What will help secure The task

Bizkaia’s & Bilbao’s future: “The region is innovative, but is it

From natural advantage to
creative advantage
The aim is resilience & to
future proof the region
creative”:
To be innovative is to take existing
ideas & to be creative to develop
completely new ones
The aim to keep more intellectual
property & value added here

CHANGE
The aim: Bizkaia’s &
Bilbao’s new centrality
Europe

North America Madrid

Bizkaia & Bilbao

Asia
South America

Australasia
Africa
 The central assumption: The evidence:
Creativity & imagination is Successful organizations &
the new currency for both places through time display
the economy & the city: strong creativity...see

The Cycle of Creativity The Cycle of Creativity

Imagination Turning ideas into reality

Enhancing ideas
Curiosity generating capacity

Networking &
Creativity circulating

Innovation Building markets &

audiences
Invention Mechanisms to deliver

Measuring the creative pulse Analysis & interpretation

of Bizkaia & Bilbao
 The Creativity Index: The Creativity Index:

How it works & what we did? Political & public framework

Internal & external assessment Civic creativity

Strategically principled & tactically
An empowering organizational
ethos
 The bureaucracy not Co-creation
convoluted Apps for Democracy innovation calls

CHANGE

Main comments
3
Purposeful but quite adversarial

Complex & potentially tangled

Some good examples of

5.00
partnering
Could explore new forms of
policy & project co-creation 4.50 7
 CHANGE

The Creativity Index:

CHANGE

Distinctiveness, diversity,
vitality & expression
Authenticity
Experience
Atmospherics

CHANGE

CHANGE
 Main comments
5
Strong identity & proud perhaps
too strong & proud quite macho
A culture of engineering

Reliable & solid could loosen up

6.50
Distinctive culturally & physical
setting 6.00 9

A mix of open & closed

The Creativity Index:

Openness, tolerance &
accessibility
Open to new ideas & people
Coping with difference
 Main comments
4
A mix of open & closed

Quite institutionalized

Quite private as a culture

7.00
Physically accessible but
international connectivity 6.50 8

The Creativity Index:

Entrepreneurship, exploration
& innovation
Energy motivation will
Socially validated
Supportive infrastructure
 Main comments
5
Accorded value & socially validated

8.50 but
Mediterranean style can slow
things down.. + the young
Does not tolerate mistakes well declining to 6.5
Engineering innovation strong,
but weak areas e.g. CI & its 6.50 9.5
small scale peculiarities
 The Creativity Index:
Strategic leadership, agility &
vision
A focus on the long term
Paced & purposeful
Understanding complexity

CHANGE
Our Shrinking Earth

1900 1950 1987 2005 2030 2050

7.91 5.15 2.60 2.02 1.69 1.44

YEAR
Hectares of Land Per Capita
 CHANGE

Main comments

Impressive achievements in some

areas e.g. mechanisms
Shift to innovation economy
but some blind spots

Physical regeneration story well

documented
Hierarchical approach may cause
future problems

5 The Creativity Index:

Talent & learning landscape

7.50 Collaborative & open

Relevant to future needs

8.00 8.5 Bedded into the city

 CHANGE Main comments

Deep frustration & dissatisfaction

& Bologna will be a wake up call
A few bright sparks

Certain knowledge valued more

than others
Not geared to new learning styles
& global competition

1 The Creativity Index:

Communication, connectivity &
networking
4.00 Mobility physically & socially
Cross-sector links
3.50 5.5 Language capacity
CHANGE CHANGE

Main comments
3
Physical connectivity good ...the
international problem perhaps cliquey

Less developed social media &

other communication devices 5.00
Cross sectoral OK, cross

6.00
disciplinary not
Needs to be a 3 language country 8.5
 The Creativity Index:
The place & placemaking
Combines the ordinary with the
extraordinary
No chain culture
The setting creates
connectivity

CHANGE

CHANGE
 Main comments

The regeneration has urban

design framework
Public infrastructure high
quality see comparative surveys

Little visibility of green intent

The balance order & mess

 6 The Creativity Index:
Liveability & well-being

8.00 Combining the economic &

social agendas
Affordability
8.50 9.5 Access to facilities
 Main comments

Surveys confirm relative

satisfaction
Affordability & social
integration

Most facilities there but cost

disease & inexorable demand
Perhaps a lack of playfulness

5 The Creativity Index:

Professionalism & effectiveness

6.00 Trust & loyalty

Predictability & continuity

6.50 8.0 Delivering on promises

Main comments

The benefit of a culture of

engineering
Global benchmarking

May have difficulty in adapting to

the new organizational paradigms

.... where marketing

communications more central
 5

7.00
61.5
8.50 8.5 64.00

Switching the question: Not

what is the value of imagination
creativity, culture, heritage, arts,
design
What is the COST of not thinking
of imagination creativity culture
design art & heritage

... What about other cities

CHANGE
Do not let
the next
generation
down

CHANGE

For further information see

www.charleslandry.com