The European Commission launches today the communication campaign for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate”.
Media launch of the European Year of Innovation and Creativity 2009

The aim of the Year is to promote creative and innovative approaches in different sectors of human activity and contribute to the preparation of the European Union for the challenges ahead in the globalized world.
Hundreds of activities and projects which represent results of creation and good approaches towards innovation will be highlighted, promoted and disseminated during this Year. The EU will offer a framework, in which these activities will be branded and exploited. As for previous European Years, measures will include promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels.

Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Training and Youth, will be joined by Mikel Irujo Amezaga MEP and three ambassadors of the European Year 2009 for the launch of the communication campaign: Professor Edward de Bono – a leading authority in creative thinking and innovation, Professor Karlheinz Brandenburg – professor for Media Technology and director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT and Jordi Savall, world known musician, composer and viola da gamba player.

The press conference taking place at 12.30 in the Berlaymont will be accompanied by the members of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, who will be showcasing their ingenuity as they prepare their instruments for the evening concert. As an extraordinary example of European creativity, the orchestra will play on instruments made solely of vegetables. This inaugural concert will also feature as the official handover from the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 to its successor of 2009.