background image
25
IV SITUATION ANALYSIS
Cultural Heritage Sector
2001
­
"Dreary Future"
­
Expectations not fulfilled ­
vision missing
­
Rude awakening: No new mass
markets in electronic publishing
(video on demand etc.)
­
Few examples of success in the
cultural industries, and even
fewer in the cultural heritage
sector
­
Cost for building up sustainable
services are higher than expected
­
Uncertain about demands due to
lacking data about user demands
and expectations
­
Unclear how to sell value
added services; users are used to
"free rides" on the internet
­
Only a few business models
that work
­
Some cultural heritage and
educational services
­
Today, it is more difficult to sell
IT and multimedia to politicians
­
Cultural heritage ranks low on
the scale of political priorities
(and needs to compete with
health sector, social security, etc.)
­
Few countries with a clear
strategy for digitisation
Cultural Sector
1996
­
"Rosy Future"
­
Visions / assumptions / high
expectations: new (economic)
frontier with immense potential
­
"Multimedia and internet hype":
Decreasing traditional markets
entice publishers to enter new
markets with high commercial
value
­
Assumed "killer applications":
Broadband services like video
on demand
­
Cost of market entry thought to
be low
­
Assumption: Consumers look
for quality and interactivity
­
Value added, MM-rich products
and services delivered over
broadband networks
­
EU driven policy
­
Policy makers bought into the
hype of new IT and multimedia
based markets
­
Strong influence of policy on
market development
Cultural Heritage Sector
2006
­
"Some sunshine"
­
Clear view of the benefit / value
of cultural heritage
­
No mass market ­ but some
niche markets
­
Realistic view of market
potentials instead of "killer
applications"
­
Cost of entry remains high;
services need clear focus on
users to produce some revenues
­
Users want high value for
money, yet information in the
public interest is expected to
be free
­
No mass markets, but mass
users in specific fields
­
Commercially exploitable ser-
vices and products: personalised,
highly interactive services and
"culture communities"; users can
"package" their own products
­
Funded services: scholarly,
educational services, etc.
­
Institutions increasingly co-
operate with intermediary orga-
nisations to create new services
and bring them to the market
­
Value-added cultural heritage
services available that are not
dependent on public funding
­
Proven commitment of national
governments to cultural heritage
­
Awareness that both culture and
education cost money - yet
willingness to pay as benefits
for society are essential
­
Substantial influence in building
markets through thematically
focused cultural heritage policy
Markets
Cost of market entry
User demands
Services
(National) policies and initiatives
Visions and perspectives