Abstract
Recent research shows increasing efforts to unfold the potential of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) for regions in order to pursue new sources of innovation, competitive edge and to manifest sustainable and inclusive growth paths driven by creativity. Due to its strong commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, on the global level, the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has become a role model in sustainable development. Yet, individual BSR countries face challenges in the implementation of those goals. In this light, by building on the intermediate results (2017–2020) of two EU Interreg projects—Creative Ports and CTCC—this research reveals CCIs’ potential for sustainable development avenues. The investigation is based on case study methodology underpinned by empirical data gathered from participating Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and topical experts met during the projects’ implementation and study visits. The present multi-project applied research reduces the research-to-practice gap pertaining to the so far underestimated role of CCIs for supporting traditional SMEs in the implementation of their sustainable ideas. Once engaged into cross-sectoral collaboration with traditional SMEs, CCIs become important brokers—sustainable innovation drivers and enablers within regional ecosystems through contribution to environmentally responsible, socially equitable and economically feasible solutions for the business they work with. Thus, on the one hand, CCIs support SMEs in their transition towards more sustainable managerial performance. On the other hand, CCIs overcome disconnection and increase their recognition through new collaboration opportunities, thus providing them with new capitalization avenues on the regional and international level.
Highlights
Scholars around the globe have intensively studied Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) within the last 20 years due their economic growth potential and their positive impact on innovation, regional competitiveness, identity and, more recently, resilience.Despite growing research and policy interests, there is still no unified definition on CCIs, followed by missing clarity about term use, little explanation and continuous inconsistency and confusion in using corresponding definitions [1]
The present research was conducted in the frame of two EU regional development projects in the given regional setting, which embraces the precincts of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) as one of the key macro-regions in the EU and comprises its little fellow—the South Baltic Sea Region (SBSR)
The present study aims at answering the research and practical question on how CCIs can be successfully engaged as creative brokers in diverse collaboration frameworks and enable creativitydriven sustainable regional growth? What are key patterns of creativity-driven sustainable innovation and sustainable transition in the BSR? How can CCIs’ potential be anchored and in which areas of performance? By answering these questions, the present research postulates itself somewhere on the crossroads of traditional innovation development and a growing interest on CCIs’ catalyst and brokerage effects in the regional nexus—would they act as drivers, connectors or integrators for the purpose of sustainable innovation development and search of problem/idea solutions of economic agents
Summary
Scholars around the globe have intensively studied Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) within the last 20 years due their economic growth potential and their positive impact on innovation, regional competitiveness, identity and, more recently, resilience.Despite growing research and policy interests, there is still no unified definition on CCIs, followed by missing clarity about term use, little explanation and continuous inconsistency and confusion in using corresponding definitions [1]. UNESCO defines CCIs as “sectors of organized activity whose principal purpose is the production or reproduction, promotion, distribution and/or commercialization of goods, services and activities of a cultural, artistic or heritage-related nature”. Bearing in mind this holistic definition, UNESCO itself acknowledges the elasticity of this definition and pinpoints its localization potential depending either on national, regional or local needs, as well as policy and development discourses [2]. This definition enables us to position the notion of CCIs within the given policy and research realm. In total, 11 sub-sectors belong to CCIs, among them counting visual arts, performance arts, heritage, film and video, television, radio, games (including software), books and press, design, advertising and architecture [3]
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