WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is a non-profit branch association (e.V.) that represents Dresden's cultural and creative economy, serving 110+ member organizations and 19,000 creative professionals across 12 sub-sectors through advocacy, networking, and cross-industry innovation programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDresden, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN does
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN (legal name: Branchenverband der Dresdner Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft e.V.) is a registered non-profit branch association founded in 2012 and headquartered at Kraftwerk Mitte 7, 01067 Dresden. It functions as the unified voice and roof organization for Dresden's cultural and creative economy, representing more than 110 member organizations across all 12 sub-sectors — software/games, music, design, architecture, press, publishing, advertising, film, broadcasting, visual arts, performing arts, and interdisciplinary. The association positions itself as the collective representative of an underlying sector that employs approximately 19,000 creative professionals across 2,100 companies and generates roughly €1 billion in annual value creation, growing at about 5% per year. Its core function is to advocate for the creative economy toward municipal and Saxon state-level policy and administration, increase the visibility of creative value chains, and support improved working conditions and recognition of creative labour.
The association's portfolio of programs — rather than commercial products — includes the P R I M E cross-industry innovation network (led since 2017 in partnership with Materialforschungsverbund Dresden, Fachhochschule Dresden, and Wirtschaftsförderung Dresden); CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY (a four-association consortium with Kreatives Leipzig, Kreatives Chemnitz, and Kreatives Erzgebirge); the AI ACADEMY – Kreative Intelligenz program for AI competence building (launched March 2026); the "Caro quetscht aus" podcast (launched under the 2021 Kulturschaufenster project, produced with Ballroom Studios Dresden); recurring networking formats (undsonstso, NeTZ & NiSCHe, ALLES AUF ANFANG); and sectoral events including MusicMatch 2026, Simply Saxony: Battle of the Year – Next Generation, and the WGD Mitgliederversammlung. It also co-supports BPM Sachsen, the new Saxon music and pop-culture representation platform launched in February 2026.
The business model is a hybrid non-profit structure. Recurring revenue comes from membership dues paid by creative professionals, freelancers, and creative-sector SMBs, supplemented by public funding from the City of Dresden, the federal ZIZ (Zukunftsfähige Innenstädte und Zentren) programme, and Saxon state ministries including SMWK and SMWA. The association operates with a lean staff of approximately 7 employees coordinated by co-directors Henrike Terheyden and Felix Buchta at the Geschäftsstelle, governed by a multi-member Vorstand (board). Distribution is community-led: members are acquired through events, word-of-mouth, the website, and advocacy visibility rather than a conventional sales motion. There is no technology product, platform, or proprietary codebase at the core of the organization — the underlying "technology" is the association's convening power, advocacy infrastructure, and cross-sector program architecture.
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN
- Legal name
- Branchenverband der Dresdner Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft e.V.
- Website
- https://wir-gestalten-dresden.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is a non-profit branch association (e.V.) that represents Dresden's cultural and creative economy, serving 110+ member organizations and 19,000 creative professionals across 12 sub-sectors through advocacy, networking, and cross-industry innovation programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Association / Creative Economy Advocacy
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)
Keywords
Where WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dresden
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The association is funded primarily through annual membership fees paid by creative professionals, entrepreneurs, and companies operating in Dresden's cultural and creative economy. The association represents over 110 member organizations across 12 sub-sectors of the creative industries.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is the industry association (Branchenverband) for Dresden's cultural and creative economy, representing over 110 member organizations across 12 sub-sectors. It provides collective advocacy toward municipal and state-level politics, networking events, cross-industry innovation programmes (PRIME, CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY), the AI ACADEMY competence program, and visibility for creative value chains through podcasts, events, and member services.
Product overview
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is the industry association (Branchenverband) for Dresden's cultural and creative economy, representing approximately 19,000 creative professionals and 2,100 creative companies generating 1 billion euros in annual value creation. Rather than offering commercial products, the association provides a portfolio of programs and services including the AI ACADEMY for AI competence building, the PRIME Network for cross-industry innovation, and CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY for collaborative innovation. Additional offerings include the podcast series 'Caro quetscht aus' showcasing creative professionals, organizing events like MusicMatch and Battle of the Year, and supporting the BPM Sachsen bureau for music industry representation. The association advocates for creative professionals' interests at municipal and state political levels and promotes visibility of creative value chains.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Caro quetscht aus: A podcast series featuring interviews with creative professionals in Dresden, launched during the Kulturschaufenster 2021 project.
- CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY
- AI ACADEMY – Kreative Intelligenz
- P R I M E
Products and services
- AI ACADEMY – Kreative Intelligenz An AI competence program for the cultural and creative economy sector, strengthening AI skills and knowledge among creative professionals in Dresden. The program is delivered to creative professionals and creative companies across the 12 sub-sectors.
- PRIME Network (branchenübergreifende Innovation) A cross-industry innovation network supporting collaboration between creative professionals, businesses, and science to develop new products and business models through cross-innovation. Partners include Materialforschungsverbund Dresden e.V., Fachhochschule Dresden, and Wirtschaftsförderung Dresden (WfD).
- CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY A project promoting cross-sector collaboration between creative industry professionals and other sectors, enabling knowledge transfer and innovation across Saxon cities and regions. Involves a consortium of four Saxon creative industry associations (WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN, Kreatives Leipzig, Kreatives Erzgebirge, Kreatives Chemnitz).
- Podcast Caro quetscht aus A podcast series featuring in-depth interviews with creative professionals and entrepreneurs in Dresden, showcasing diverse careers in cultural and creative industries across 12 sub-sectors. Produced in collaboration with Ballroom Studios Dresden, available on Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Podcasts.
- BPM Sachsen (Büro für Popkultur & Musik) Bureau for Pop Culture and Music in Saxony — a central representation platform for the Saxon music economy, providing consulting, networking, and promotion of regional music at national and international levels.
- MusicMatch 2026 A conference and festival for pop culture in Saxony, bringing together artists, organizers, and audiences to discuss the present and future of the music scene.
- Simply Saxony: Battle of the Year – Next Generation A national youth breaking competition hosted in Dresden, discovering and promoting the next generation of breakdance talent in collaboration with House of Urban Culture and The Saxonz.
- WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN Membership Direct membership for creative professionals and companies in Dresden, providing collective political representation, networking opportunities across 12 sub-sectors, access to projects (PRIME, AI ACADEMY, events), visibility for creative value chains, and a platform for knowledge exchange and professional development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Represents 19,000 creative professionals and 2,100 companies generating €1 billion in annual value creation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.
- BPM Sachsen (Büro für Popkultur & Musik)coreBPM Sachsen is the newly launched central representation platform for pop culture and music in Saxony, jointly funded by the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK) and the Saxon State Ministry for Economics, Labour, Energy and Climate (SMWA). WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN collaborates with BPM Sachsen on events such as the music networking meeting at Bandstand in Hellerau. WGD member Nils Burchartz (Volume11) is cited as an active participant in BPM Sachsen discussions.
- Sächsische Industrie- und Handelskammern (IHK) in SachsenmoderateThe Saxon chambers of industry and commerce (represented by IHK Dresden, IHK Chemnitz, and IHK Leipzig) produced a joint branch report on Saxon's cultural and creative economy. WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN, Kreatives Leipzig, and Kreatives Chemnitz participated as contributors and partners, and the three associations continue to collaborate with the chambers on data collection, policy advocacy, and support programmes.
- Landesverband der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft Sachsen e.V. (LVKKW Sachsen)coreWIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is affiliated with the Saxon State Association of Cultural and Creative Industries (LVKKW Sachsen), which coordinates cross-regional policy advocacy and initiatives across Saxony. The association participates in joint projects and coordinates positions on state-level policy matters affecting the creative economy.
- Kreatives LeipzigcoreKreatives Leipzig is the branch association for the cultural and creative economy in Leipzig. WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN collaborates with Kreatives Leipzig on cross-regional initiatives including the CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY project and the P R I M E network, coordinating creative industry advocacy and innovation projects across Saxony's major cities.
- Kreatives ChemnitzminorKreatives Chemnitz is the branch association for the cultural and creative economy in Chemnitz. It partners with WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN on the CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY project, which brings together creative professionals from across Saxony for cross-industry collaboration.
- Kreatives ErzgebirgeminorKreatives Erzgebirge is a branch association serving the cultural and creative economy in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony. It collaborates with WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN as part of the CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY initiative to foster cross-regional creative networking and innovation.
- P R I M E Network (branchenübergreifende Innovation)coreThe P R I M E network, led by WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN since 2017, facilitates cross-sector innovation by connecting small and medium-sized companies from traditional industries with creative professionals and researchers. Partners include the Materialforschungsverbund Dresden e.V. and Fachhochschule Dresden, with support from the Dresden Economic Development Agency (WfD).
- CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY PartnerscoreThe CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY project involves a consortium of four Saxon creative industry associations (WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN, Kreatives Leipzig, Kreatives Erzgebirge, Kreatives Chemnitz) working together with partners from business, administration, and science to promote cross-sector innovation across Saxony's cities and regions.
- Wirtschaftsförderung Dresden (WfD) / City of DresdencoreThe Dresden Economic Development Agency and the City of Dresden are key public partners of WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN. The city commissioned the major study on Dresden's cultural and creative economy (conducted by Prognos AG in cooperation with LVKKW Sachsen) and funds initiatives including the ZIZ programme that supports inner-city development. The city's logo appears as a funder on the WGD website.
- Materialforschungsverbund Dresden e.V.minorThe Material Research Association Dresden is a partner in the P R I M E network, contributing scientific expertise to cross-industry innovation projects that involve creative professionals and traditional manufacturing companies.
- Fachhochschule DresdenminorFachhochschule Dresden is a partner in the P R I M E network, contributing academic expertise to cross-industry innovation initiatives that bridge creative practice with applied research.
- Kraftwerk Mitte (Co-working and Cultural Hub)moderateWIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is headquartered at Kraftwerk Mitte, a major creative hub in Dresden. The location also houses neonworx co-working space (founded by WGD board member Martin Fiedler), creating a dense creative ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Landesverband der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft Sachsen e.V. (LVKKW Sachsen): State-level umbrella association for the Saxon cultural and creative economy and the formally affiliated parent of WGD; comparable in mission (sector advocacy, networking, policy) but operating at Land-level scope.
- Kreatives Leipzig: Branch association for the cultural and creative industries in Leipzig; a direct regional counterpart to WGD within Saxony and an explicit partner in the CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY consortium.
- Kreatives Chemnitz: Branch association for Chemnitz's cultural and creative industries; another Saxon sister association collaborating with WGD on CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY.
- Kreatives Erzgebirge: Branch association for the cultural and creative industries in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony; forms part of the same Saxon cross-regional creative-network platform.
Regional players
- Munich Creative Business (Kreativwirtschaft München): City-level platform supporting Munich's cultural and creative industries with consultancy, networking, and real-estate programming; parallels WGD's role as the local convener for creative professionals.
- Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft: Publicly funded city-level creative-industries support entity in Hamburg; comparable operating model to WGD in providing member services, networking, and policy advocacy for the local creative economy.
- creative places GmbH / Clusteragentur NRW: Cluster agency for the cultural and creative industries in North Rhine-Westphalia; comparable in delivering sector-specific networking, consulting, and policy support at a state level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN social profiles
Digital presenceWIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN
What does WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN do?
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is the industry association (Branchenverband) for Dresden's cultural and creative economy, representing over 110 member organizations across 12 sub-sectors. It provides collective advocacy toward municipal and state-level politics, networking events, cross-industry innovation programmes (PRIME, CROSS INNOVATION MADE IN SAXONY), the AI ACADEMY competence program, and visibility for creative value chains through podcasts, events, and member services.
Is WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN a public or private company?
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN founded?
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN based?
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN is headquartered in Dresden, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Landesverband der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft Sachsen e.V. (LVKKW Sachsen), Kreatives Leipzig, Kreatives Chemnitz and Kreatives Erzgebirge. Regional players are Munich Creative Business (Kreativwirtschaft München), Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft and creative places GmbH / Clusteragentur NRW.
Does WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN have an API?
No public API is recorded for WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN.
What industry is WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN in?
WIR GESTALTEN DRESDEN's product category is Industry Association / Creative Economy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAB, Professional & Association Conferences. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.