Small and medium-sized companies that are classified as “Creative Industries” were described in a report prepared in April 1998 by a task force organized by the United Kingdom Government. This report defined the referred companies as the engine of the United Kingdom’s economic future. They are the subject of new policies and economic development structures in European countries, and are at the core of regional development strategies implemented in Berlin, Milan, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Lyon and Rotterdam.

The first International Forum of the “Creative Industries,” held in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia, in September 2002, defined “Creative Industries” as follows: “companies which originated from individual creativity, skill and talent, and that have the potential to create wealth and jobs through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property. Thus, “Creative Industries” is the expression used to describe business activities in which economic value is linked to cultural content. “Creative Industries” joins the traditional strength of the so-called classical culture with the aggregated value of business talent and new talents deriving from electronic media and communication."

The main theme of the first government-organized Forum was “Creative Industries in Modern Cities.” The cities of Helsinki, Manchester and St. Petersburg were chosen as objects of analysis. The final document of the Forum established the following activity categories which were named “Creative Industries”:

Media and Live Performances

• Films
• Interactive Entertainment Software and Computer Services
• Music
• Stage and Theater Arts
• Publishing
• Television and Radio

Design and Visual Arts

• Advertising
• Architecture
• Arts and Crafts, Design
• Fashion Design
• Visual Arts

Historical Heritage

• Arts and Antiques Market
• Historical Heritage Sites
• Museums and Art Galleries

Given the diversity and scope of the concept, the tendency is to classify “Creative Industries” and “Cultural Industries” as separate categories, with the objective of making the meaning and content of each expression clear.