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Starving the golden goose? Access to finance for innovators in the creative industries

Author

Listed:
  • Salvatore Di Novo

    (Newcastle University)

  • Giorgio Fazio

    (Newcastle University
    University of Palermo)

  • Jonathan Sapsed

    (Newcastle University)

  • Josh Siepel

    (SPRU, University of Sussex)

Abstract

This paper extends research on innovating firms’ access to finance in the creative industries. While we know that entrepreneurial firms experience barriers to applying for funding and difficulties in securing positive outcomes, prior studies have shown that firms may use patents to signal innovative quality to potential investors. Yet these studies typically focus on R&D-oriented innovation in ‘traditional’ technological sectors. Creative industries firms have different innovation characteristics that may influence the funding process, including the uncertainty of content-based product markets, the highly-imbalanced information asymmetries between creative entrepreneurs and conservative investors, and the symbolic and intangible nature of their innovations. Using the UK‘s Creative Industries Council‘s unique cross-sectional survey data of 575 firms we analyse the extent to which innovating firms seek to apply to and achieve funding from a wide range of potential sources. We find little evidence that prior innovative activities provide a meaningful signal, positive or negative, to potential funders for creative industries firms. This suggests that the highly intangible and symbolic nature of innovation in creative industries businesses is unreliable as an indicator of quality. The reliance of owners on personal capital is congruent with recent literature on the high levels of social and personal capital among workers in the creative industries. We suggest that the specific challenges creative firms face may be addressed through new financial and policy instruments to feed and sustain these high-growth, innovating industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Salvatore Di Novo & Giorgio Fazio & Jonathan Sapsed & Josh Siepel, 2022. "Starving the golden goose? Access to finance for innovators in the creative industries," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 46(2), pages 345-386, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jculte:v:46:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10824-022-09448-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10824-022-09448-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Ellen Loots & Diana Betzler & Trine Bille & Karol Jan Borowiecki & Boram Lee, 2022. "New forms of finance and funding in the cultural and creative industries. Introduction to the special issue," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 46(2), pages 205-230, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Access to finance; Creative industries; Innovation policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services

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