Velinovska: Creative industries undervalued in the Western Balkans, but can contribute to regional integration

Researcher at the Institute for Democracy, Anamarija Velinovska, stated that every attempt to connect the Western Balkans is welcome, and that cooperation in the field of creative industries — which has so far been undervalued — can contribute to this goal because the region shares a partially common history, language, and culture.

"Every attempt to connect the region, whether it remains declarative or leads to concrete activities, should be welcomed. This is something new and different — the creative economy — which has rarely been mentioned until now. I would say it is a very undervalued topic in the Western Balkans," Velinovska told Kosovo Online.

She emphasized, however, that this field requires significant knowledge as well as resources.

Commenting on the declaration on the connection of creative economies recently signed in London as part of the Berlin Process, Velinovska said it represents an attempt to introduce innovative methods into the region’s economic development — an effort that will require further investment.

"This is a region that partially shares history, language, and culture. Such approaches in the industry, especially in the creative economy segment, can contribute greatly to citizens across the region. However, larger investments are needed for this economy to develop," Velinovska said.

She assessed that the success of this process will largely depend on the development of digitalization and artificial intelligence — areas in which the region still lags behind the rest of Europe.

"Today, the creative economy goes hand in hand with the level of digitalization. We will need to redefine which industries fall under the creative economy and how the development of digitalization and artificial intelligence will impact them. As a region, we are still lagging. What I see as a limitation in regional integration is that cultural cooperation often lags and can be undermined by political tensions and nationalism, which tend to take precedence over any cultural collaboration," Velinovska stressed.

There are positive examples of regional cooperation in the creative economy, she noted, but these remain insufficient — despite the fact that the 2022 Regional Cooperation Council study on creative industries explicitly stated that greater investment is needed in cooperation within the film and music industries, as well as tourism.

"We need to approach this quite innovatively. Three years after that study, we now have some concrete solutions. This year, the Regional Digital Platform 'Creative Gate' was launched — a hub for businesspeople and individuals working in this sector," Velinovska highlighted.

She added that there are many other professions that could be classified under the creative economy, but that for the region, music and film festivals currently play the leading role.

"The region is known for its music and film festivals, which are widely recognized, help build the cultural brand of the region, and fall under the creative economy. So, we are seeing the beginning, but I think these practices still need to be further developed and practically applied," she noted.

Velinovska also believes that the projects within the Berlin Process do not suppress the Open Balkan initiative but rather complement it.

"The scope of activities covered by the Berlin Process is broader than that of the Open Balkan initiative. The Berlin Process encompasses economic issues tied to the common regional market, green issues, the green agenda, gender issues, the investment climate, and so on. Meanwhile, Open Balkan has a more pronounced economic and political character, so it is logical that such innovative declarations would be more aligned with the Berlin Process, which includes all six Western Balkan countries," Velinovska explained.

She concluded that the initiatives of the Berlin Process should not be viewed as "rivals" or as undermining the Open Balkan initiative.

"Every attempt at regional cooperation should not be seen as a rivalry between initiatives, but rather as a kind of complementarity — because every effort to enhance regional cooperation in culture and develop these industries is important for the region," Velinovska concluded.