Culture and creativity as drivers of Local Sustainable Economic Development: the Apulian SAC case

Purpose - This paper presents new empirical evidence for a renewed regional policy aimed at promoting local sustainable economic development (LSED) able to overcome the standard approach of simple marshallian externalities (e.g., cultural districts). Specifically, according to Mazzuccato (2013, 2015), we believe that a confident and patient "entrepreneurial regional authority" is needed to take on the early, capital-intensive stages of the value chains characterized by higher risks and uncertainty (R&D, creativity, etc.). This renewed role for the public authorities - that goes beyond the steady state assumption of fixing market failures - is particularly needed in those areas where unfavorable wage gaps actually hamper agglomeration and private firms are reluctant in promoting long-run investments. Operationally, we present some case studies of the ongoing process concerning the development of "Environmental and Cultural Systems" (ECS) in the Apulia Region. A preliminary set of policy recommendations are depicted in the conclusions. Design/methodology/approach - Firstly, after a brief introduction of the notion of smile curve, we propose a new conceptual framework to assess the complex links between culture/creativity and LSED overcoming the standard approach of simple marshallian externalities (e.g., cultural districts). Then, we focus on the Apulian SAC case studies to assess the actual degree of coherence of the on-going process with the above framework as well as its preliminary achievements on the local territories (e.g., social and cultural capital, entrepreneurship, management, etc.). Lastly, we propose a first set of recommendations to be considered in defining the Apulia Region 2014-2020 policies for the development of Environmental and Cultural Systems" (ECS) and creative industry Originality/value - The added value of this paper stands in proposing a new conceptual framework able to link culture/creativity and local development as well as an empirical applications by assessing some case studies of the Apulian Environmental and Cultural Systems" (ECS) in the framework of 2007-13 regional planning process. Practical implications - The outcomes of the paper will be the following: a new conceptual framework for a cultural-based LSED; an empirical assessment of one of the pillar of the Apulian regional planning process in the framework of the ERDF 2007-13; a set of policy recommendations for the new 2014-20 EU regional planning process.