Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

10nisms to articulate tailor-made policies to stimulate creativity,creative capacities and innovation. Efforts should be madeto improve the competitiveness of those creative productswith the best chance to compete in major markets. Certainlycreative products are not commodities. Creative goods andservices are special because they have symbolic meaning; theyexpress cultural identity and should have a touch of specificityto bring differentiation and diversity. Developing countrieshave been struggling to retain policy space to be able toshape national policies for enhancing their creative industries.There is fierce competition from large conglomerates,particularly in the area of audiovisuals and new media, butthe world is changing and new opportunities should beseized for new markets and new products.At the national level, the role of governments is moreas a facilitator. Policymakers are expected to create a conduciveclimate and provide the necessary infrastructure tostimulate concerted and mutually supportive domestic policies.Institutions, regulations and mechanisms should be putin place. This will be the foundation for attracting investorsand creative business from the private sector. It is the role ofgovernment to ensure that the “creative nexus” (see chapter8) will be able to function as a virtuous circle, able to inducethe positive externalities of the creative sector in the overalleconomy. Table 10.1 summarizes some elements of a broadnational framework and the different levels of action andareas to reinforce public policies, identifying expected objectivesand steps toward harnessing the creative economy fordevelopment gains.Lessons learned and policy optionsTable 10.1Policy levelMicroMesoCreative industries policy optionsObjectiveAnalysis and mapping of the economic and socialimpact of the creative industries.Supporting creative SMEs.Comparative analysis of the relationship betweenthe creative and the related industries.OptionSituational analysis of value-chain cycles, review of the (non)existing sectoralpolicies and the ecology peculiar to each creative industry.Creative SMEs development initiatives: financial and fiscal support, businessskills training, tools for start-up businesses and market strategies.Establish creative clusters and creative-industry infrastructures to motivatebest practices, sharing of knowledge and absorb the informal sector.Organize networking and sectoral associations; facilitate partnerships,joint ventures involving different stakeholders including NGOs and academia.Expand the use of ICTs and promote the use of other new technologiesto benefit from new business models in all stages of the creative chain.Identify crucial interfaces and intermediaries among all constituents.MacroEstablishment of an informed, evidence-basedpolicymaking system.Set up a monitoring system and collect necessary information to identify themost appropriate models.Distinguish the gap between national statistics and real market activities forassessment tools.Cross-departmental institutional mechanisms.Set up a multidisciplinary centre or an inter-ministerial task force to facilitatecoordination among different departments, such as culture, trade, finance,tourism, labour, technology, education and migration.Socio-economic development.Identify the uniqueness, strengths and weaknesses of local creative industriesand opportunities for international trade.Examine the limitations of existing copyright schemes and other IPRs and implementan appropriate competition law.Promote cultural diversity and social inclusion policies, particular tailored for theyouth and women.Creation of national identities.Apply creative industries “branding” as a national strategy to promote image.MetaAnalysis of the long-term impact of creativeindustries.Analyse the changes in aesthetics, lifestyle, commodification over a long periodand their impact on national strategies.Source: UNCTAD.262 CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010