The Province of Milan and BIC La Fucina hosted the second study visit of the European project InCompass (Regional Policy Improvement for financially sustainable Creative Incubator Units) financed by the Interreg IV C Programme. The 15 project partners came to Milan to meet the players of the incubation experiences in the field of cultural and creative businesses with the aim of identifying good practices of financial sustainability.
During the study visit were analyzed various aspects of urban transformation and the rise of an ecosystem supporting new businesses that have features comparable to a diffused process of incubation.
With a study comparing the economic data of the creative sector in Milan and in the main European capitals, Mrs Silvia Mugnano, professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Milan Bicocca, has highlighted the recent spontaneous process that led to the birth of creative clusters in Milan.
This process differs from the re-industrialization of the north-east of Milan and surrounding municipalities, built in the mid 90s by a municipality and managed by North Milan Development Agency, now Milano Metropoli Development Agency.
The current policies of the Lombardy Region to support creative industry, as outlined by Mrs Daniela Protti, enhance synergies with stakeholders through joint projects and agreements. During the study visit were also presented some experiences of incubation of creative and innovative businesses, which differ for genesis and management models, such as MAKE A CUBE and The Hub-Milan.
The InCompass project raised a considerable interest among Milan stakeholders dealing with incubation and creative industry; they attended with the project partners the first informal meeting to launch the Regional Implementation Group.
InCompass project will continue with a study-visit to the Swedish city of Malmoe in November and with a series of local meetings for the selection of the best practices of incubation for creative businesses.
