IBC announced a new strategic partnership with EIT Culture & Creativity, the institutional partnership for culture and creativity supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which has been appointed IBC’s European Innovation Partner for 2026.
The announcement was made during the Kickstart Day 2026 of the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. This partnership reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to advance the broadcast and audiovisual industry and has the potential to accelerate collaborative progress.
Together, the two organizations aim to create clearer pathways that connect proof-of-concept development with real-world deployment across the global media and entertainment (M&E) ecosystem, starting with the Accelerator programme.
This new partnership promises to further accelerate innovation within the IBC community. Kickstart Day is where many of the industry’s next breakthroughs begin, making it the ideal moment to announce this collaboration. By working with EIT Culture & Creativity, we are strengthening the pathway for media and entertainment innovators to connect with the international leaders who come to IBC to invest, form partnerships and bring new solutions to market, said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC.
For her part, Anette Schaefer, CEO of EIT Culture & Creativity, added: “This collaboration connects Europe’s creative innovation ecosystem in the broadcast and audiovisual sector with its extensive industry network in a practical, visible and impactful way. IBC is the ideal partner to demonstrate that culture and creativity lie at the heart of technological transformation”.
The partnership combines EIT Culture & Creativity’s pan-European network —which supports entrepreneurship and growth across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors— with IBC’s global reach through its conference, exhibition and media platforms.
Under the agreement, EIT Culture & Creativity will contribute thought leadership and provide access to its ecosystem of start-ups, research institutions, creative clusters and investors to support the Accelerator programme.
This collaboration began with participation in a high-level, invitation-only strategic roundtable held on the eve of Kickstart Day. The session explored key trends and challenges shaping the broadcast and audiovisual sector, including trusted media, intellectual property, authenticity, rights management and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Accelerator programme’s Kickstart Day, held this year at BBC Broadcasting House, brings together broadcasters, streaming platforms, technology vendors, start-ups and academic partners to pitch ideas and form collaborations around real-world industry challenges.
This event marks the start of a six-month accelerated innovation cycle, culminating in live proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstrations in the Accelerator Zone at IBC2026, from 11–14 September.
Since its launch in 2019, the IBC Accelerator programme has become a recognized platform for cross-industry collaboration, enabling media organizations and technology partners to work together in a structured and fast-track environment.
Real-world projects are driven by industry “Champions” —including broadcasters, studios and content owners— who define the challenges, while “Participants” —technology vendors and innovators— contribute their expertise to develop practical and scalable solutions.
