry are oriented towards innovation and continuous development, with many of them striving to improve their skills through various courses and webinars. The data shows that there is a significant need for specialized training and skill development in the field of gaming. It is recommended to create and implement more training programs and certifications to meet these needs.

An interesting fact presented in the study was that even with a clear interest in professional development in the video game industry, a serious problem is the lack of visibility of the presence of studios and companies in the country. Or in other words, the Bulgarian audience is not aware of the existence of game development companies that create and develop in Bulgaria. It also turns out that although they recognize the skills associated with the video game industry and show an interest in working in this field, a high percentage of respondents from the general public do not practice anything that develops their skills in any of the professional directions in it.

Several strategic conclusions from the study were also presented, such as the need to create a gaming association in Bulgaria to support and develop the industry. In addition, there was an emphasis on the need for targeted policies to support the gaming sector as strategically important for the development of the country and strengthening our positions on the international gaming scene. The presentation of the study was led by Dr. Petya Koleva, founder of Interkultura Consult and a specialist in innovation in the field of arts, culture and creative industries. Also, Milena Berbenkova, a specialist in audience analysis and development, supplemented the data with details about the motivation and demotivation of professionals in the gaming industry.

The webinar not only provided a platform for dialogue and discussion on the future of the gaming sector in Bulgaria, but also highlighted its importance for the country’s economic landscape. This is a dynamically developing sector that generates a significant contribution to GDP and creates numerous jobs. In this context, it is of essential importance for both the state and the private sector to make targeted efforts to support and stimulate it. Investments in education, infrastructure and the development of stimulating policies are key factors in realizing the full potential of the gaming industry in Bulgaria.

Illustration 263993794 © Andrii Yalanskyi | Dreamstime.com

SPECTRA and 4NGELS Projects Connect and Exchange

The SPECTRA partners were delighted to connect and exchange with a sister project, funder under the European Interconnected Ecosystem call, 4NGELS.

The  4NGELS project aims to connect business angel networks with a strong foothold in Estonia and Finland with those from Poland and Slovenia. During the course of the project, partners undertake activities to enhance understanding of how to successfully initiate cross-border angel investing in Europe and maximise the impact of investment benefits. 4NGELS brings together different stakeholders from all four innovation ecosystems (including angel networks from Estonia (EstBAN), Finland (FiBAN) – with the business angel networks from the less advanced innovation territories – Poland (Cobin Angels) and Slovenia (BAS)) and startups and other wider innovation ecosystem stakeholders from Europe, to facilitate connections and knowledge exchange. Coordinated by CIVITTA EESTI AS from Estonia, other partners include MTU EESTI ARIINGLITE ASSOTSIATSIOON (Estonia), FINNISH BUSINESS ANGELS NETWORK RY (Finland), COBINANGELS SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA (Poland) and KLUB POSLOVNI ANGELI SLOVENIJE (Slovenia).

Potential for collaboration and synergies were discussed, with particular commonalities detected surrounding the activities planned under the Work Package 4 of SPECTRA ‘Inclusivity of Financiers and enhanced Access to Finance’, led by Media Deals.

Potential SPECTRA-led areas of common participation/grounds for learning and exchange were identified as:
• Investor forum at the beginning of June (at the Creative Business Cup in Copenhagen).
• Online investor workshop (September) to bring together novice and experienced investors.
• Sprint and pitch events for startups (September/October).

For 4NGELS the main activities are that can act as catalyst for collaboration:
• Collaboration with the Business Angels Slovenia syndicate.
• Collaborating with the Polish ecosystem in August (Open Call for startups to participate in the training and potential to be selected for the syndicate, Investor training and networking programme, including a study visit to Poland, investment run).
• Investment ecosystem guidebooks – first one will be completed in Q3.

We are looking forward to our continued discussions and collaboration.

More information on the 4Angels project can be found here.

Photo 152627988 | Artificial Intelligence © Blackboard373 | Dreamstime.com

Upcoming Generative AI Hackathon in Ireland

We are at the brink of a revolutionary era in Artificial Intelligence, and those who do not adapt quickly to this new wave, risk being left behind.

As a part of the ‘T5.4 Joint Experimentation: Creative Reduction of Carbon Footprint’ in partnership with the PorterShed team, a GenAI Hackathon will help stakeholders unleash the power of AI without writing a single line of code.

Join us at the PorterShed in Galway, Ireland on June 21-22 for a groundbreaking event where innovation meets practicality.

Whether you are an AI-powered startup, a company that wants to leverage AI tools for product or operational excellence, or AI-curious and new to the startup community, come along to solve the sustainability challenges.

With inspirational speakers, lightning talks from AI-power users, and experienced mentors embedded in each team, this is your playground to collaborate, co-create, and grow.

Who is it for:
– AI-Enabled: Startups leveraging AI, aiming to deepen their tech impact.
– AI-Curious: Startups at the AI adoption threshold, seeking direction.
– AI Experts & Power Users: Experts ready to guide, innovate, and inspire the AI journey.

SPECTRA Challenge: How might AI be leveraged to address environmental issues such as waste, water pollution, monitoring water and air quality etc.

AGENDA

Friday 21 June
– 17:30 – 18:00 Registration & Kick Off
– 18:00 – 20:00: Challenges, Team formation, Fireside Chat

Saturday 22 June
– 8:30: Innovation Space opens
– 9:00 – 12:30: Team building, Lightning talks, Mentor auction
– 12:30 – 13:15: Lunch
– 13:15 – 18:00: Lightning Talks, Mentor deep dive, Demo Time, Winners announced.

All those interested can register here: https://portershed.clr.events/event/136017:portershed-x-spectra-gen-ai-hackathon

European Union Horizon Europe

SPECTRA participates in the Horizon Europe Lump Sum Webinar

On the 16th May, SPECTRA participated in the webinar on the topic of Lump Sum Funding in Horizon Europe: How does it work? How to write a proposal?

The SPECTRA project was funded under the innovative lump sum grant agreement, under Horizon Europe under the European Interconnected Ecosystem call and had the opportunity to share the experience of this model during the livestreamed webinar session. The session included practical aspects explaining the framework and process, presented by programme experts, as well as a line of panelists with the practical experience of the model.

SPECTRA was represented by the Western Development Commission’s Helena Deane, as the coordinators of SPECTRA. Helena relayed the positive experience of the model, highlighting the benefits of the delivery focused approach and reflecting on the particulars regarding the proposal development.

The session has been recorded and can be viewed in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-lnLwRjy04

Over 500 attendees participated in viewing of the live stream.

Main Partners:

 

Associate Partners:

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMES Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.