Creative Industries Scotland: Capitalising on Creativity - ESRC Capacity Building Clusters in Business and Research Engagement

This project encompasses four main portfolios: PhD studentships; Knowledge Transfer Partnerships; Business Vouchers; and Student Placements. The grant aims to conduct industry-led research to build a strong knowledge base of the sector in Scotland and top build the capacity of social science research in the area.

The grant supports 17 Collaborative CASE PhD Awards sponsored by profit, not-for-profit and public organisations wishing to foster research relevant to their long-term strategies and future competitiveness. The range of research topics represents the diversity of organisations and issues in the creative industries: the generation of content for video games; design innovation and understanding; devices for securing finance in film; networks in theatre production; establishing a UNESCO Creative City; art patronage; audience engagement in dance; claims of cultural legitimacy and value; artist engagement with the art market; and balancing cultural and commercial tensions. The first four students in this cohort are preparing theses for submission in 2013 and 2014.

The grant has thus far supported two Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) sponsored by Creative Scotland. This programme involves placing a full-time Research Associate in the sponsoring organisation to conduct projects that improve knowledge, effectiveness and competitiveness in the company and knowledge exchange between University and company. The first KTP, a two-year examination of the impact of digital on film marketing, distribution and production, completed in 2012 and its findings influenced Creative Scotland’s film investment policies and the business decisions of individual film production companies in marketing, distribution and creative content. The completed project was awarded a grade of “Very Good” by independent assessors, and added to the short list from which KTP Case studies are developed by the Technology Strategy Board. The second KTP, a 21-month project examining factors that influence or inhibit successful management of intellectual property (IP), will finish in December 2013.

The Business Voucher portfolio enables micro, small and medium enterprises to receive expertise, which may not be cost-effective to develop in-house, through collaborating with ICC researchers. To date, ICC has awarded 22 vouchers, 12 of which are currently being conducted. Findings from the completed projects are commercially sensitive but generally reflect SME/micro-organisations’ issues with marketing, business modelling and personnel management. Projects included the development of new market areas, understanding peer and stakeholder requirements, converting cultural audience non-attenders to attenders, advice on payroll and job grading, development of online content, and identification of performance indicators.

In the Student Placement portfolio, a 6-month placement is underway to support a company’s development of a digital application to extend the impact of a stage production for specific audiences. A 4-month placement in summer 2013 with a video games developer in London will document the company’s games design process for future research and design projects. A 3-month placement later in 2013 will be hosted by a film production company in Scotland which seeks to enhance its digital marketing capabilities.

Since receiving the grant in 2008, ICC has also hosted 31 Academic and Business Engagement Activities.