Creativity World Forum

Karnataka has expressed interest in hosting the fourth edition of 'Creativity World Forum' in 2007 in Bangalore.

'Creativity World Forum' brings together business leaders, researchers and political leaders of regions of excellence from across the world with Flanders (Belgium) stakeholders. Karnataka participated in the Forum of Regions of Creativity in 2004 in Leuven, Belgium as founding invited region and since then has been taking part.

Interacting with the delegation of Flanders District of Creativity led by Lorin Parys, Karnataka deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa said, Karnataka plans to take a business delegation to Belgium later this year and was willing to pitch for Bangalore as the next meet venue in 2007.

"This co-operation will foster a win-win situation for small and medium companies looking for collaborations and joint ventures both in Karnataka, Flanders and the other regions," he added. This year's world forum is being held at Ghent, Belgium on November 15 and 16 with 'connecting creativity for economic growth' as the conference theme.

According to Lorin Parys, the forum is expecting participation of research institutes from Bangalore and, small and medium IT companies in working on digital signal processing platforms and biotech companies looking for collaborations.

The forum, which brought together 10 regions from three continents in 2004 signed a joint statement founding the District of Creativity. Since then, regions have been exchanging experiences and has facilitated cross-fertilisation of ideas with regard to the development of a creative economy as the driving force for competitiveness and wealth creation.

And also to encouraged bilateral and multilateral actions that explore business development opportunities with partners from companies, knowledge centres and the governments of the participating regions.

Speaking at the meet, Jayant Nadiger, trade commissioner of Flanders, said since Flanders Investment and Trade office has been set up in Bangalore, and since then has been stimulating the Flemish industry in the region and has helped to establish about 12 companies in Karnataka and about eight Karnataka-based companies to set-up base in Flanders region.

The following are the regions of the network: Shanghai (China), Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany), Catalonia (Spain), Karnataka (India), Lombardy (Italy), Nord-Pas de Calais (France), Quebec (Canada), Scotland (UK), Maryland (US) and Flanders (Belgium). Two other regions ? Rhone-Alpes (France) and Qingdao (China) have expressed interest in joining the forum.