FRIEND CCI – The project funds 60 innovative SMEs in the cultural and creative industries with over one million euros
FRIEND CCI Project – Developments
The FRIEND CCI project has reached its halfway mark. After a year and a half of activity, we analyze the results achieved and plan for the future.
Objective
The EuroCluster FRIEND CCI has announced the winners of its two calls for SME projects to support product innovation, green and digital transition within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector, and its connection with other productive ecosystems.
Participation
The consortium has actively supported small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in submitting project proposals for two funding calls: the first call was published on July 21, 2023, and closed on September 30, 2023, while the second call was published on November 13, 2023, and closed on January 14, 2024. A total of 70 applications were received, involving 160 SMEs from 17 European countries.
Selected Projects
Twenty-two consortium projects of SMEs have been funded, with an investment of over 1 million euros, dedicating approximately 50,000 euros to each funded project.
- Results of the 1st Call: FRIEND CCI 1st Open Call Official List of Awarded Projects
- Results of the 2nd Call: FRIEND CCI 2nd Open Call Official List of Awarded Projects
Themes of the Winning Projects
The selected projects cover various areas of innovation, from virtual reality development in the metaverse and augmented reality to artificial intelligence, video games, and 3D printing, among others.
In Italy
These calls have been well received in Italy thanks to the work of Venetian Cluster, the lead partner of FRIEND CCI. Italian companies have secured 17% of the allocated funds, amounting to 182,920 euros. It is noteworthy that the Italian SMEs come from across the country: Veneto, Marche, Lazio, Puglia, and Lombardy.
The EuroCluster in Spain
Given the excellent performance of the calls, the General Assembly of FRIEND CCI was held in Zaragoza during the last week of February. During this event, the European consortium managing the EuroCluster had the opportunity to meet in person, hosted by the Spanish partner Cluster IDiA, and continue working to support the CCI ecosystem.
FRIEND CCI, as part of the European Commission’s Eurocluster initiative, aims to mobilize funds to drive digital transformation, sustainability, innovation, resilience, and internationalization of the mentioned sectors. FRIEND CCI is funded by the European Commission under the Single Market Programme (SMP).
For more information, contact the project representatives: sergio.calo@venetiancluster.eu or carlotta.campanini@venetiancluster.eu