As you know the RegionArts project tries to demonstrate that through interaction and the intersection between the arts and technologies there can be an improvement in the performance of companies. Do you agree? If yes, why?
I totally agree with this remark. Actually, one should claim the presence of art in different sectors of activity making it a more and more key ingredient of cultural, social and economic development.
From traditional sectors of artistic creation to those changed by digital technologies, the universe of the arts is developed in the cultural field in the narrow sense, but also in the fields of communication, entertainment and heritage preservation, among others.
A huge range of practical application opportunities is open to creative specialists, including non-artistic professional contexts, where the ways of thinking and acting provided by learning and artistic experience are valued.
You have already been present in the two Exchange of Experience project RegionArts. What were the most relevant dimensions of these participations?
From my personal experience within the RegionArts project, I would highlight the relevance of initiatives with a holistic approach to Art, such as the Exchanges of Experiences, and its key role to bridge the gap between the cultural, social and economic fabric.
Equally important are the face-to-face experiences as a more effective means to learn, share ideas and work side by side with the local stakeholders, start-ups, incubators, clusters and other relevant players.
How does AEP, particularly from the Enterprise Europe Network, position itself in this RegionArts issue?
Considering that the ultimate aim of RegionArts is to promote the competitiveness and innovation of companies through the integration of, and synergies between ICT and artists, it makes perfect sense that the Enterprise Europe Network cooperates.
Indeed, as our main goal is to help companies go places and determine effective growth paths for SMEs, including the integration of artists in ICT projects, I would say that both AEP, through the Enterprise Europe Network, and RegionArts have a common goal to help companies run the extra mile when it comes to integrate arts as an essential component within research and innovation in ICT.
Do you believe that projects of this nature can influence the next public policies and instruments from a regional (national) and European perspective?
Yes, I firmly believe that such projects have a growing influence of behavioural insights in policy design, as long as stakeholders, businesses and citizens cooperate with policy makers and governmental instituions, because none of them on their own is more important than the other to implement a change of mentalities at a long run.
If you could choose two words / concepts to characterize the RegionArts what words / concepts would you choose?
More than a project, RegionArts is a lifestyle: passionate and alive.
About the interviewee:
Graduated in Law from the Law Faculty of the University of Porto – Catholic University of Portugal, Céu Filipe has been project manager of the Enterprise Europe Network at AEP since January 2015, with a vast experience in organizing and managing events, business and tailor-made missions and brokerage events.
Céu is also an active member of the Sector Groups for Creative Industries and Textile and Fashion with a long experience in helping SMEs forge international partnerships and access new business opportunities to grow and innovate.
