FOSTERING THE CREATION OF TRANS-SECTORAL NETWORKS: THE POTENTIAL OF CULTURAL COLLABORATIONS IN THE REGION OF THE PO DELTA IN ITALY

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of networks and networking culture especially from a sociological perspective that analyzes networks as a new societal model (van Dijk, 1991; Castells, 1996) and from a managerial and governance perspective (O’Flynn and Wanna, 2007; Camarinha-Matos et al., 2010). In the cultural fields, many studies have focused on networks established within the cultural sectors and among cultural institutions, both private and public (Scrofani and Ruggeto, 2012; Guintcheva and Passebois-Ducros, 2012). The importance of cultural networks has been underlined both within a territorial framework and within a trans-national framework; according to Littoz-Monet (2013), cultural networks could work as “vectors for integration” in Europe, and in particular since 2007 the European Commission has tried to encourage the cultural sector to work in a more trans-sectoral way, promoting the dialogue between cultural networks and stakeholders belonging to other fields. Some authors also hinted at the potential of networks as a means to successfully deal with the impact of the ongoing economic and financial crisis on the cultural sector (Bonet and Donato, 2011): in order to overcome the decrease of public funding in the cultural field and the related threats to cultural institutions, new governance and management models based on networking culture should be created both at the “micro” and “meso” level, involving also partnerships between public and private subjects. As far as Italy is concerned, many cultural networks are already in place and are often sectorial (e.g. museum networks, library networks, etc…); in recent times, however, there is a growing trend towards opening those networks to collaborations with institutions and subjects belonging to other fields, such as local authorities, tourism entities and cultural and creative industries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the possibilities of implementation of networks where cultural organizations are involved but also where cooperation between actors belonging to different sectors is established. The analysis is carried out in a “meso” perspective, i.e. at the territorial level; indeed the paper questions the potential of networks based on culture as tools for the development of a territory in terms of creation of ecosystems based on culture and tries to understand the role played by cultural institutions (museums in particular) in trans-sectoral cooperation. This paper presents the results of a research that started in 2011exploring the state-of-the-art of the cooperation in the High Adriatic Region. In 2013-2014 the research was limited to a more specific area, the Po Delta region: as the name suggests, this is the territory surrounding the Delta of the most important Italian river, River Po, at the border between two regions (Emilia Romagna and Veneto) and comprising three Italian provinces, Ferrara, Rovigo and Ravenna. This territory is considered as an area with a strong potential in terms of creation of networks based on culture; indeed, it is particularly rich in cultural, naturalistic and tourism attractions (e.g. Ravenna, Ferrara and its Po Delta have been included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list) and many cultural and creative industries are located there. The nurturing of networks based on cooperation and collaborations between subjects and stakeholders belonging to different sectors seems essential not only to promote the development of this region but also to bring positive societal renewal and innovation. The research aimed at answering the following questions: • How is the state of the art of the creation of trans-sectoral cooperation in the area of the Po Delta? How are these collaborations perceived by different stakeholders? • How are these kinds of collaborations implemented? Are there structured networks in place in the region of the Po Delta? • What is the potential of these networks for this territory? How could the potential of the trans-sectoral networks of this area be unlocked? The research method is based on an empirical survey, performed both by means of a questionnaire and by means of interviews with the most important stakeholders of this area, brought together in meetings and focus groups.