This report reviews how policymakers can use data to measure and support the growth of creative clusters.

Key findings

• Policymakers can analyse in which industries creative talent is employed to define the creative industries.
• Rigorous measurement helps legitimise new and fast-changing industries, like the creative industries.
• Local policymakers can use data and interactive data tools to help grow creative clusters.

Rigorous classification and measurement can play a powerful role in industrial development through legitimising new and emerging parts of the economy.

This report illustrates how measurement of the creative economy has given policymakers a detailed understanding of the creative economy and the nature of its economic contribution. It illustrates that the recent expansion in data sets and analytical toolkits permits an even richer understanding: beyond legitimation, it shows how data can play an active role in local creative cluster development.

Author

Hasan Bakhshi