Barriers to the development of creative clusters in Poland

Abstract

Creativity is one of the factors promoting the development of urban centres. Its significance provokes discussion on issues such as the creative city, creative industries and creative clusters, and it contributes to the increased demand for multidisciplinary research on economic, social and artistic policy. The paper is devoted to creative industries clusters located in Poland. Its main goal is to identify the factors that hinder the operation of the analysed clusters. The observed factors are broken down into endogenous and exogenous ones, as well as into those that emerged during cluster mobilization and others which surfaced later during the clusters' existence. The survey was conducted among creative cluster coordinators, using computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) and computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). The results show that most of the problems mentioned by respondents are internal factors, of which the most important one is a misunderstanding of the idea of clustering and the resulting reluctance to share knowledge, as well as the dominance of competition over cooperation, frowned-upon movements of employees between cluster participants, and the consequent diminished trust. External barriers were revealed mainly in further periods of the clusters' operation. The most important of them was a dependence on external funding. Respondents pointed to a lack of interest on the part of local government units, which makes it difficult to build a properly functioning triple helix. It should also be added that cluster policy in Poland has been moving away from clusters understood in geographical terms where spatial concentration and economic specialization were the key features. Currently, cluster policy is directed more towards managing cluster structures.

Dynamic Villages in the Hinterland of a Polycentric Region: Case Study of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis in Poland

“…The presented research results should be considered in a broader context of the current socio-economic processes relating to rural development opportunities. In recent decades, the influence of metropolisation and globalization on socio-economic processes was particularly important in the countries of Central Europe [69][70][71][72][73][74]. Strong connections between the examined rural communes and the GZM towns of various sizes were observed.…”

Using the potential of the creative economy to restore Ukraine

“…The creative economy is a broader sector that goes beyond traditional arts and cultural industries and includes more interrelated activities and sub-industries. It has the potential to be recognized by other international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, various organizations of the UN system, and national, regional, and local authorities and institutions around the world (Bakulina and Sobko [2018] and Namyślak [2020]).…”

“…The topic of transition of society to a creative economy and the consideration of the creative industry as a system-forming factor of social, urban, and regional development are developed and studied by many scientists, including works analyzing the growth of the creative economy in Poland (Dudek-Mańkowska and Grochowski [2019], and Namyślak [2020]). This country has many conditions similar to Ukraine.…”

Development conditions for creative clusters in Poland in view of institutional environment factors

“…Jankowska & Götz, 2017) which proved to be higher than in companies that do not participate in a cluster initiative. In turn, B. Namyślak analyzed the barriers hindering the formation and operation of creative clusters in Poland (Namyślak, 2020). The example of Poland was also described by Bialic-Davendra et al (2016) who focused on the condition and operating strategies of creative clusters in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).…”

“…The analysis of manager's responses allows to draw a conclusion that it is primarily internal factors that are the main obstacles to cluster development (Figure 1). Most barriers arise due to a lack of experience in setting up and managing such structures (Namyślak, 2020). An excessive number of members was the problem referred to most often as a hindrance in managing the cluster structure.…”