SWDF is proud to announce that it is now an official member of the EICI. With 2009 as European Year of Creativity and Innovation, this association will certainly put SWDF on the Euro map.

EICI, initiated by MFG Baden-Württemberg, is a network that promotes collaboration among and between regional and local stakeholders interested in creative industries development and innovation.

The main aim of the Interest Group is to promote regional and local perspectives concerning the links between creativity, creative industries and innovation, in the context of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. The goals that we have set ourselves for the current year are:

• To gain further visibility in Brussels and to use our profile to promote regional and local interests concerning currently developing creative industries and innovation policy at EU level

• * To use the European Year of Creativity and Innovation in order to promote the links between the creative industries and innovation in our respective regions and cities

• * To submit joint project proposals in order to promote the creative industries development in our regions and cities

We believe that European regions and cities are in many respects at the forefront of the creative industries and innovation development and support in Europe. As such, we can share valuable insights and should be an active partner of future policy initiatives concerning creativity and innovation.

The services that the EICI provides are several. They cover a wide spectrum such as, for example, communications and dissemination services (via the websites and the monthly newsletter) or a project development platform/network, which shares ideas and look for partners for Europe wide project possibilities.

Please visit www.creativity-innovation.eu <outbind://20/www.creativity-innovation.eu> for in-depth information about EICI’s objectives and members (currently 31 members plus 3 European partners project).