European Crafts Alliance Annual Conference 2025: Positioning Crafts in the Contemporary Economy
As a serious economic force, crafts play a vital role in Europe’s economy and cultural fabric, fueling innovation, sustainability, and local development. The European Crafts Alliance (ECA) annual conference, Positioning Crafts in the Contemporary Economy, will explore how the sector drives entrepreneurship and sustainable growth. The event, co-hosted by Norwegian Crafts, will bring together guest speakers from across Europe and the ECA network of nearly 40 member organisations.
This year's programme takes a practical look at what it means to be a craft professional in the modern economy. The sessions will explore the topic from several perspectives, from the real-world business challenges facing the sector to the power of collaboration, new ways of thinking about ‘value', and the fusion of traditional skills with technology for economic viability.
The opening conversation with Rosa Muñoz (Ohayō) will ground the discussion in these realities, delving into recent ECA studies on market access and business adaptability. Representatives from the Nordic Network of Craft Associations will share their successful model for regional collaboration, followed by a presentation from historian Christina Zetterlund challenging traditional metrics by arguing for the importance of craft’s social and cultural capital. The conference will also feature a panel with craftspeople, including Kristina Austi (digital weaver) and Raquel Buj (fashion designer), who will showcase how new technologies can be integrated with traditional skills to create innovative and economically viable work.
The conference is designed to be interactive – via Youtube live stream and Mentimeter, we will gather questions from both in-person and online attendees for the live Q&A session with all speakers.
The conference is open to all (in-person and online) and admission is free. For those planning to attend in person in Oslo, advance registration is required to guarantee a spot, as capacity at the venue is limited.
The ECA Annual Conference 2025 is part of the CraftsNet project, co-funded by the European Union.
