The roles of creative industries in regional innovation and knowledge transfer - the case of Austria

Creative Industries are regarded as one of the most promising economic sectors with high potential to contribute to local and regional wealth and jobs creation. Thus, the settlement of creative industries firms is an important location, image and economic development factor for the competitiveness of a region. This article presents findings of a study for the third Austrian creative industries report on the role of the creative industries in the innovation system and cross-sectoral knowledge transfer. It starts with a definition of the sector in relation to the "Three-sector-model" of creative industries and then uses the systems of innovation approach to further explain the innovation activities of creative industries firms and its impacts on the regional knowledge-base and competitiveness. A summary of the main results of the company survey carried out for the study concentrates on the economic significance, innovativeness and role within regional knowledge transfer in creative firms. It shows that the creative industries, characterised by a rather small-scale company structure and flexible work design obtain new ideas and approaches principally through the mobility of freelance employees. As creative industries make a decisive contribution to the competitiveness of the national innovation system, finally the consequences and challenges for regional innovation policies are outlined, which aim at the improvement of the framework conditions for creative industries.