The European Year of Creativity and Innovation Interfacing Innovation April 21 2009 Bruxelles Bengt-Åke Lundvall Aalborg University

The Year of Creativity and Innovation This initiative represents a new constellation that links artistic, scientific creativity to business innovation and to social change. Diversity is a major source both of creativity and of innovation. And the ambassadors and the perspectives that they represent are certainly diverse! Exciting to overcome language problems. Positive to link the worlds of science and art to the worlds of business and politics – but subordinating art and science to markets or politicians would kills creativity.

This initiative represents a new constellation that links artistic, scientific creativity to business innovation and to social change.

Diversity is a major source both of creativity and of innovation. And the ambassadors and the perspectives that they represent are certainly diverse! Exciting to overcome language problems.

Positive to link the worlds of science and art to the worlds of business and politics – but subordinating art and science to markets or politicians would kills creativity.

What ambassadors all agreed upon at their first meeting in Prague The crisis makes the initiative especially timely. Invest (more) in knowledge in (spite of) the crisis – Esko Aho’s strong message with historical backing from Finland 1990. Reform schools so that they promote rather than hamper creativity. Creativity is not an exclusive individual genetic characteristic – it can be fostered and learnt.

The crisis makes the initiative especially timely.

Invest (more) in knowledge in (spite of) the crisis – Esko Aho’s strong message with historical backing from Finland 1990.

Reform schools so that they promote rather than hamper creativity.

Creativity is not an exclusive individual genetic characteristic – it can be fostered and learnt.

Link innovation and creativity to working life (my main contribution to the Year) In our analysis we (Edward Loenz and myself) define creative work as work situations where workers learn new things and have opportunity to implement their own ideas. On this basis our analysis of European data show that: Many blue-collar workers do creative work – not just a privilege for specific professions constituting ’the creative class’. The proportion of employees that do creative work shows big variation (international variation between 32% in Slovakia and 82% in Sweden) There is a positive relationship between creative work and broad-based and democratic education systems/flexicurity in labour markets. A major challenge for Europe: extend access to creative work - makes it clear that creativity and innovation is not the concern only of artists, scientist, engineers, managers and policy makers. Opening and broadening national education systems and implementing flexicurity in labour markets promotes creative work – elements of broad strategies to promote innovation.

In our analysis we (Edward Loenz and myself) define creative work as work situations where workers learn new things and have opportunity to implement their own ideas.

On this basis our analysis of European data show that:

Many blue-collar workers do creative work – not just a privilege for specific professions constituting ’the creative class’.

The proportion of employees that do creative work shows big variation (international variation between 32% in Slovakia and 82% in Sweden)

There is a positive relationship between creative work and broad-based and democratic education systems/flexicurity in labour markets.

A major challenge for Europe: extend access to creative work - makes it clear that creativity and innovation is not the concern only of artists, scientist, engineers, managers and policy makers.

Opening and broadening national education systems and implementing flexicurity in labour markets promotes creative work – elements of broad strategies to promote innovation.