To promote business networking and joint creative processes/exchanges. To foster innovation in SMEs: technology, business, products, processes, etc. To encourage technology and knowledge transfer processes along with researchers and support institutions. To achieve higher levels of cooperation in the Creative & Cultural Industries (joint purchasing, joint business and tendering, additional activities). To convert opportunities of internationalization in the creative and cultural sectors: transnational cooperation agreements, attendance to trade fairs and industry events.

Geographical scope

The Atlantic Area regions directly covered by the project activities are:

• Border, Midland & Western (Ireland).
• West Wales and The Valleys (United Kingdom).
• Brittany (France).
• Lisbon region (Portugal).
• Atlantic Andalusia (Spain).

The virtual city

• As an added value, social networks will foster activity and participation, reaching a broader set of professionals and enterprises involved in the online conversation on creativity, culture and business available to every European citizen interested in joining.
• CISNETWORK, the online community behind CISNET Project will seek to expand project scope at European level, from a collaborative scheme, so more enterprises could benefit entering new markets or improving their international experience.

CISNET project activities will be carried out until the end of 2012, though project objectives aim for seeking future self-sustainability of the online community.

The 6 partners working together in CISNET are: Mayo County Council (Ireland). WestBIC (Ireland). Trinity Saint David – University of Wales (United Kingdom). Technopole Quimper-Cornouaille (France). ADIST – Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal). EUROCEI Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación (Spain). More information on the partners section.

The actions proposed in the project are:

• Analysis of the current situation of Creative and Cultural Industries in the 5 regions of the project, identifying trends and challenges.
• Development of action plans in various sub-sectors from the information analyzed.
• Creating a ‘Virtual City’ or online community to support business activities, collaboration and networking among enterprises and institutions.
• Development of Innovation Plans for companies participating as project beneficiaries, using the IMP3rove methodology.
• Support and attendance to relevant trade fairs & events along with beneficiaries.
• Bringing together the beneficiaries with other companies, public institutions and research organizations to promote business cooperation, technology transfer and offer ways of financing.
• Insertion of university researchers into business companies to promote technical and technological innovation.