Do Creative Industries Cluster? Mapping Creative Local Production Systems in Italy and Spain

An important debate on the role of creativity and culture as factors in local economic development is distinctly emerging. Despite the emphasis put on the theoretical definition of these concepts, it is necessary to strengthen comparative research for the identification and analysis of the kind of creativity embedded in a given territory. Creative local production systems are identified, in Italy and Spain, that depart from local labour markets as territorial units and focus on two different kinds of creative industries: traditional cultural industries (publishing, music, architecture and engineering, performing arts) and technology‐related creative industries (R&D, ICT, advertising). The results show a concentration of creative industries in the largest urban systems, although different patterns of concentration of creative industries are revealed between the two countries.