30 years later. A renewal of cultural economics?

The Cultural economics is now a mature field and, in a context of digitization bringing about far-reaching changes, a laboratory for the rest of the economy. Because of this iconic character and by extending to the creative industries, it has been the focus of increasing attention on the part of public authorities as well as academic. This emphasis is based on the importance of creative intangible assets as a growth factor for the rest of the economy and the local development. It illustrates the new sharing of value between content providers and distributors. The paper examines how the extension of the field of culture has developed hand in hand with the introduction of new methodological approaches and substitute the concept of cultural activities for creative industries. It highlights how digital technologies support the rising importance of platforms for the distribution and access of cultural goods and services. These evolutions lead to a change in the definition and the priorities of public policies and call for the provocative question: does cultural economics still exist?