MyGlasgow News

A new University of Glasgow-led centre dedicated to examining the changing nature of copyright and the need for new business models in the digital age was launched on Thursday 31 January.

The Centre for Creativity, Regulation, Enterprise and Technology (CREATe) brings together internationally renowned researchers from seven UK universities who will work to address the challenges an increasingly digital world presents to government, business and content creators.

Over the next four years, 40 CREATe projects focused on the intersections between culture, the economy and technology will offer policymakers invaluable analyses for developing new regulatory frameworks. The research will also play into debate about the growth of new and emerging services.  CREATe’s projects are led by experts in law, business, economics, technology, psychology and cultural analysis and are funded by a £5m investment from UK research councils.

Over the funding period, the University of Glasgow is committing a further £1.7m to research posts and PhDs in the Colleges of Arts and Social Sciences to establish CREATe as an international centre of research excellence.

CREATe Director Professor Martin Kretschmer said: “The vast expansion of access to digital technology in recent years has created tremendous opportunities for the UK creative sector, which generates around £60bn each year, or 6% of the UK economy. As the sector increasingly moves towards digital content, copyright issues are becoming more important than ever.

“Studies have shown that between 60% and 70% of young people illegally download music, movies or TV shows, but often those who download most are also the best customers. Producers are being forced to rethink their ways of doing business.

“As a professor at the University of Glasgow’s School of Law, I’m very proud that CREATe will be based here and that our funders have made such a significant investment in a project of real importance.”

At the launch event, held at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum, attendees heard presentations from the creative industries as well as Michael Russell MSP, Jo Swinson MP  and Rick Rylance of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), one of CREATe’s primary funders.

The official launch was followed by an intensive one-day working conference on Friday 1 February at the Lighthouse in Glasgow for academics and representatives of the creative industries.

CREATe is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

For more information, go to http://www.create.ac.uk

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First published: 1 February 2013