Academy for the Creative Economy

The world is no longer the same. What is happening now and might happen in the future, goes beyond our imagination. The impact of the covid pandemic is complex, and the same goes for the climate crises, the escalation of unsafety, rising extremism (from religion to identity politics), the widening inequality in wealth and well-being….

More than ever in these times, a different approach to the economy can make a difference. Economics has turned into a financial and capitalist frame of mind: ‘more and more’. The unbalance between this perspective and the situation we have been going through in the last 18 months, showing us the fragility of our existence, confronts us with the necessity of a new mode of thinking.

ACI has always been committed to economic innovation: a new approach of economics that is based on the concept of the creative economy. One that goes beyond the supposed opposition between the creative, the business, and the social domains, and puts meaning and values-creation at the core. This new approach is much closer to the original meaning of the word economics, which was all about the ways in which everything we had (both material and immaterial) could be managed and shared optimally and as fair as possible.

This explains why ACI will from now on be known as Fontys Academy for the Creative Economy, Fontys ACE trains students to become impact creators: creative professionals who merge their creativity, social awareness and business mindset to stimulate transitions (in everyday life). In doing so, they are both shaping and actively contributing to the creative economy. The goal is to create value and meaning, thereby acting as valuable and leading contributors to the economy and society of the future.

A logical consequence of broadening our horizon outside the limits of the creative sectors to include the whole creative economy, is the renaming of ACI into Fontys Academy for the Creative Economy. The IEMES educational track of the Communications education will be named Creative Concepts for Communication. The IEMES educational track of Marketing Management will be named Creative Marketing Concepts. The Digital Business Concepts track of the Marketing Management education as well as the programme Trend Research & Concept Creation in Lifestyle will keep their current names.

Each of the four programmes is focused on a creative economy that is versatile, sustainable and humane. The education, research and alumni of Fontys ACI can meet a large demand among the companies, institutions and organisations that are trying to shape the necessary transitions. After graduation, students can become creative-business professionals in any other sector instead of only the creative industry, either profit or non-profit.

For employees and students of ACI – soon to be ACE – this creates unique opportunities, yet also new responsibilities and commitments. Each of you wants to contribute to this changing society, by using your existing knowledge and expertise along with your imagination. By thinking and acting differently, you display the creative willingness to help steer our society and economy in a yet unknown new direction.The professional field will increasingly try to give concrete shape to all these transformations. And they too are noticing that exactly this demand for new ways of thinking and acting, is making your creative involvement more needed than ever. This is how we can keep working towards a society that is vital, sustainable and exclusive.

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The four programmes we offer within the Academy for the Creative Economy are:

Trend Research & Concept Creation in Lifestyle (EN)

Do you enjoy looking at trends, market developments and human behaviour, from a diverse creative perspective? Are you wondering what our world will look like in the future and how we can create a sustainable and humane future for everybody? In that case, the programme of Trend
Research & Concept Creation in Lifestyle is the right choice for you.

Marketing Management - Digital Business Concepts (EN)

Are you fascinated by innovation, digitalization, (online) marketing and entrepreneurship? And can you think commercially, while also being conceptual, creative and socially involved? When studying Marketing Management – Digital Business Concepts, you shape yourself into a commercial allrounder who applies digital business strategies to get optimal results. This could be in service of your own company, or for existing businesses, (marketing) agencies and non-profit organisations. Gain the skills you need to contribute to the economy of the future: the creative economy.

Trend Research & Concept Creation in Lifestyle

Ben jij geïnteresseerd in trends, marktontwikkelingen en gedrag van mensen en ben jij een creatieve duizendpoot? Vraag jij je af hoe onze wereld er in de toekomst uit zal zien en hoe we een duurzame en menswaardige toekomst voor iedereen kunnen creëren? Dan is de opleiding Trend Research & Concept Creation in Lifestyle echt iets voor jou.

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Communicatie - Creative Concepts for Communication

Ben jij geïnteresseerd in communicatievraagstukken binnen de samenleving - van nu én van de toekomst – en wil jij die impact creator worden die deze oplost met creatieve concepten? Ben je creatief, ondernemend en wil je bijdragen aan de samenleving van de toekomst? Dan is Communicatie - Creative Concepts for Communication dé opleiding voor jou.

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Commerciële Economie - Digital Business Concepts

Ben jij geïnteresseerd in innovatie, digitalisering, (online) marketing en ondernemerschap? Ben jij zakelijk ingesteld, maar ook creatief en maatschappelijk betrokken? Tijdens de opleiding Commerciële Economie - Digital Business Concepts ontwikkel jij je tot een commerciële duizendpoot die vernieuwende digitale strategieën inzet voor een optimaal resultaat. Of dat nu is voor je eigen onderneming, voor een bedrijf/(reclame)bureau of een non-profit organisatie. Zo bouw jij mee aan de economie van de toekomst; de creatieve economie.

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Commerciële Economie - Creative Marketing Concepts

Als student werk je hier aan nieuwe marketingconcepten waarmee organisaties en bedrijven het verschil kunnen maken. Deze nieuwe opleiding richt zich niet meer alleen op de creatieve industrie maar leert studenten hun creatieve en zakelijke talenten in te zetten in de hele economie en bereidt hen zo voor op een veranderende samenleving en een nieuwe economie, een creatieve economie.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This new name has no consequences for your degree. Current IEMES-students will have the educational track IEMES listed on their diploma; for students of other programmes the new name has no consequences either.

The new name has no effect on the educational programme or your schedule.

Current students can complete their programme in its current form. The educational programme and contents of the courses won't change for current students.

Because there are no changes to the educational programme, there are also no consequences for any resits you do currently or in the future.

Because there are no changes to the educational programme, there are also no consequences for your current or future exams.

CBL-education will not be adjusted for current students.

Current students will see no changes in the curriculums of TCL or DBC and can continue completing their programmes in the current forms. New students who are enrolling from September 2022 onwards will be offered an educational programme that matches the new profile.

Yes. All partnerships with our current partners will continue. Additionally, we are going to broaden the academy’s network for the programmes and intensify our partnerships.

Yes. We train and prepare impact creators for the creative industry, although the demand for creative business-minded professionals with a social conscience is also high in other sectors.

No. Our ambition is to train impact creators whose use of their creativity (along with their business and social mindset) is not limited to applying concepts for the creative industry only, but are also valuable to other sectors, both profit and non-profit.

The first academic year of the programmes Communication – Creative Concepts for Communication and Marketing Management – Creative Marketing Concepts starts in the year 2022-2023. For you as current student, this means that these new programme names will be appearing more and more throughout the current academic year. For instance: on our website, in reference to open days, welcome days and pilot days, and later on in this year on the signage in P8.

No. We have thought long and deep about this new course. The institute and its programmes meet a clear demand from the professional field with this new name, in line with ongoing social developments.

The academy and its educational programmes have the obligation to students and the professional field to respond to social changes and demands. This means that there always will be – and should be changes.

We fully understand that these changes will have an impact on your as student and may raise questions. This website is meant to display the most common questions and their answers, along with updates on the transition of our institute. Additionally, all teachers and coaches are informed of these changes, so any questions you may have that are not listed here, can always be directed to them, or feel free to send an e-mail to acimarketingcommunicatie@fontys.nl.