Abstract
This article is aimed at describing the cultural and creative (CC) economy in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR). It provides a basis for discussions regarding this part of the economy, and the policy choices which affect it. Analysing the number of firms, turnover, value added or employment for the period 2008-2014 we observe that the share of the CC economy in Brussels remained larger than in Flanders and Wallonia, but this share has also decreased more quickly than in both other regions. The parts of the CC economy in Brussels which have been more resilient distinguish themselves through high value added per worker. This is the case in particular for sectors with a strong cultural and creative content, such as performing arts, the audiovisual sector and advertising and architecture. These activities are also the ones which make Brussels stand out with respect to the other regions. Regional differences, in particular for sectors such as the audiovisual sector, might be explained by the more urban character of Brussels compared to the other regions and by its role as capital.
Highlights
Many studies have instead focused on measuring the cultural and creative industry’s size and structure and Brussels Studies, Collection générale documenting its evolution over time
Using a standard sectoral delineation approach, we show that the cultural and creative (CC) economy is larger in Brussels as a share of the economy than it is in the other regions of Belgium
CC economies have always been closely connected to urban settings
Summary
Brussels Studies , Collection générale documenting its evolution over time. These “mapping studies” [Nesta, 2016] aim at giving an overview of national or regional creative capacity and informing policy discussions. Such studies have praised the CC economy’s ability to innovate [Lee and Rodríguez-Pose, 2013] and have called it one of Europe’s most dynamic sectors [EY, 2014]. Some studies have presented a downward economic development for the CC economy [TERA Consultants, 2014, Eurostat, 2016]. According to Eurostat [2016], the value added generated by cultural enterprises at EU level as well as their turnover have dropped: in most EU member states, the cultural sector in 2013 had yet to return to 2008 performance levels. Defining the cultural and creative economy not perfect, it is used here. Numbers prior to 2008 should be interpreted with caution, though comparisons across the other years and regions are fully valid
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