Creative Europe

Ziga Turk, minister at the Government office for growth, national coordinator for the Lisbon strategy, and a professor at the University of Ljubljana. The European Council The European Council  will be presided over by Slovenia this year and Professor Turk is the Minister in charge for the Lisbon Strategy in  Slovenia. He reports that:

The prime ministers or heads of states of the 27 member states did acknowledge that:  "A key factor for future growth is the full development of the potential for innovation and creativity of European citizens built on European culture and excellence in science."  ... Explicitly mentioning the creative industries was beyond the vision of those who were negotiating the text that would be acceptable to all 27 member states ...It is the free movement of the entire creative class that can make sure that in case wean put the best person to the job. Each individual member state is too small a market for the highly skilled and their movement is hampered through all kinds of obstacles.

More here.

Comments

[Mike L.]

Another great quote: "The text provides a clear acknowledgement that creativity and innovation are no longer locked into some closed institutional frameworks."
This suggests that current European patent, copyright and trade-secret laws (the locks on the intellectual doors) also need revision. No wonder the European governments are reluctant ....

[Bahar Aminvaziri]

Dr. Florida,

I just received your new book ( and I am excited). I ordered it through Amazon, but it was not autographed (you had provided the link to pre-oder for autographed copies).

I am wondering when you will hold a book launching party in Toronto so that I can come and have it autographed.

[RF]

B - There is an event at the Rotman School coming up in early April. I'll post about it later. Or just go to creativeclass.com and click on the book. Send an e-mail to Reham and she will get you a signed signature card.

[Charles Rostkowski]

The one point Mr Turk fails to discuss is that 1000 lbs gorilla who sits in the European living room: the Moslem population increasing through both immigration and birth. It's a point that rarely comes up on this site when matters of Europe are discussed. When a film director is murdered in the street in Amsterdam because he dared mention the unmentionable or when the Archbishop of Cantebury suggests that Moslems need not adhere to laws that have their foundation in the Magna Carta, then I suspect the creative class is going to begin to think twice about moving to a city where such things may become routine. Demographically Europe's future appears bleak especially because, to use Mr. Turk's metaphor, Europe is a large ocean liner difficult to turn around or in any other direction for that matter. When Europe's Moslem population reaches 25% creatives may begin to look eslewhere for their city.

[William Humbold Jr]

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