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Creativity, cities and innovation

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Lee, Neil
  • Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés

Abstract

The creative industries have long been seen as an innovative sector. More recent research posits that creative occupations are also a fundamental, but overlooked, driver of innovation. Theory also suggests cities are important for both creative industries and occupations, with urban environments helping firms innovate. Yet little empirical work has considered the links between creative industries, occupations, cities and innovation at the firm level. This paper addresses this gap using a sample of over 9,000 UK SMEs. Our results stress that creative industries firms are more likely to introduce original product innovations, but not those learnt from elsewhere. Creative occupations, however, appear a more robust general driver of innovation. We find no support for the hypothesis that urban creative industries firms are particularly innovative. However, creative occupations are used in cities to introduce product innovations learnt elsewhere. The results suggest future work needs to seriously consider the importance of occupations in empirical studies of innovation.

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File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/48758/1/MPRA_paper_48758.pdf
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 48758.

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Date of creation: Jul 2013
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:48758
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Keywords: Innovation; Creative Industries; Creative Occupations; Cities; Learning;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by 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
  • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
  • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
  • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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References listed on IDEAS
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  8. repec:taf:eurpls:v:19:y:2010:i:4:p:555-574 is not listed on IDEAS
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  11. Rune Dahl Fitjar & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "When local interaction does not suffice: sources of firm innovation in urban Norway," Chapters,in: Regional Development and Proximity Relations, chapter 5, pages 195-222 Edward Elgar Publishing.
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  16. Coad, Alex & Rao, Rekha, 2008. "Innovation and firm growth in high-tech sectors: A quantile regression approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 633-648, May.
  17. Andy C Pratt, 2006. "Advertising and creativity, a governance approach: a case study of creative agencies in London," Environment and Planning A, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 38(10), pages 1883-1899, October.
  18. Tara Vinodrai, 2012. "Design in a downturn? Creative work, labour market dynamics and institutions in comparative perspective," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 6(1), pages 159-176.
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  21. Roberta Comunian & Alessandra Faggian & Qian Cher Li, 2010. "Unrewarded careers in the creative class: The strange case of bohemian graduates," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(2), pages 389-410, 06.
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  23. Ann Markusen, 2006. "Urban development and the politics of a creative class: evidence from a study of artists," Environment and Planning A, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 38(10), pages 1921-1940, October.
  24. Mark Freel & Richard Harrison, 2006. "Innovation and cooperation in the small firm sector: Evidence from 'Northern Britain'," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 289-305.
  25. Gernot Grabher, 2001. "Ecologies of creativity: the Village, the Group, and the heterarchic organisation of the British advertising industry," Environment and Planning A, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 33(2), pages 351-374, February.
  26. Kevin Stolarick & Richard Florida, 2006. "Creativity, connections and innovation: a study of linkages in the Montréal Region," Environment and Planning A, Pion Ltd, London, vol. 38(10), pages 1799-1817, October.
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Cited by:

  1. repec:eee:soceps:v:58:y:2017:i:c:p:22-29 is not listed on IDEAS
  2. Neil Lee & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "Innovation in Creative Cities: Evidence from British Small Firms," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(6), pages 494-512, August.
  3. Neil Lee & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2014. "Innovation in creative cities: Evidence from British small firms," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1422, Utrecht University, Section of Economic Geography, revised Nov 2014.
  4. Stephan Brunow & Bastian Stockinger, 2013. "Establishments' and Regions' Cultural Diversity as a Source of Innovation: Evidence from Germany," Norface Discussion Paper Series 2013022, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.

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