Boosting Digital Transformation of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Republic of Moldova

The “Digital Transformation of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Republic of Moldova” project, funded by the UNESCO-Republic of Korea Funds-In-Trust for the Development of Creative Industries, aims at better harnessing the potential of digital transformation for cultural and creative industries. Its purpose is to enhance the capacity of this sector to promote inclusive, fair and sustainable economic development in the Republic of Moldova. The project contributes to the emergence of dynamic cultural and creative sectors in the digital environment, in line with the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, ratified by the Republic of Moldova in 2006.

Partners in the Republic of Moldova are supported to conduct mappings of the digital cultural and creative sectors, thus establishing a multi-stakeholder national online register of the cultural and creative sectors, combining government institutions, the private sector, civil society organisations, and individual entrepreneurs. More specifically, the project’s activities support the country in addressing the shortage of digital skills in the cultural and creative sectors through the establishment of specific training programmes and other measures to help industries and creators.

In this context and within the Creative Industries Festival, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova presented the results of two activities related to the project. Andrei Chistol, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, stated that competitiveness at European level can only be achieved if the right conditions are created for developing creativity and innovation.

Addressing the digital gaps in the cultural and creative sectors by strengthening skills and policy frameworks, in the face of rapid technological changes, seems like a perfect opportunity for achieving this. Andrei Chistol, State Secretary, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova

Digital trends and skills in demand

Initially, the project assessed the digital skills and competencies of creative professionals and artists to spot key trends, and to identify sought-after skills, impacts and barriers in using digital technology. The results of the assessment were presented during the event by Octavio Kulesz, an international expert in the digital transformation of the cultural and creative industries. "Digital skills are no longer a mere advantage, but rather an urgent necessity in an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly shaking the foundations of the cultural and creative industries," he said.

The Republic of Moldova’s cultural and creative sectors have recently seen significant growth, with 2,000 enterprises generating $150 million in revenue in 2020 and $174 million in 2021, with a total of 10,000 workers employed across different fields. While the primary concentration of cultural and creative industry activities is in Chișinău, other cities such as Cahul and Orhei also exhibit potential for the development of these sectors.

The videogame industry stands as one of the largest creative markets in terms of turnover. This prominence highlights the country’s potential for innovation and growth within the digital entertainment space. Most companies in the country are Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), though predominantly microenterprises, with few large international firms maintaining a local presence. According to the Assessment, a staggering 75% of SMEs do not have their own website, demonstrating the significant gap in digital capabilities among them.

The most urgently needed digital skills include Generative AI (45%) and Digital Content Creation (45%). Other essential skills entail legal matters (43%) and business models within the digital environment (45%), which relate to entrepreneurial competencies. Respondents in the assessment survey perceive the most promising technologies to be Artificial Intelligence (69%) and social networks (56%).

Cultural SMEs often face greater challenges in training their teams, creating a vicious circle: the lack of digital skills hampers their growth and keeps their turnover low, which in turn prevents them from investing in new skills development. This cycle restricts their ability to compete and innovate in the digital age. Octavio Kulesz, Digital publisher and Entrepreneur

Challenges in formal education

The integration of digital creative skills in the education system is a key step towards fostering a strong foundation for the cultural and creative sectors and promoting the role that young people play in culture. Developing digital creative skills should begin in primary and secondary schools, where the foundations of learning are formed. Integrating digital creative skills at an early stage helps students to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for technology and its applications in the creative fields.

Currently, Moldovan universities face numerous challenges in promoting digital skills and fostering an environment which encourages innovation and research. A key issue is the lack of a product-oriented mindset, which hinders the development of market-driven solutions and technologies. This problem is exacerbated by universities not promoting practical or hands-on experience and experimentation. Consequently, students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings is limited.

Furthermore, the commercialisation of inventions remains a challenge in Moldovan universities, as the academic environment struggles to bridge the gap between research and market applications. This emphasises the need to support the establishment of training programmes that strengthen the digital skills and competencies of the cultural and creative sectors, and to support their full participation in the ongoing changes to the cultural value chain.

Digital inventory of cultural and creative industries

Beyond updating the educational content and the teaching methods, there is a pressing need for increased interaction among various types of stakeholders: artists, cultural SMEs and organisations, creative technology startups, IT companies, universities, technical education spaces and public sector agencies.

A mapping study on the cultural and creative sector in the Republic of Moldova was recently conducted to capture key data on local CCIs, followed by the development of the Digital Database/Online portal of CCIs with the aim to inform decision-makers about the current status and potential of the creative economy in the country.

Viorica Cerbușca, Executive Director at Artcor, presented the Database, emphasising that “Artcor serves as an engine of innovation that contributes to the development of creative entrepreneurship and stimulates the exchange of know-how and ideas”.

The database consists of interactive graphics offering the opportunity to interact with data and organise it dynamically. It will be used to showcase the added value of CCIs in the economy, especially the fact that these industries are the main employer of highly skilled workers, especially young people.

Additional features will be added for collaboration with higher education institutions to expand knowledge in the field, and it will unite communities and people through shared experiences to develop innovative products and services.

The “Digital Transformation of Cultural and Creative Industries in the Republic of Moldova” project is supported by the UNESCO-Republic of Korea Funds-In-Trust for the Development of Creative Industries under the 2021-2022 cycle titled “Digital Creativity Lab”, in line with the spirit of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Expression, ratified by the Republic of Moldova in 2006.