4. Creativity, innovation and territory

Cities and regions have emerged as the unit of reference in a globalized economic system where the competitive game has shifted to the territorial level. With entrepreneurial success often linked to them, business clusters are more popular and interesting than ever. Looking at creativity and innovation on a territorial scale also means understanding the interactions between the economic and cultural spheres that make up a territory. Indeed, economic activity is fertilized and shaped by the history, cultures and institutions inherent to a given territory.

The shift from a knowledge-based economy to a creativity-based economy means that business, science, technology, art and culture are strongly intertwined, so the nature and modalities of public policies aimed at stimulating innovation within a territory need to be considered differently. Indeed, understanding institutional...