A mediapark in Brussels? The media industry and its regional dynamics

This synopsis analyses from a media cluster perspective the characteristics of the media industry in Brussels and assesses the implications for the major policy intervention of the Government of the Brussels Capital Region in this industry: the mediapark.brussels project, a 10-year urban and property development at Reyers. The mediapark.brussels project aims at creating a media cluster at the current side of the two Belgian public broadcasters (RTBF and VRT) by constructing a whole new area that includes new buildings, housing, commercial facilities and park areas. Our study is based on quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources. It explores the concept of media clusters beyond its basic definition as the geographical concentration of media organisations and workers, drawing upon different disciplines and fields of study (such as media studies, policy, journalism and organizational learning). Our research results shed light on several clustering configurations in Brussels’ media industry, highlight the diversity of the media workforce, and offer an overview of different models and activities of worker communities. The current policy framework for the mediapark.brussels project is outlined. The insights gained are used to assess the possible strategies for the project, considering that in Belgium media is a competence of the Communities and not of the Government of the Brussels Capital Region. We discuss a series of tensions that manifest themselves in the development of mediapark.brussels: a tension between an urban or a cultural development, a tension between a local or an international perspective, and a tension between a wide-spectrum or a specialized media cluster.