Networks, collaboration and knowledge exchange in creative industries: a comparative analysis of Brisbane and Shenzhen

Abstract

This paper explores an expanding area of policy interest: the networks and collaboration mechanisms between universities and creative industries actors in cities. While much is known about such relationships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), they remain taken for granted and under researched in the creative industries. We argue that they are pivotal for different domains of research and policy, notably, cultural policy, higher education, innovation systems, and regional development. To that end, this paper aims to open up consideration of these relationships which we argue 1) stimulate innovation and 2) make broader contributions to local communities and economic regeneration via a creative economy approach. Using the Triple Helix framework, we explore university-industry-governemnt relationships and knowledge exchange mechanisms via a comparative analysis of two creative industries case cities: Shenzhen, China and Brisbane, Australia. Despite differences in certain important respects the two cities have both adopted creative industries policy frameworks. We found important differences between the cases in the roles and relative strength of the three sectoral actors. This study also shows a need for strategic incentives to foster collective capacity and governance interventions as a push to broker relationships that were not there before. Focussing on boundary spanning we also argue that cultural policy should have formal mechanisms and informal interactions to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem based on knowledge exchange.

Keywords:

• Creative industries
• Triple Helix
• knowledge exchange
• boundary spanners

Acknowledgments

We thank the interview participants in Brisbane and Shenzhen for their helpful insights and comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 1 This concept was initially introduced by Leydesdorff and Etzkowitz (1995). It encompasses three key aspects: three components of universities, industries, and governments; relationships of knowledge exchange through UIG partnership; and functions of production, diffusion and innovation (Ranga & Etzkowitz, 2013).

2 Due to the COVID 19 impact, Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) finished operating since 2020, though QUT continues to execute the agenda through other entities such as QUT Entrepreneurship.

3 2 Good Time Entertainment Block is an offline entertainment social platform created by Idreamsky and Tencent. They cooperated with some other leading companies in Shenzhen such as OCT Cultural Group to jointly promote the innovation and integration of the cultural industries development in the region.