As a member of the project consortium, BUSINESSMED took part in the first edition of the online CREACT4MED Annual Conference held the 24th and 25th November 2021, with the aim to raise awareness of the role of (CCI) culture and creativity as a vector for employment and value generation in Southern Mediterranean Countries.

The Conference started with welcome addresses from Ingrid Schwaiger, Deputy Head of Regional Programmes, DG Near and interventions from members of the project consortium.

The event highlighted the project’s progress and provided a space for entrepreneurs, incubators, policy-making entities, regional initiatives, and international organizations to present their projects and achievements.

The General Secretary of BUSINESSMED, Jihen Boutiba, presented the actions undertaken by BUSINESSMED in terms of social dialogue and improving the business climate in the Mediterranean: “Cultural and creative industries are proven to promote innovative, sustainable and inclusive growth, but we notice that their potential is currently under-exploited in our region. To make an impact, we must cooperate, build synergies and adopt a multi-stakeholders approach that will lead to a better job creation process”.

The overall objective of CREACT4MED is to enhance the role of culture and creativity as a vector for employment and resilience in the SNCs through untapping the potential of the cultural and creative industry (CCI) to create economic value, enhance growth, create decent jobs, and foster social inclusion. In doing so, a special emphasis is dedicated to youth and women.