Territorial Challenges for Cultural and Creative Industries’ Contribution to Sustainable Innovation: Evidence from the Interreg Project DIVA Ita-Slo

This article articulates the outcomes of the spatial survey of an EU Interreg-funded project titled “Development of Innovation Eco-Systems and Value Chains: Supporting Cross-Border Innovation through Creative Industries” (DIVA). The study mapped cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in the transborder area comprising the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and the western region of Slovenia. The study applied both quantitative and qualitative place-based methodologies and drew theoretically from economics, urbanism, and interactionism. The results include a webapp quantifying and describing CCIs spread in the transborder area and a SWOT analysis of firms’ geographies for potential collaboration between CCIs and traditional SMEs (small and medium enterprises). It is argued that the cultural and creative sectors are relevant to the social and economic development of cities and regions, and act as drivers of innovation. The interconnected network of local enterprises (CCIs-SMEs) also goes in the direction of promoting a sustainable territorial development, enhancing enrooted resources. Additionally, it considers how CCIs different localization patterns, both clustered and sprawled, can influence and shape possible collaboration degrees at transborder regional level. Thus, this paper advocates for more integrated policymaking that considers the spatial distribution and territorial localization of CCIs alongside their socio-economic dimensions.