Creative hubs and cluster policies in The Netherlands

Dr. Erik Hitters, Associate Professor

10.05.2017

Across Europe growth of creative clusters,

hubs and complexes

What is creative cluster policy and what

does is seek to achieve?

Dutch context of creative cluster policy

design;

Examples of creative cluster policies in

NL;

Observations and conclusions

De Vasim, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

The multipurpose creative cluster policy

De Vasim, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

- Tapping into the “new creative economy”

- Redevelopment of residual industrial

zones (Heebels & Van Aalst 2010)

- Innovation spillovers and other ‘Porterian’

benefits (Porter 2000)

- Tourism, events, branding ‘creative cities’

- Panacea to implement broader city

expansion and regeneration plans.

Objectives for CI clustering policies (Evans 2009a)

Strijp-S, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Clusters

Strijp-S, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Clusters

Reintegration of the social in

industrial production.

Cultural/creative clusters as the

new norm in cultural production.

Strijp-S, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Creative cluster policies in the Dutch context

Strijp-S, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Creative cluster policies in the Dutch context

• The creative industries cluster

is often seen as a sectoral

cluster, i.e. non spatial

(“topsector’’).

• Few examples of broader

cluster based integrated

policies

Media Valley: Hilversum, Amsterdam Utrecht area

Gelderland Region, including fashion industries in Arnhem

Amsterdam: integrated creative industries cluster strategy including metropolitan region

Honig Fabriek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

The scale issue

Honig Fabriek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

The scale issue

However:

Most city-regional policies in this

area adopt a local place based

focus on quarter or site based

developments and clusters

Our project on small scale clsuters in 10 CBC’s in NL

1. Belcanto – Haarlem

2. Bink 36 - Den Haag

3. Creative Factory / Maassilo - Rotterdam

4. De Gruyterfabriek - Den Bosch

5. De Vasim - Nijmegen

6. Dutch Game Garden - Utrecht

7. Hazemeijer - Hengelo

8. Honig Fabriek - Koog aan de Zaan

9. Klein Haarlem / De Greiner – Haarlem

10. Strijp S – Eindhoven

16

Evans (2009) typology of creative clusters

1. Mono-Cultural Industry Production – vertical dis/integration, e.g.

TV/film & music post-production and studios, new media, textiles,

ceramics

2. Plural-Cultural Industry Production – horizontal integration, e.g.

managed workspaces, visual arts, architecture and design,

multimedia, crafts/designer-making, performing arts, arts/resource

centres

3. Cultural Production-Consumption – open studios, art markets, e.g.

Spitalfields, Whitechapel, E.London), events/festivals (e.g. festival

marketplace waterfronts – Baltimore, Barcelona, Toronto, Temple

Bar Dublin, Bankside London

4. Cultural Consumption – retail (fashion, computing/electronics), street

markets (antique, crafts, food); arts & entertainment venues and

quarters, e.g. museum islands, theatre and cinema lands, red light

districts, restaurants/clubs/bars.

Creative Factory, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Observations

Creative Factory, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Observations on cluster policies

• Small scale cluster policies have resulted in a

small number of successful CI hubs

• However, highly dependent and a high degree of

susceptibility of to changes in the policy regime

• Real estate driven development combined with

increased economic pressure has led to weaker

power arrangements and a stronger (neo-liberal)

revenue agenda.

Hazemeijer Hengelo, Hengelo, The Netherlands

Observations on cluster policies

• Non-integrated creative industries policies have

resulted in blurred cluster policy goals

• Paradigms not clearly demarcated as either

economic, urban or cultural. Economic

paradigm prevails.

• Creative cluster policies sometimes

instrumentalized the CI for non-creative goals

• Currently tendency towards start-up hubs etc.

Conclusions

• Creative cluster policies mostly on

municipal level

• Focus at most on quarter, mainly building

or complex level.

• Scale level inconsistencies prevail

• Creative production instrumentalized for

economic or urban development policies

• Overestimation of external effects

• Effects occur in successful hubs,

underlining their position as learning and

knowledge hubs for the CI

Thank you for your attention

www.ciciproject.nl

References

Amsterdam Economic Board (2014) Clusterstrategie Creatieve Industrie 2014-2020. Accessed from:

https://www.amsterdameconomicboard.com/app/uploads/2016/02/Clusterstrategie-Creatieve-Industrie-

2014-2020.pdf

BVNL (2015) Beleidsstrategieën ter versterking van het ruimtelijk economisch vestigingsklimaat in

Regio Gelderland. BVNL. Accessed from:

http://theeconomicboard.com/app/uploads/2017/01/20150601-bvnl-gelderland-ondernemersklimaat-

ministerie-IenM.pdf

Evans, G. (2009a). Creative cities, creative spaces and urban policy. Urban studies, 46(5-6), 1003-

1040.

Evans, G. (2009b). From cultural quarters to creative clusters–creative spaces in the new city

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Heebels, B., & van Aalst, I. (2010). Creative clusters in Berlin: Entrepreneurship and the quality of place

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Hitters, E. (2011). Back to Hilversum. Consolidation of the Dutch broadcast cluster. Media clusters:

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Porter, M. E. (2000). Location, competition, and economic development: Local clusters in a global

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