This insights paper summarises existing evidence on the present opportunities and challenges in creative technology and includes policy implications and suggested areas for future research. It covers R&D and innovation support, access to finance and scale-up challenges, place and creative clusters, skills and training provisions, as well as measuring and assessing createch.
Between November 2025 and January 2026, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) hosted a rapid evidence review and industry engagement exercise to inform the development of policies aimed at maximising the growth of ‘createch’ in the UK. The project was delivered to fulfil a commitment made in the DCMS Creative Industries Sector Plan with a view to help inform ongoing Sector Plan delivery and the UKRI R&D strategy for the creative and cultural economy.
The research and engagement activities were delivered by the Creative PEC and CoSTAR Foresight Lab. As a part of this, Creative PEC produced a background rapid evidence review for participants in two closed workshops with industry and academic experts. This evidence review was accompanied by a further briefing note from the CoSTAR Foresight Lab.
The final recommendations report developed through the rapid evidence review and industry engagement exercise has been published by UKRI, which can be accessed here.
