Digitalisation and the Cultural Value Chain

This focused book brings together a top-tier team of experts to explore and analyse the impact of digitalisation on the creative and cultural industries in Europe. Focused on structural shifts seen since the height of the global health pandemic, the book highlights how digital technologies have fundamentally reshaped how cultural organisations operate, communicate, and generate value. Providing a critical examination, the chapters address the strategic, organisational, technological, and societal dimensions of the digital shift in cultural consumption. A concise compendium, this book examines public policy frameworks, institutional strategies, audience engagement, financial innovation, and the impact of technologies such as artificial intelligence. As a resource for policymakers, cultural professionals, and academics alike, this book contributes to and supports more resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented cultural ecosystems across Europe.

Annick Schramme is a professor at the University of Antwerp (Faculty of Business and Economics) and program director of the Master in Cultural Management. In 2018, she launched an international Master in Fashion Management (AMS) and the executive program Leadership in Culture (LinC LL) for Flanders and the Netherlands, in collaboration with Utrecht University. Her research focuses on cultural policy, cultural entrepreneurship, governance, and sustainable business models. She is active as a policy advisor and evaluator at the European level, a member of the Flemish UNESCO Commission, and chair of the Strategic Advisory Council for Culture, Youth, Sport, and Media. In 2024, she was appointed holder of the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy. In addition, she is actively involved in several Horizon projects, including Tracks4Crafts, as well as ECHOES (European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage) and Just Fashion (as coordinating organisation). Laura D'Hoore holds a master's degree in Art History from KU Leuven and a Master's in Cultural Management from the University of Antwerp. Since 2021, she has been a researcher at the Competence Centre for Cultural Management and Cultural Policy (University of Antwerp), contributing to projects on public-private collaboration in the museum sector, international cultural policy, museum governance, cultural philanthropy, sustainable fashion, and the revaluation of crafts. Her work has been presented at international conferences, including The Wallace Collection symposium Rubens's Great Landscapes (2021), the International Conference on Cultural Policy Research (2022), and the ACEI Conference (2025). She is co-editor of Cultural Philanthropy and Entrepreneurship (Routledge, 2025) and coordinates the annual Fund for Cultural Management (University of Antwerp) lecture and conference. In addition, she serves as practical assistant for the Master in Cultural Management at the University of Antwerp and is a member of the Flemish Arts Advisory Committee (Adviescommissie Kunsten).

Introduction 1. Cultural policy under the Digital Condition 2. Digital Transformation of the Flemish Cultural Sector 3. Going Hybrid: Reflections on Digital Transformation at SMK, The National Gallery of Denmark 4. Digital Transformation in the Cultural Sector: The Necessity and the Opportunities 5. Designing for Memory: Vividness, Retention, and How You Can Design a More Memorable Experience 6. Museums and Digital Content Monetisation 7. The Digital Transformation in Cultural Democracy 8. Shortening of the Way