Latvia has joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) international pilot project for testing a new methodology for measuring the creative economy. Latvia’s participation in this initiative became possible thanks to the initiative of prof.Ieva Zemīte, researcher at the Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies of the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC), and the dialogue she initiated with WIPO experts at the International Conference on Cultural Economics held in Rotterdam in 2025. At the national level, the project is led by the Ministry of Culture and involves the Central Statistical Bureau, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, and other partners.
Discussions about possible cooperation began in June 2025 in Rotterdam, where at the International Conference on Cultural Economics Ieva Zemīte presented the research developed within the national research programme “Latvian Culture – a Resource for National Development”, project “Cultural and creative ecosystem of Latvia as a resource of resilience and sustainability” (CERS), titled “Developing Approaches for Assessing the Social and Economic Impact of Cultural and Creative Industries.” During their subsequent presentation, WIPO experts repeatedly referred to I. Zemīte’s analysis, emphasizing the importance of viewing the creative economy as a broad and interconnected ecosystem.
At the conference, WIPO also introduced its new methodology for measuring the creative economy and announced that only twelve countries worldwide would be selected to pilot the model with the support of WIPO specialists.
Following her presentation, I.Zemīte expressed Latvia’s interest in joining the pilot project and initiated further discussions on the feasibility of testing the methodology.
This was followed by a cooperation process between the Latvian Academy of Culture and the Ministry of Culture, during which the WIPO requirement – that the project must be initiated and led at the national level – was examined. Based on this framework, Latvia’s application to the pilot project was prepared. In response to the Ministry of Culture’s invitation, the Central Statistical Bureau, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, and other experts joined the initiative, providing a professional foundation for adapting the methodology to the Latvian context and assessing the relevance of the resulting data for national policy development.
The Latvian Academy of Culture will provide academic support to the project by contributing to the adaptation of the methodology, analysis of the creative economy ecosystem, interpretation of results, and the development of recommendations for cultural policy.
I. Zemīte notes: “Latvia’s participation in this pilot project is an important step in the development of research on the creative economy and demonstrates that academic work can influence international processes and contribute directly to national cultural policy.” Participation in WIPO’s pilot project will enable Latvia to obtain internationally comparable data, strengthen cultural and creative industries policy-making, and expand interinstitutional cooperation.
The World Intellectual Property Organization is a United Nations agency serving creators worldwide by ensuring that their ideas are protected and can safely reach the market. It helps creative professionals and entrepreneurs safeguard and promote their intellectual property across borders and serves as a platform for addressing emerging issues in intellectual property. WIPO data models are used globally.
