Creative industries operate in a significantly different environment today. The change shaping them is not just technological, although it is one of the main drivers - the way ideas are created, developed and reach audiences has also changed, as has the way we consume content today.
This means that the creative process today depends as much on infrastructure, speed of communication, digital platforms, availability of tools, and connectivity as it does on the idea itself.
Content today is created simultaneously across multiple platforms and formats, while creative teams operate through collaborative networks that transcend geographic and industry boundaries. The creative process is no longer confined to a single discipline or space, but rather emerges through the constant interconnectedness of people, technology, and communication.
The fact that digital connectivity is becoming one of the key directions of development of creative and cultural industries is also confirmed by 2026 Annual Work Programme for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme, a document of the European Commission adopted at the end of 2025. The program for 2026 places a special focus on the digital transition of the cultural and audiovisual sector, the development of innovative models of content distribution, strengthening digital skills and the use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence. The document further emphasizes the importance of European cooperation networks, cross-border connections and cross-sector models that connect cultural, creative, media and technology industries in a common digital space.
Speaking about the transformation of creative industries in the digital environment, Brankica Todorović in her work Creative Industries 4.0 and Collaborative Innovation points out that digital platforms today transcend geographical distances and enable new forms of collaboration between creative teams. The author particularly emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and flexible spaces that enable the development of new creative work models.
It is at this juncture that cooperation between Crnogorski Telekom and CIM Forum has been developing for years - a platform that, through communications, media, creative industries and modern technologies, opens up space for discussion about the changes that are shaping the industry today.
Today, when almost every creative idea, in one way or another, develops within a digital environment, the question is no longer just how we create, but also what influences the creative process itself.
We talk to you about how creative work is changing in the era of fast technologies, digital platforms and AI tools. Tina Bjelobrković, PR manager of CIM Forum.
The creative process starts much faster today than before.
Changes in the creative industries are perhaps most visible in the dynamics of work. What once required long production processes, large teams, and significant resources, is now created almost simultaneously, with the help of digital tools, accessible platforms, and technologies that enable faster realization and testing of ideas.
As Tina Bjelobrković notes, the biggest change compared to previous years is speed.
"The biggest change is speed and accessibility. What required teams, time, and resources a few years ago can now be created much faster and more agilely. However, the essence of creation has not changed – the key is still in the idea. Technology has accelerated processes, but it has not replaced the need for good insight and clear creative thought."
Despite technological changes, the question of the idea remains central to every creative process. However, the way in which ideas are developed and shaped today has changed significantly.
"The process has changed significantly, especially in the testing and idea development phases. Today we have the ability to visualize and validate concepts much faster. Ideas may not be created fundamentally differently, but we certainly develop and use them in a different way – more interactive, more flexible, and with more experimentation than before."
AI has not replaced creativity, but has changed its dynamics
The development of AI tools has further accelerated the transformation of creative industries. From content production and research to the development of communication strategies, artificial intelligence has become a part of everyday work, despite the numerous criticisms and dilemmas that accompany it.
However, the question that is increasingly being asked today is whether technology improves the creative process or gradually distances it from its human dimension.
The CIM Forum believes that the answer is not to reject technology, but to how it is used.
"AI is a tool that, if used thoughtfully, significantly improves the creative process. It helps with speed, research, and production, but it doesn't make decisions for us. The key is balance - technology can expand our capabilities, but human intuition, context, and emotion remain irreplaceable. In that sense, it doesn't take us away from creation, but rather forces us to redefine it."
New conditions for contemporary creative work
Perhaps the biggest change is not technological, but the production and market conditions in which the creative process occurs today. In an era of democratization of tools and technologies that were once available to a narrow number of professionals and production systems, the realization of ideas is now much faster and more operationally accessible. However, in parallel with this, the complexity of the content market itself is growing - in the space of hyperproduction and constant availability of information, the visibility, distribution and positioning of content are becoming as important as the production itself.
As Tina Bjelobrković points out, creativity today no longer occurs in isolation.
"Creativity today is not an isolated act, but the result of an ecosystem – teams, tools, information and the context in which it arises. Speed and accessibility have become key, but equally important is the space that enables the exchange of ideas and collaboration. It is precisely such conditions that often make the difference between a good and an exceptional idea."
CIM Forum and Montenegrin Telekom as a space for connecting industries
At a time when creativity, technology and communications are increasingly developing together, platforms like the CIM Forum today have a much broader role than the event itself. Their importance increasingly lies in connecting different industries and opening up space for understanding the changes shaping modern digital society.
Through such development, cooperation with Montenegrin Telekom has also grown over the years.
As Tina Bjelobrković explains, this is a partnership that over time has gone beyond the framework of classic support for the event.
"The partnership with Crnogorski Telekom has been one of the key foundations of the development of CIM Forum from the very beginning. What this cooperation has enabled goes beyond classic support - it is a long-term strategic partnership that has provided stability, continuity and space for ambitious growth."
Thanks to such support, over the past five years, CIM Forum has managed to bring in relevant speakers and panelists from the region and the world, raise current topics and follow contemporary industry trends. More importantly, Telekom has recognized the importance of creating a platform that connects creativity and technology – which is one of the key industry topics today. What may not be visible at first glance, but is strongly felt, is the development of community and standards. It is precisely through partnerships like these that CIM Forum has grown into a credible regional event that not only follows changes, but actively shapes them.
In a time when creativity is increasingly created through connection, cooperation and knowledge exchange, it is precisely partnerships like these that confirm how interconnected communications, technology and creative industries are today, and how much the new infrastructure of contemporary creation is being shaped precisely at their intersection.
(Montenegro Telekom)
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