CreaTech in the UK
Sustainability Policy Linkages & Company Activity

Objective

This webinar will:

• Present and discuss findings taken from research into UK policy and legislation, a survey of sustainability maturity with UK Createch businesses, and expert interviews including founders, CEOs, venture capitalists, and regional/local policymakers; and
• Give practical suggestions regarding public sector policy and business actions to increase sustainability maturity in Createch.

Background

Createch is potentially a powerful new growth engine for the Creative Industries and hence the UK economy. Previous research by University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has highlighted the current and future importance of Createch to the economy of the UK as a whole and regionally (see 2020 and 2021 reports on Research). This new research of Createch has involved an extensive scan of online sources, a detailed survey of sustainability during the first half of 2022, and expert interviews covering:

• Definitions of Createch
• Structure of the Createch sub-Sector in the UK (number of companies, niches, business models, geography)
• Relevance and awareness of UK policies and legislation regarding net-zero, the circular economy and related sustainability targets
• Sustainability policies and practices in Createch companies
• Target setting, measurement, and reporting
• Current sustainability maturity levels and pressure for improvement
• Future ambitions (such as B Corporation)
• Engagement with industry initiatives and standards
• Emerging technology concerns (such as metaverse carbon footprint)
• Challenges and opportunities that sustainability presents for Createch companies; and
• Expectations of policymakers (local, regional, and central government).

The outputs are intended to inform government policies, Createch company strategies, curriculum designs for business schools, etc.

Programme

• Introduction
  Professor Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design® (CfSD), Business School for the Creative Industries (BSCI), UCA & Dr Trevor Davis, Trevor Davis & Associates Ltd
• Defining “Core Createch”
  Dr Trevor Davis, Trevor Davis & Associates Ltd
• Survey findings and snapshot of Createch sustainability maturity in the UK
  Dr Trevor Davis, Trevor Davis & Associates Ltd
• Sustainability maturity levels and implications for companies and policymakers
  Dr Trevor Davis, Trevor Davis & Associates Ltd
• Challenges and opportunities
  Professor Martin Charter, CfSD, BSCI, UCA
• Recommendations
  Professor Martin Charter, CfSD, BSCI, UCA
• Questions and Answers

Audience

Createch entrepreneurs, Createch founders and CEOS, investors in the Creative Industries, stakeholders in the UK Creative Industries (local government, LEPs, central government departments, the Creative Industries Council, UKRI, academia), and anyone with an interest in the intersection of creativity and technology

Registration

The event is free of charge but you need to register via rcarruthers@uca.ac.uk by sending your name, job title and organisation. On receipt, you will be sent instructions to join the webinar.

Further information

For more information contact:
Ros Carruthers
The Centre for Sustainable Design ®
Business School for the Creative Industries
UCA
+44 (0) 1252 892772

Acknowledgement

The two research studies are being funded through the Strategic Priorities Fund delivered by Research England. Research England is part of UK Research and Innovation, a public body funded by the UK government. For more information visit www.ukri.org or re.ukri.org