Creative Industries
Karlsruhe is a dynamic IT hub with a strong university system and diverse cultural heritage, making it an ideal location for creative and cultural industries. Karlsruhe is known as a hub of modern media communication and has been ranked among the world's top museums of contemporary and media art. Together with the University of Arts and Design (HfG), it combines research and education of media arts. As of 2017, 1,460 design and media art companies had been established in Karlsruhe, accounting for 9.9% of the local businesses and providing employment opportunities to over 14,933 individuals across 11 sectors of the cultural and creative industries, including a particularly strong software and games sector.
The Cultural Concept 2025
Karlsruhe's Cultural Concept 2025 sets objectives for cultural policy in areas such as Cultural Heritage, Social Education, Art, Science, and Technology, and Culture and the Economy. Media education is a priority, and the city supports cultural institutions and actors by providing funding, infrastructure, and advice. Hosting popular events like ZKM’s Global Digitale and Open Codes, which were showcased in Mumbai as well. The Forum for Culture, Rights, and Technology organizes specialist conferences such as Security in Digital Infrastructures and New Forms of Communication Change Politics and Culture to promote knowledge-sharing and showcase the city's media art capabilities.
Karlsruhe- UNESCO City of Media Arts
Karlsruhe was awarded the title of Creative City of Media Arts by UNESCO in 2019, making it the only city in Germany to receive this recognition so far. As part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Karlsruhe is committed to promoting media art projects, as well as supporting artists and cultural workers. The city provides opportunities for showcasing contemporary digital, interactive, and virtual media art in public spaces throughout the urban area.
ZKM - Center for Art and Media
The ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe is a one-of-a-kind cultural institution that expands beyond the traditional roles of a museum. It is a space that encompasses all forms of art and media, including spatial arts like painting, photography, and sculpture, as well as time-based arts like film, video, media art, music, dance, theater, and performance. The ZKM was established in 1989 with the mission of carrying the classical arts into the digital age. As per the late Chairman and CEO of the ZKM, Prof. Peter Weibel, the ZKM is recognized as the "Mecca of Media Arts." It focuses on the advancements of communication and information technologies in both theory and practical application. It also examines the social transformations that these technologies bring into motion.