What Creative Industry Košice // CIKE does

Creative Industry Košice (CIKE) is a Slovak non-profit organization (Creative Industry Košice, n.o.) headquartered in Košice, Slovakia, focused on developing the creative economy in eastern Slovakia. The organization was renamed from the European Capital of Culture 2013 NGO in September 2015 and is staffed by approximately 42 employees. It functions as a regional ecosystem builder, intermediary, and project delivery body rather than a commercial software vendor.

CIKE's portfolio spans platforms, research services, cultural programs, and publications. Core technology assets include the x-Inno Radar Toolbase (interactive self-assessment platform for soft skills in industrial regions), CityInspector (urban space inspection tool), and the Citizen Experience and Well-being Institute (CXI) research services, which map public space and city services through data. Cultural programs include the Art & Tech Days festival and the OPEN STUDIOS city-wide event, alongside publications such as the City Cracker guide and the ECoC Košice 2013 heritage book. CXI is the research backbone, and the organization holds official R&D organization status in Slovakia (since 2020) and ISO 9001 certification.

CIKE is funded almost entirely through EU grant programmes — Interreg (Danube, Central Europe, Europe), Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and Creative Europe — supplemented by the Slovak Ministry of Culture and the Slovak Arts Council. Distribution runs through direct program delivery (workshops, residencies, conferences) and member-zone access on cike.sk and my-cid.eu, with GoPay wired in for selected services. Go-to-market is event-driven: CIKE reaches beneficiaries through festivals, open calls, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchanges, and cross-border project consortia spanning 20+ countries. The City of Košice is both the institutional anchor and a key partner, particularly via the KKIKE2030 city strategy and the Košice 2.0 project that created CXI.

Name

Creative Industry Košice // CIKE

Legal name

Creative Industry Košice, n.o.

Website

https://cike.sk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Creative Industry Košice (CIKE) is a Slovak non-profit organization that builds the creative economy in eastern Slovakia by managing EU-funded projects, urban research (CXI), cultural programs (Art & Tech Days, OPEN STUDIOS), and platforms like x-Inno Radar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Košice

HQ country

Slovakia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Project Funding: As a non-profit organization, CIKE operates primarily through EU-funded projects including Interreg Danube, Interreg Central Europe, Interreg Europe, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and Creative Europe programs. They also receive support from Ministry of Culture Slovak Republic and Slovak Arts Council.
2. Member Zone Services: CIKE operates member zones on their portals (cike.sk, my-cid.eu) where users can register, access services, and potentially conduct financial transactions through GoPay payment gateway for selected services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CIKE is a non-profit creative-economy ecosystem builder that delivers programs, research, and platforms supporting cultural and creative industries in eastern Slovakia and across Central Europe. Its offerings include EU-funded project management (Interreg, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Creative Europe), creative residencies and workshops, the Art & Tech Days festival, OPEN STUDIOS, the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EXCITE) mobility scheme, the Citizen Experience and Well-being Institute (CXI) research services, and digital platforms such as the x-Inno Radar Toolbase. Services are delivered to creative professionals, municipalities, and EU project partners, primarily funded through grants.

Product overview

Creative Industry Košice (CIKE) is a non-profit research organization that does not operate a unified software product but rather manages a portfolio of programs, platforms, and publications focused on creative economy development. The core offerings include the x-Inno Radar Toolbase (an interactive skill assessment platform), the Virtual Exhibition of Good Practices (a 3D circular economy showcase), research services through the Citizen Experience and Well-being Institute (CXI), cultural programs like Art & Tech Days festival and OPEN STUDIOS, and publications such as the City Cracker guide and ECoC Košice 2013 heritage book. These offerings are complementary initiatives supporting creative industry development, urban innovation, and cultural engagement in the Košice region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• x-Inno Radar Toolbase Interactive online platform designed to strengthen skills in industrial regions, with screening and comparison modules for self-assessment of regional potential and practical pilot blueprints for shaping regional strategies on soft skills enhancement. Targeted at regional development agencies, chambers of commerce, and policy stakeholders in Central European industrial regions.
• Virtual Exhibition of Good Practices Interactive 3D virtual exhibition (WebGL) showcasing circular-economy initiatives from European cities, organized into four thematic areas: Circular Lifestyles, Methodology, Sustainable Business Models, and Urban Regeneration. Intended for urban policy makers, cultural and creative sector professionals, and EU project audiences.
• Book: Stories about the Heritage of ECoC Košice 2013
• Art & Tech Days Festival Annual festival combining art and technology, featuring conferences, workshops, and exhibitions. Recent themes have included Artificial Intelligence (2018), Language & Communication (2019), and One World (2025), bringing international speakers and experts to Košice. Targeted at creative professionals, technologists, and the public.
• OPEN STUDIOS
• City Cracker
• Citizen Experience and Well-being Institute (CXI) Research and analytical team mapping public space and city services through data, aiming to improve citizens' quality of life using research, participation, creativity, and innovation methods. Houses Public Space, Data, and Services research teams. Services targeted at the Municipality of Košice and public-sector partners.
• Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EXCITE) International entrepreneurship exchange program enabling creative entrepreneurs in Slovakia to undertake mobility exchanges with host companies across the EU, USA, Canada, Singapore, and UK. Delivered in partnership with Creative Saxony (DE), Krakowski Park Technologiczny (PL), Poligon (SI), IPRA (FR), Kreativní Praha (CZ), and C2MASI (ES).

Quantifiable outcome

• Košice achieved UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts status in 2017

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Coordinator of CORESpaces Horizon Europe project, leading AI and digital twins development for urban space management.
• Košice 2.0 Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Project that created the Citizen Experience and Well-being Institute (CXI) under CIKE, supporting data-driven urban development.
• CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE (IT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lead partner in Craftwork 4.0 All project creating European platform for traditional crafts and emerging artisans.
• Sensus, region Stockholm-Gotland (SE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Swedish partner in Craftwork 4.0 All supporting craft mobility programs and international academies.
• NEBULA – Baltic Film and Creative Tech Cluster (LT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lithuanian partner in Craftwork 4.0 All contributing to craft movement and creative industries cooperation.
• Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria GmbH (AT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partner in x-Inno Radar project focusing on soft skills development in industrial regions across Central Europe. Coordinates regional activities in Austria.
• The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Karlovy Vary Region (CZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partner in x-Inno Radar project representing Czech Republic, contributing to regional screenings and pilot testing of soft skills approaches.
• Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (IT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Italian partner in x-Inno Radar project, bringing Mediterranean perspective on industrial transition and soft skills needs.
• BSC, Business support centre, ltd., Kranj (SI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Slovenian partner in x-Inno Radar, contributing expertise in business support and regional development for Central European industrial regions.
• Regional Development Agency in Bielsko-Biała (PL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Polish partner representing Central European industrial region in x-Inno Radar soft skills initiative.
• Stebo Competence Centre Community Development (BE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Belgian partner in x-Inno Radar bringing Western European perspective on community development and soft skills integration.
• Otelo Cooperative (AT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Austrian partner contributing to x-Inno Radar with experience in innovation ecosystems and maker culture.
• Association of Cultural and Creative Industries Chemnitz and Region (Creative Chemnitz) (DE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024German partner in x-Inno Radar representing post-industrial region, contributing to pilot testing and regional screenings.
• Leibniz Institute for Ecological Chemistry (IfL) (DE)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2024Scientific partner in x-Inno Radar providing research methodology, academic validation, and theoretical framework for soft skills assessment.
• XAMK – South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences (FI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Finnish partner in GreenCCircle providing research expertise and educational program development for green skills in CCI.
• Julies' Bicycle Europe (IE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Irish partner in GreenCCircle bringing expertise in environmental sustainability for creative industries.
• Fondef – Instituto para el Fomento del Desarrollo y la Formacion (ES)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Spanish partner contributing to GreenCCircle educational program development.
• Fondazione Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia (IT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Italian university partner providing research methodology and academic validation for GreenCCircle Living Lab.
• Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (EE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Estonian Academy of Arts contributing to sustainable design and material innovation in GreenCCircle.
• Fundacja ARTeria (PL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Polish partner in GreenCCircle supporting project dissemination and community building.
• Creative Saxony (SACCI) (DE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Partner in EXCITE Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, supporting exchanges between Slovak and German entrepreneurs in creative sectors.
• Krakowski Park Technologiczny (PL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Polish partner in EXCITE, facilitating business exchanges and mentoring for creative entrepreneurs.
• Poligon (SI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Slovenian partner in EXCITE supporting entrepreneurship development in creative sectors.
• Interprofessionnelle Auvergne Rhone Alpes (IPRA) (FR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018French partner in EXCITE bringing Western European perspective on creative entrepreneurship.
• Kreativní Praha (CZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Czech partner in EXCITE supporting cross-border entrepreneurship exchanges.
• C2MASI (ES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Spanish partner in EXCITE bringing Southern European perspective on creative business development.
• Košice IT ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership supporting collaboration between creative and technology sectors in Košice region.
• UNESCO Creative Cities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017International network of creative cities, with Košice holding the title of UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts since October 2017.
• Carpathian FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partner in CARAT project supporting cross-border cooperation in tourism across Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine.
• City of Sarospatak (HU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Hungarian partner in CARAT cross-border tourism project.
• Maramures County Council (RO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Romanian partner in CARAT project representing Eastern European perspective on regional tourism development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bureau Europa: Dutch platform for architecture, design, and digital culture based in Maastricht; comparable as a regional cultural/creative think-tank producing research, events, and EU project deliverables.
• Poligon: Slovenian creative-sector entrepreneurship support centre and EXCITE partner; similar profile as CIKE in providing creative entrepreneurs with training, mobility, and cross-border exchange.
• Creative Edinburgh: UK-based membership organization for creative industry professionals; comparable to CIKE in providing networking, professional development, and advocacy for creative entrepreneurs in a regional ecosystem.
• Krakowski Park Technologiczny: Polish technology and creative entrepreneurship hub partnering with CIKE on EXCITE Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs; comparable as a regional innovation intermediary bridging creative and tech sectors.
• Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative: Italian consortium lead in Craftwork 4.0 All with CIKE; operates as a creative industries incubator and project-management hub in Basilicata, directly comparable as a Southern European EU-grant-funded creative ecosystem builder.
• Kreativní Praha: Czech creative industries platform and EXCITE partner; operates a comparable mandate of supporting Prague-based creative professionals and connecting them with European programmes.
• Fundacja ARTeria: Polish partner in GreenCCircle and similar EU creative-industries dissemination/community-building NGO; directly comparable in scale, mission, and grant-funded operating model.
• Creative Chemnitz: German partner in x-Inno Radar representing a post-industrial region; similar function as CIKE in connecting creative industries with regional economic development through EU-funded projects.
• Fondazione Fitzcarraldo: Italian research foundation focused on cultural policy, creative industries, and EU project work; highly comparable to CIKE's CXI institute and KKIKE2030 strategy development role.

Broad incumbents

• Kulturwirtschaft Wien: Vienna's creative industries support office within the city's economic affairs structure; broader incumbent offering similar services but with larger municipal funding base and deeper team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5fPKvcaPuZdtCqN8FxfhTw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Creative.Industry.Kosice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-industry-kosice
• Instagraminstagram.com/creativeindustrykosice

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Industry Košice // CIKE