EuraCreative: the transformation of a region dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries
The Plaine Images district in Roubaix/Tourcoing is the birthplace of EuraCreative, an ambitious initiative that aims to position the European Metropolis of Lille and the Hauts-de-France Region as a leading area for the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).
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The celebration on 10 July 2025 marked the first official highlight of this momentum, when EuraCreative was finally unveiled to more than 350 guests. Hosted by General Manager Emmanuel DELAMARRE, our partners shared their testimonials. Bernard Haesebroeck, Olivier Candelier, Frédéric Minard and Matthieu Corbillon shared their vision for this new adventure. This entity embodies a collective ambition to make a creative territory, Hauts-de-France, a major player in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) in Europe and internationally.
The birth of a major player in the cultural industries
A clear ambition
EuraCreative embodies a clear and fully acknowledged ambition: to durably position the European Metropolis of Lille and the Hauts-de-France Region as a leading area for the Cultural and Creative Industries at European and global scale. This strategic vision relies on five complementary business verticals that form the heart of its creative ecosystem.
From video games to music tech, including audiovisual, design and live performance production, these sectors do not work in silos but talk to each other, intersect and enrich one another. This creative and innovative hybridisation is EuraCreative’s distinctive strength in the national and international CCI landscape.
“Today, with the birth of EuraCreative, we are taking a new step in our ambition: making our territory a true catalyst for the cultural and creative industries. We wanted this hub to reflect the metropolis: bold, open, deeply rooted in the industrial and cultural history of our territory, yet resolutely turned towards the future.”
Damien Castelain, President of the European Metropolis of Lille
When research, training and industry join forces
Creating EuraCreative as a Public Interest Group (GIP) brings together a collective of the region’s driving forces around its ambition. This structure unites higher education and research players such as the University of Lille and the Catholic University of Lille, representatives of the professional world such as Game In, Noranim and Pictanovo, as well as innovation players such as CITC.
This unique synergy builds bridges between the sometimes compartmentalised worlds of research, training and industry. Emmanuel Delamarre, General Manager of EuraCreative, sums up this ambition perfectly:
“It is an extraordinary opportunity to bring together the worlds of business, education and research around a common goal: the development, innovation and influence of the CCI and of our region.”
Other members will join this collective momentum before the end of the year, testifying to the appeal of the model and its ability to unite players around a shared vision.
EuraCreative at the heart of an industry that matters
A rapidly expanding creative ecosystem
The creation of EuraCreative in the creative district of Plaine Images comes at a time of favourable economic conditions for the Cultural and Creative Industries. In France, the sector generates nearly €92 billion in turnover, an economic weight close to that of the food industry and twice that of the automotive industry.
This recognition has been reflected politically in the inclusion of the CCI in the France 2030 investment plan, which has positioned the sector since 2022 as an economic priority on a par with nuclear power, hydrogen and electric vehicles.
From the late 2010s, the European Metropolis of Lille and the Hauts-de-France Region positioned themselves in this industry as true pioneers. This forward-looking vision is bearing fruit today, with more than 700 companies in the EuraCreative ecosystem across the Lille metropolitan area, 6,000 jobs and 3,500 students in prestigious international schools.
Regional leaders bear witness to this success: Nacon, Ankama, 52 Entertainment, Alive, Karafun, MusicStory and Petit Bambou illustrate the diversity and quality of the creative ecosystem in Hauts-de-France.
A comprehensive service offer for entrepreneurs
From the Plaine Images district, EuraCreative deploys a service offer structured around five strategic pillars, designed to support creative entrepreneurs at every stage of their company’s development.
The Business pillar supports projects from company creation to conquering international markets, including introductions to key accounts. This comprehensive approach gives entrepreneurs tailor-made support suited to their specific needs.
The Innovation pillar leverages the synergies between research and the creative industry, from technology watch to the concrete implementation of innovations. This dimension allows companies to stay at the forefront of technological and creative developments.
The Finance pillar facilitates access to funding, from production financing in constant liaison with Pictanovo to financing company growth through a network of dedicated financial partners.
The Talents pillar addresses the crucial challenges of training, recruitment and skills development in a sector where the battle for talent is decisive. EuraCreative offers a complete HR offer including a job board, partnerships with schools and support for company leaders.
Finally, the Infrastructure pillar provides flexible workspaces, studios, technical equipment, collaborative and event spaces, catering and networking, creating an optimal environment for entrepreneurial projects to thrive.
An expansion strategy for a region
From Plaine Images, a creative district steeped in history…
It is from the Plaine Images centre of excellence that EuraCreative works every day to develop the business and innovation of companies in the Cultural and Creative Industries ecosystem within the MEL (European Metropolis of Lille), across the region and well beyond.
EuraCreative’s history is naturally rooted in that of the Plaine Images creative district and its remarkable industrial heritage.
As early as the 19th century, the textile industry of Hauts-de-France was already drawing on creativity through pattern design and the use of Jacquard looms. This tradition of creative innovation would find a new expression after the decline of textiles in the 1950s.
The creative renaissance of the region truly began in 2007 with the arrival of Le Fresnoy – National Studio of Contemporary Arts, Pictanovo and Ankama on the site of the former textile factory. These pioneers laid the first stones of an ecosystem that would never stop growing. The Hauts-de-France region also has a pioneering spirit in audiovisual, with regional ambitions dating back to the 1950s. In 1953, Lille was already taking part in the first Eurovision broadcast.
Today, this lively district, recognised by industry professionals, brings together an impressive community: the EuraCreative team and more than 150 companies from the sector, 50 entrepreneurial projects within its incubator, 3 international schools and several research centres, around 2,000 people who work, start businesses, study and innovate every day on this unique site.
…to the international influence of the cultural and creative industries.
EuraCreative has asserted a resolutely international dimension since its creation. Its connections abroad testify to this ambition: an active partnership with Canada through the ZÙ incubator, and privileged relations with Belgium, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Tunisia, Colombia and South Africa. These cooperations allow EuraCreative to assert its expertise and its ability to export innovation models in the sector.
This expansion strategy is also supported by flagship events backed by the European Metropolis of Lille that shine far beyond our regional borders.
List of must-attend events for the cultural and creative industries in Hauts-de-France
| Event name | Period | Organiser |
|---|---|---|
| PIX | April/May | EuraCreative |
| Series Mania Festival | March | Series Mania |
| GameCamp | June | Game In North |
| Lillarious | January/February | Grégoire Furrer Productions |
The PIX festival, the professional festival for the Cultural and Creative Industries, welcomes more than 2,500 visitors every year.
Series Mania Festival, Game Camp and Lillarious complete this events offer, which makes the Lille metropolitan area a must-attend meeting point for the sector, well beyond its regional borders.
As Matthieu Corbillon, President of EuraCreative, puts it:
“Our ambition is clear: to durably position the region as a leading area for the CCI at European and global scale.”
As you will have understood, EuraCreative embodies a strengthened ambition and an amplified influence, reflecting the creative innovation strength of a region that has turned its industrial transformations into creative opportunities for the entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow.
And frankly, we are not done surprising you!
FAQ
- What is EuraCreative?
EuraCreative is a new entity dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), born on 10 July 2025 at Plaine Images, Tourcoing. It aims to make Hauts-de-France an essential European hub for the sector. - What are EuraCreative’s five verticals?
EuraCreative’s five verticals are video games, music tech, audiovisual, design, and live performance production and large-scale events. - What are the strategic pillars of EuraCreative’s service offer?
The strategic pillars of EuraCreative’s service offer are: Business, Innovation, Finance, Talents and Infrastructure. - How do EuraCreative and Plaine Images co-exist?
EuraCreative is the driving force animating the sector, that of the Cultural and Creative Industries. It is made up of a team of about twenty people and relies on an ecosystem of more than 700 companies, schools, research centres and institutional players. Plaine Images is the 50,000 m² creative district, based across the two towns of Roubaix and Tourcoing, where the EuraCreative team and part of its ecosystem are located (150 companies, 3 schools, a research centre, 2,000 students).