The coordination of export promotion networks for the creative industries

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the different approaches used by three countries that are successfully supporting the internationalisation of their creative industries. The study departs from several contributions in the areas of export promotion and public networks and adopts an interorganisational perspective, focusing on network coordination. The research was based on three case studies: design in the UK, filmmaking in Colombia and the creative industries in South Korea. The data analysis used case description, within-case analysis and cross-case analysis. The results showed that the three countries have adopted markedly different coordination systems to ensure cooperation among a number of public and private entities that offer export promotion services and support and that both the centralisation of export promotion activities and the coordination of a network of institutions may work satisfactorily. However, each approach serves different purposes, given each country's cultural and economic context.