OPEN INNOVATION IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES. DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL MODEL

Innovation, creativity, and human capital play a pivotal role in the emergence, development, and evolution of creative industries, which continuously contribute significantly to various economies at local, regional, and national levels. Recognizing the importance of enhancing their performance, most businesses within creative industries have come to realize the necessity of major changes in their business models, with a focus on the environment. Nowadays, the adoption of an "open sustainability innovation" approach is a source of strategic advantage for companies, this approach combining elements of sustainability, innovation, and collaboration with external partners to address environmental and social challenges. Such approach in the creative industries can also play a crucial role in driving sustainability and innovation while reducing the environment footprint of creative endeavors. By engaging with their audiences and consumers in co-creating sustainable products, its not only about fostering a sense of ownership but also its about ensuring that the final products or services meet the environmental expectations of target audience. Through open innovation, creative industries can discover new ways to reduce waste in production processes, use eco-friendly materials, and minimize their carbon footprint. Thus, by embracing collaboration, diversity, and a commitment to evinronmentally friendly practices, in their turn, creative industries can also contribute to a more sustainable and eco-conscious future. In this context, there is a growing demand for international research that provides exemplary practices and successful business models to emulate. To address this requirement, the authors have proposed a comprehensive conceptual model as the initial foundation. The primary objective is to subject this conceptual model to further scrutiny within creative ecosystems to ascertain the impact of an open innovation approach on its performance. By investigating these dimensions, this paper seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of open innovation's influence on creative industries and provide actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers alike.