Austria/ 4.2 Recent policy issues and debates  

4.2.6 Culture industries: policies and programmes

Since 2000, the field of Creative Industries has acquired increased importance in the cultural policy debate, which is demonstrated not least by the increasing number of research works in this area: thus far three reports on Creative Industries have appeared at national level, as well as studies on the cities of Vienna, Linz and Graz, as well as for the provinces of Burgenland, Vorarlberg and Tyrol. However, the respective definitions and sector definitions differ (see http://www.creativeindustries.at/800x600/Service/studien.html).

According to the third Austrian Creative Industries report, in 2007 there were 33 453 Creative Industry enterprises in Austria (mostly one-person and micro-companies, an increase of 2% compared to 2006), with 111 746 (directly employed) workers (an increase of 5% compared to 2006). These companies made around EUR 19.1 billion.

The "Evolve" programme of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, Family and Youth, started in 2008, in cooperation with the ARGE Creativ Wirtschaft Austria, is intended to promote the creative industries in Austria. The programme offers financial support for the experimental development and first market application of products by businesses in the creative industries, pilot projects and services such as financial consulting and training and awareness measures.

In Vienna, 24% of all Viennese companies (18 000), with approximately 100 000 - 120 000 employees (almost 14% of all those gainfully employed) are considered to be part of the creative industries sector. 48.2 % of these 18 000 companies are one-person enterprises. Between 1998 and 2002, the growth in employment in this area was 6% on average compared with two percent in the overall economy. The level of qualification of those involved in this area is above average: one in four of those gainfully employed has a university degree, a further 44% have the equivalent of A-level education.

In the course of the research activities, support programmes were initiated such as the nationwide "IP creative industries impulse programme", which focuses on music, multimedia and design and is funded with EUR 10.3 million (since 2004). In 2003, the "Departure - Wirtschaft, Kunst und Kultur GmbH" company was founded by the Vienna City Council as an economic support and service office for creative industry enterprises in Vienna. Since 2004, 225 projects have been supported by ‘Departure' in 37 different programmes - with 15.2 million EUR, mainly in the fields of fashion, music, multimedia and design. In 2006 also, the province (Bundesland) of Styria launched a funding scheme ("Creative Incentives") for enterprises within the creative industries.

All these initiatives and activities, however, have been accompanied by certain fears that the focus on creative industries is leading to a further "economisation" of the cultural sector and to a reduction in public support for the arts. Furthermore, critics question whether the focus on project funding is an adequate or sufficient measurement to support the prosperity of the Austrian creative industries.

One important area of emphasis for the current minister for culture is support for film. In order to strengthen the promotion of the new generation in the film sphere, in May 2009 a new coordination office to support the upcoming generation was established at the Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture, together with the Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI), which functions as a networking point and is intended to coordinate the structuring of the nationwide promotion of the upcoming generation.