Economic Impact Assessment: the creative sector in the Western Region

Introduction.
Developments around the globe are re-defining media, arts and other related sectors as
‘creative industries’ which are being recognised for their potential impact on local and
national economies. This economic impact assessment builds on previous work
commissioned by the Western Development Commission and contends that artistic and
cultural activities are not simple by-products of a developed economy but essential elements
of economic success and sustainability. Such activities represent alternate forms of
expression of human creativity that encourage lateral thinking and thus complement
scientific and technological innovation. As we will see, these activities lie at the core of a
number of growing sectors in the region, and contribute directly to employment growth and
wealth creation2.
Internationally, the case for fostering the creative economy is a convincing one. In the ten
years up to 2005, the creative economy grew at twice the annual rate of the service
industries and four times the rate of manufacturing in OECD countries3. In Europe, the
growth of the cultural and creative sector was 12.3% higher than the growth of the overall
economy from 1999 to 2003. From an economic perspective, international trade is a key
component, from 2000 – 2005, trade in creative-industry products grew on average by 8.7%
annually. These figures have grabbed the attention of policy makers here and abroad.
This report was commissioned by the Western Development Commission (WDC) in July 2010
to consider the economic impact of the Creative Economy in the Western Region of Ireland4.
It builds on previous work carried out by Oxford Economics and the WDC. That work,
published as the Creative West document in early 2009 informed a great deal of debate at
the regional and national level. This work attempts to add a dynamic element to what was a
snapshot of the sector.