The importance of tech convergence in Creative Industries as a blueprint for innovation, the future of experiences and economic growth

One of the most successful examples of what creativity paired with state-of-the-art technology can achieve is the ABBA Voyage experience in London, a live music experience that brings together AI, volumetric capture, real time rendering and spatial audio in a purpose built arena.

The extraordinary success of ABBA Voyage, which has generated over £2 billion for the UK economy since it launched in 2022, has indeed proved how the convergence of technology and creative industries can shape the future of the Experience Economy as digital content becomes easier to produce and audiences are looking for experiences that feel novel, participatory and social and how the intersection of creativity and technology can bring people together and contribute to impactful economic growth.

From interactive storytelling to large-scale live experiences, creative technology is acting as the infrastructure - enabling new formats and powering how these experiences are designed and delivered. The Experience Economy is one of the priority sectors in the London Growth Plan and as such is set to play a key role with an estimated £10bn is expected to be invested over the next decade, as demand for new formats continues to grow.

More interestingly, in my experience working with international creative technology companies over the past decade, I have witnessed first-hand how this tech convergence within traditional creative industries is also contributing to lowering barriers to entry and democratising access to industries that have a long tradition of elitism.

For instance AI design tools and 3D simulation software that can generate patterns and replicate the movement and texture of fabrics, are helping reduce costs as well as the time from collection ideation to production for fashion students and independent designers. Meanwhile, AI voice generator and text-to-speech solutions for media content creation are not only effective for optimising production and translation of media content in real time. They are also offering people with speech impediments new tools to communicate, an excellent example of how the intersection of emerging technologies and creative industries can have a positive impact on that goes beyond commercial applications.

Tech convergence within Creative Industries is defining the blueprint for innovation. New tools and solutions that emerge in one industry are quickly incorporated into another, pushing the limits of what we can create and how, and redefining the meaning of experiences where the audience is also an active part of it. When creativity and technology converge they foster economic growth while democratising access to previously out-of-reach industries for a wider range of people, fostering the next wave of creative talent.

Author

Technology and Innovation programme activities

techUK bring members, industry stakeholders, and UK Government together to champion emerging technologies as an integral part of the UK economy. We help to create an environment where innovation can flourish, helping our members to build relationships, showcase their technology, and grow their business. Visit the programme page here.