DISCE –project received excellent review feedback from the European Commission
University of Turku, School of Economics has lead and co-ordinated a 3,5 year Developing Inclusive and Sustainable Creative Economies (DISCE) project funded by the Horizon2020 programme of the European Commission. The multidisciplinary DISCE research project investigated what are inclusive and sustainable creative economies and how they can be developed in Europe.
The DISCE consortium consisted of four research institutions: University of Turku (Finland), King’s College London (UK), Grand Sasso Science Institute (Italy) and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (Latvia) as well as two stakeholder partners CUMEDIAE (Belgium) and an European-based network of cultural centres Trans Europe Halles (Sweden).
At the end of September the external reviewers commissioned by the EC evaluated whether and at what extent DISCE, which was finalized at the end of June 2022, succeeded in its efforts to investigate and develop creative economies in Europe. The reviewers studied carefully the DISCE research reports as well as our many-sided interactions and collaborations with a variety of stakeholders during the DISCE project.
DISCE received unreserved admiration of its unique and coherent approach and research methodology which consisted of regional case study framework, statistical analysis and active interaction with stakeholders. The different work packages on statistics of cultural and creative industries; education and skills development; business modelling, innovation and earning logics; as well as on cultural development fed successfully to each other and the new knowledge thereof were co-created jointly with the relevant stakeholders. As a whole DISCE was evaluated as a well managed and executed project whose scientific outcomes are of good and partly even of excellent quality. DISCE contributes to existing knowledge and discussion by providing bold and concrete suggestions on how to develop creative economies. The summarizing comment of the reviewers – “Tremendeously maticilous work!” – touched me personally.
Now it is time to go forward with the research. DISCE produced unique qualitative and partly also quantitative research materials which provide excellent opportunities to top-quality scholarly publishing and new research projects. I wish to express my warmest thanks to all members of the DISCE consortium for a great and fruitful collaboration as well as all creative actors in the field, who have given their invaluable input to DISCE and, thus, made it possible for DISCE to study and develop creative economies in Europe.
