aws is the coordinator of the RCIA, an EU project within the Interreg Europe programme. The programme lasts for five years and started January 2017. The consortium consists of nine partners from nine different European regions. More information about the project, the project partners, the addressed policy instruments and the latest developments can be found at www.interregeurope.eu/rcia.

Goals

The aim of the RCIA project is to improve the structural fund strategy instruments with regard to the competitiveness of SMEs through interregional policy learning, which will be achieved as follows:

• Placing focus on supporting creative SMEs in order to stimulate greater growth;
• Positioning the creative industries as the missing link across all sectors and disciplines, in particular as regards innovation and competitiveness;
• Increasing the attractiveness and innovative power of a city/region/state (attracting talent, creating and maintaining jobs in the area);
• Positioning the creative industries as a pillar of the competitive strategy.

By sharing more than 20 good practice examples between regional strategy-driven interest groups and by implementing what has been learned in eight regional action plans, the aim is to increase cooperation between creative SMEs and companies in the overall economy. This will lead to improved competitive advantages of all SMEs and ultimately to new products and solutions that are developed because of cross-sectoral cooperation.

RCIA intends to:

1. strengthen the competitiveness of creative SMEs by improving their skill sets (developing/executing business plans, liaising with investors, consulting programmes) and supporting their growth in global markets;
2. adapt various financing mechanisms to the specificities of the creative economy (including the possibility of capacity building measures for banks);
3. increase the perception of SMEs in the creative industries among companies in the overall economy with regard to the transformational power (added value) they have to increase their own competitive advantage;
4. develop/adapt/improve the economic system of creative SMEs (holistic approach).