Defining the Mediterranean means engaging with a space shaped by relationships, exchanges and transformation. A territory crossed by new communities, mobility and changes that are reshaping its identities and ways of life. It is from this perspective that MAGMA Fest dedicates its 2026 edition to the Mediterranean, under the theme New Mediterraneans: an invitation to look at the Mediterranean as a plural space, constantly evolving.
Among MAGMA’s partners is EIT Culture & Creativity, Europe’s largest innovation network for the cultural and creative sectors. To explore the role that culture and creativity can play in understanding and accompanying the transformations taking place across the Mediterranean, we spoke with Angelica Monaco, Director of the Regional South Hub at EIT Culture & Creativity, which brings together Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Türkiye, Albania and Israel and works to build connections between businesses, cities, research centres and other actors within innovation ecosystems. With Angelica, we discussed innovation, cultural heritage, artificial intelligence, climate change and social transformation. But also a broader question: how can territories become places where people do not simply arrive or pass through, but choose to live, work and build their future?
The Mediterranean is often described as a shared space, but it is also a territory of profound differences. How can this diversity become a resource for innovation?
When we try to identify common characteristics across such a vast space, both geographically and culturally, we inevitably have to start with its history and its ability to bring different cultures and communities into dialogue. It is precisely through this interplay of encounters, exchanges and cross-pollination that a Mediterranean identity has developed over time. At the same time, however, this identity is far from uniform. It encompasses a remarkable variety of cultures, traditions and ways of life, which differ from country to country, from region to region and, often, from one territory to another. This diversity does not weaken the sense of belonging to a shared space; rather, it may be one of its greatest strengths. If we were to identify one characteristic that truly captures Mediterranean culture, it would be the ability to cross-pollinate: to exchange ideas, practices, and perspectives across differences while also allowing oneself to be influenced and transformed through encounters with what is different.
This is also reflected in the way EIT Culture & Creativity works. We bring together different cultures, countries and areas of expertise, creating connections between organisations and communities that come from very different contexts. In this sense, the Mediterranean, with its plurality and its natural vocation for exchange, is particularly close to our way of working. The Regional South Hub brings together Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Türkiye, Albania and Israel and facilitates networking between research centres, cities, companies and other actors within innovation ecosystems. The Mediterranean is also an extremely interesting region for the cultural and creative industries: from architecture and cultural heritage to audiovisual media, gaming and fashion. There are established businesses, as well as new ventures and startups, and a significant potential that has yet to be fully realised.
Can we identify a distinctive Mediterranean approach to innovation today?
From this perspective, it is still too early to speak of a genuine Mediterranean model of innovation. When we look at technological development, we are moving along trajectories that are common to much of Europe. The distinctive element, however, does not necessarily lie in the technology itself, but in how we choose to apply it and in the needs, characteristics and resources of the territories where it is introduced. This is precisely where Mediterranean pathways of innovation can emerge: in the relationship between new technologies and heritage, creativity and places.
Cultural heritage is an interesting example, as new technologies and artificial intelligence are opening up important possibilities. It is not simply about making cataloguing processes more efficient, but about finding new ways to tell the story of heritage, make it more accessible and build a different relationship between people, museums and cultural sites. We cannot yet speak of an established Mediterranean specificity, but we can begin to identify certain directions. Cultural heritage is certainly one of the areas in which the Mediterranean can express its own capacity for innovation: an innovation that does not rely solely on technology, but also on the possibility of transforming the way people engage with culture, places and their own identity.
EIT Culture & Creativity also sees innovation as a tool for social transformation. In this perspective, what role can culture and creativity play in Mediterranean territories?
There are two complementary dimensions. On the one hand, there is the work of strengthening the competitiveness of the cultural and creative industries: supporting existing businesses, helping new ventures and startups emerge, and developing products, services and skills. On the other, there is the ability of culture and creativity to go beyond the economic dimension and become catalysts for social transformation and innovation. This is the purpose of EIT Culture & Creativity’s Transformation area: supporting processes in which culture and creativity become concrete tools for generating systemic change. A cultural project can, for example, contribute to regenerating a space, create new relationships, strengthen a community or make a territory more attractive.
This potential is particularly evident in the Mediterranean, where culture is deeply intertwined with everyday life. Think of squares, historic centres and public spaces: they are not simply heritage to be preserved, but places where people meet, share experiences and build relationships. The challenge is to ensure that this heritage can continue to live and generate value, not only economically but also socially. To achieve this, territories need skills, resources and programmes capable of supporting them and turning culture and creativity into genuine drivers of change.
What transformations are reshaping Mediterranean territories today, and what is needed for them to remain places where people choose to live, work and build their future?
Several transformations are affecting the ability of Mediterranean territories to grow and renew themselves. On the technological side, artificial intelligence is certainly one of the most significant. It is profoundly transforming the cultural and creative industries, from skills and production processes to complex issues such as intellectual property. It is not only changing the tools we use, but also the way we work, produce and distribute content and culture. Alongside technology, there is another increasingly central issue: sustainability. Take fashion, for example, one of the sectors that continues to have a significant environmental impact. Technologies and processes that can support circularity, reduce waste and lower environmental impact will be essential to rethinking production models.
But these transformations also concern the way we live in and experience territories. The Mediterranean is not made up only of major urban centres; it is also a network of small and medium-sized towns, often rich in resources, communities and culture. Yet these places face significant challenges, starting with climate change, which affects infrastructure and the liveability of spaces, and demographic trends, with many young people moving elsewhere to study, work or find greater opportunities. Keeping communities alive therefore requires more than simply creating jobs. It requires social and cultural infrastructure: services, meeting places, activities and spaces for social interaction, as well as childcare, social services and a cultural offering capable of making a territory not only attractive, but liveable. People do not choose a territory simply because they can find a job there. They choose it because they can build a life there: finding opportunities, relationships, services, stimulation and a quality of life that allows them to imagine their future.
If the New European Bauhaus places quality of place, sustainability and community life at the centre, what can the Mediterranean bring to this European debate?
The Mediterranean can bring to Europe a strong relationship between culture, space and community, which remains an integral part of everyday life in many territories. There are practices and ways of inhabiting space that, even though they were not explicitly conceived in these terms, already resonate with some of the principles of the New European Bauhaus. I am thinking, for example, of the tradition of spending time in public spaces, meeting outside the home, and using squares, streets and other shared places as spaces for social interaction. This often happens spontaneously, without necessarily being designed or formally structured, yet it generates social cohesion, a sense of community and care for shared spaces.
This dimension can also be interesting for the rest of Europe. The Mediterranean can offer a culture of shared space and connection, showing that the quality of a place depends not only on its physical design, but also on the way people inhabit it, use it and make it their own. The aim, therefore, is not to propose a model to be replicated, but to make a wealth of experiences available that can be reinterpreted and adapted to present-day conditions, including in response to transformations such as climate change.
Looking ahead, what conditions do we need for innovation to become a structural driver of development, quality of life and territorial transformation across the Mediterranean? And what role can EIT Culture & Creativity play?
For innovation to become a truly structural driver, we first need investment in skills, knowledge, research and new businesses, particularly in the cultural and creative sectors. But these investments must be accompanied by policies capable of facilitating these processes and aligning them around shared goals. This requires a systemic approach to innovation, one that brings together technological, economic, environmental and social dimensions, ensuring that individual initiatives contribute to a broader and lasting transformation of territories.
This is where EIT Culture & Creativity can make a difference. Through its programmes, networks and support for entrepreneurship and innovation, it can help translate the potential of culture and creativity into concrete opportunities for businesses, communities and territories. Our role is not to provide all the answers, but to create the conditions for new solutions to emerge, bringing together different perspectives, expertise and resources. Ultimately, the challenge for the Mediterranean is not simply to innovate, but to turn innovation into a shared capacity to shape its own future.