This course introduces students to the challenging and fascinating world of Cultural and Creative Industries and presents the Business Model Canvas as a tool to think about the strategic directions of the creative organizations. The primary purpose of the course is to help students to develop the “lateral thinking” needed to understand how organizations in the creative industries operate. The course has two main objectives: 1) providing a general understanding about the peculiar features of the creative industries; 2) provide students the theoretical and the practical knowledge to be ready to work as key resources in the implementation of innovative strategies in creative organizations.

Knowledge and understanding: This course provides advanced knowledge that will enable students to understand the processes, contents, and characteristics of creative industries, their differences compared to the industrial sector, their economic value, and their social impact. Applying knowledge and understanding: The students will be able to: Develop innovative strategies to be implemented by organizations operating in the creative field; Examine the business models adopted by creative organizations; Making judgements: We expect students to be able to analyze the business models of the organizations operating into the creative industries. We expect these students to be able to identify what makes a business model of value and how to review it to increase the effectiveness of the strategies implemented by those organizations. Communications Skills: This course will give the students the possibility to acquire and understand major terms and concepts to communicate their ideas, proposals, analysis and critical reasoning in the field of creative organizations in the most effective and appropriate way. Learning skills: This course will contribute to empower students giving them the tools to determine why certain business models are more innovative and successful than others.

Creative industries are those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill, and talent and heavily rely on the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. Creative industries rank among the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy contributing significantly to employment and wealth creation. Despite their importance, professionals working inside organizations competing in such industries are highly rewarded for their creative and intellectual skills but often they lack the necessary managerial skills to thrive in such complex and turbulent businesses.

Materials provided by the professor and the guest speakers (Articles/Slide)

Lectures and presentations on relevant empirical issues. Students’ participation during lectures is strongly encouraged.

For attending students: 20% Research project work 25% Business analysis - Project work 25% Business development - Project work 30% final written exam For non-attending students 100% final written exam (additional material is required)

Students are required to pass the exam; Students must propose a topic to be investigated. Empirical/scientific approaches will be favored.