The creative and cultural industries make one of the most dynamic sectors in Europe in the last few years. This sector has indeed proved to be particularly resilient to the current debt crisis and the recession, since after 2010 it has registered an annual growth rate of 10% and is expected to enjoy similar high levels of growth in the coming years.

According to the prevailing definition, the term cultural and creative industries is used to describe businesses that deal with the conception, production, diffusion and distribution of commercialized goods and services incorporating knowledge, innovation, creation and culture as their basic productive input.

It covers a wide variety of activities such as advertisement, architecture, design, mass media and social media, software, cinema, visual arts, literature, publications, theatre, music, photography, libraries, museums, art galleries etc. (gr2014.eu, Presidency of the European Union)