Policy-makers and researchers are giving growing attention to creativity and innovation as drivers of urban development. Around the world, metropolitan regions are undergoing a transformation from an industrial-based to a creative knowledge economy. This implies not only physical transformation but also a shift in social composition and governance arrangements. Some questions that emerge observing this process are:

•To what extent is a 'creative knowledge region' an attractive and real prospect for regional economic development?
•Do 'soft' location factors influence the decision of business and human capital to settle in certain metropolitan regions rather than others?
•What are the effects of the national and international skilled migration on the growth and development of creative and knowledge regions?
The European project ACRE assesses the impact of the emerging 'creative class' and the rise of the 'creative industries' on the competitiveness of EU metropolitan regaions. While the tradittaional 'hard'location factors that firms use will remailn important for international competitiveness, new 'soft' location factors that are mainly related to attracting the required 'talent pool' would deserve increasing attention.

As a policy-maker or researcher we are glad to invite you to our conference The creative and knowledge economy in European cities. This event offers the chance for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners from around Europe to come together in a stimulant environment to share their experiences and knowledge around fostering creativity and innovation in cities and regions.