Path renewal dynamics in the Kyoto kimono cluster: how to revitalize cultural heritage through digitalization

Abstract

ABSTRACT The digitalization of cultural heritage is crucial for revamping the creative and cultural sectors during a period of stagnation. This work is about the revitalization of the Kyoto kimono cluster through digitalization, which initiated a new exaptive development path for a declining cluster. A growing community of economic geographers and regional scientists has begun to discuss regional path development beyond related and unrelated diversification. We focus on path renewal, which involves major change of a path into a new direction based on new technologies or organizational innovations. Existing knowledge and skills in a region are combined in new ways and may be linked to relevant extra-regional knowledge to provide new knowledge, enabling innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The process encompasses the intentional and serendipitous actions of individual entrepreneurs (firm-level) and networks of systemic configurations (system-level). A narrative approach is used to capture the path renewal dynamics in the Kyoto kimono cluster.