Strasbourg decided to focus on the creative economy after research undertaken in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis brought home its importance in urban development. Taking inspiration from Manchester’s Creative Credits scheme, in which small businesses get vouchers to buy services from creative companies, the city came up with the idea now known as Tango&Scan.
Tango represents projects led by a creative partner. Scan represents digitally-focused projects. The city decided to focus on this type of project as there is so much to be gained from connecting digital businesses to producers of quality content and to traditional sectors going through the digitalisation process.
Designed as a financial and business support device, Tango&Scan runs an annual open call for collaborative projects with the potential to result in innovative products and services. The city of Strasbourg provides annual funding of €250,000 as well as an additional €40,000 for projects focused on the year’s theme.
Recent winning ideas include a balcony with nesting boxes for birds and a serious game that helps children understand their cancer treatments. An evaluation of Tango&Scan showed that every €1 invested by the city produced at least €3 of revenue and that 25% of projects created new jobs.
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