Abstract
Spain is one of the European countries that have been strongly hit by the 2008–2009 economic and financial crisis. During the expansion period (2000–2007), the strength of GDP growth stemmed from an important increase in the country’s real estate sector. However, this model proved to be highly unsustainable after 2007 when the rise in unemployment rates and the decrease in GDP growth contributed to one of the toughest economic periods in the country’s history. The need to foster alternatives to the existing economic structure has become evident in Spain, even more so in cities and regions, particularly those concentrating a high percentage of economic activity. Creative and knowledge sectors have been the target of many programmes and policies since the crisis, some focusing on existing traditions and pathways, others targeting completely new and emergent specialisations. This chapter will analyse the economic performance of four city-regions in Spain, namely, Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, and Valencia, in terms of the significance of creative and knowledge sectors for their economies. A fundamental question drives our research: To what extent are these new patterns of economic growth, based on creativity and knowledge, able to compensate for the economic downturn in terms of unemployment and economic development in Spain? In order to answer this, a three-axis model (actors, pathways, and policies) will underpin the analysis of creative- and knowledge-based examples in the four city-regions selected, considering three different categories: bottom-up, top-down, and bottom-linked. The chapter uses secondary data for aggregate economic indicators in addition to qualitative data such as interviews with relevant actors, including policy-makers and representatives of creative and knowledge company workers and managers in the four city-regions considered.
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Notes
- 1.
The UK’s definition of the creative industries (‘those industries that are based on individual creativity, skill and talent with the potential to create wealth and jobs through developing intellectual property’) includes 13 sectors: advertising, architecture, the art and antiques market, crafts, design, designer fashion, film, interactive leisure software (i.e. video games), music, the performing arts, publishing, software, and television and radio.
- 2.
Defining creative and knowledge sectors: creative industries – publishing, architecture, arts/antiques trade, designer fashion, video, film, music and photography, music and the visual and performing arts, advertising, computer games, software and electronic publishing, radio and television; knowledge-based industries – information and communication technology, finance, law and other business services, R&D and higher education.
- 3.
Due to methodological problems (lack of available data for city-regions), data used in this section refer to the Autonomous Communities (A.C.) (Catalonia, the Basque Country, Madrid, and Valencia), our four case studies being their capitals.
- 4.
Valencia was conquered by the Aragonese crown and repopulated by Catalans in the Middle Ages, remaining part of the Aragonese Kingdom until its integration into the Spanish state.
- 5.
We refer here to the tourism industry and the celebration of events and meetings that bring business visitors to the city.
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Pareja-Eastaway, M., Pradel i Miquel, M. (2017). Multiple Endeavours Towards New Patterns of Economic Growth: The Case of Creative and Knowledge Industries in Spain. In: Chapain, C., Stryjakiewicz, T. (eds) Creative Industries in Europe. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56497-5_7
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