A Closer Look at Italy’s Creative Industries Ecosystem: INSPIRE Study Visit

Name: A Closer Look at Italy’s Creative Industries Ecosystem: INSPIRE Study Visit
Start: 2025-12-07
End: 2025-12-11

Designed to explore Europe’s culture and creative industries ecosystems on site, theINSPIRE Italy Study Visit enabled in-depth engagement in Milan and Turin, spanningcreative economy policies, academia–industry collaboration, cultural space transformation, and city-scale creative entrepreneurship practices.

As part of the visit, participants convened in Milan for “The Future of Culture” session withanthropologist Philip McKenzie, where discussions focused on culture’s role in social valuecreation, the transformation of creative sectors, and future-oriented cultural policyframeworks. The session was complemented by on-site observation of the city’s culturalfabric, fostering a holistic understanding of Milan’s multi-layered creative ecosystem.

Throughout the programme, a dedicated focus was placed on academia–industry interactionat the intersection of design and creativity. A visit to Domus Academy offered insights intodesign education, the “learning by designing” approach, and the Academy’s strong ties withglobal creative industries. This was followed by an exchange at BASE Milano, one of Milan’s transformative cultural hubs, examining best practices in cultural production, creativeentrepreneurship, and the re-activation of public spaces.

The Turin leg of the visit centred on regional and local creative economy dynamics. Meetingswith Dorado Community Hub and Torino Stratosferica explored creativeentrepreneurship, city narratives, and neighbourhood-scale transformation practices. Theprogramme concluded with an in-depth session at Fondazione Fitzcarraldo, addressingcultural policies, research, capacity building, and the role of foundations within the creativeecosystem.

Overall, the INSPIRE Italy Study Visit provided a valuable opportunity to examine Italy’sinnovative approaches in culture and creative industries on site, while strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration, networking, and the exchange of knowledge and experience.