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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Jonathan Sapsed
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Springer New York LLC, 2021.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are increasingly being recognised in South Africa, as in other countries, as wealth-creating, given appropriate investment, rather than primarily a non-market subsidized sector. However, national innovation policy is still predominantly focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skillsets and related product markets. This paper analyses how the CCIs in the Cape Town cluster innovate by combining digital technology, creative inputs, and workforce diversity. Based on a similar study conducted in Brighton, UK, a cluster of innovative CCI firms was identified that are to varying degrees “fused”, defined as combining digital technology and creative design in production. Fused firms have higher levels of innovation in business processes, goods and ser- vices. Fused firms were also more likely to employ demographically diverse people, adding insights from the South African mix to the UK studies on disciplinary diver- sity. While fused creative-digital firms employ greater diversity, a qualitative analy- sis of SA gaming and animation firms nevertheless demonstrates the challenges for improving diversity in a developing country context.
Author(s): Snowball J, Tarenthal D, Sapsed J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Cultural Economics
Year: 2021
Volume: 45
Pages: 705-733
Print publication date: 30/12/2021
Online publication date: 22/05/2021
Acceptance date: 30/04/2021
Date deposited: 10/12/2021
ISSN (print): 0885-2545
ISSN (electronic): 1573-6997
Publisher: Springer New York LLC
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-021-09420-9
DOI: 10.1007/s10824-021-09420-9
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