Across the globe regions are awakening to the power of the creative economy and its unstoppable growth. Creative Startups provides regional leaders with the knowledge, tools, and networks essential to building a competitive regional creative economy ecosystem.
Disruptive technologies are catalyzing explosive growth of new firms in the creative and cultural industries. The 2013 United Nations updated report on the creative economy details these impacts. Globally, growth of the creative industries is outpacing every other sector. Data from around the world indicate the creative economy is the economy of the future.
- GLOBAL: $646 billion in annual global exports of cultural goods and services, according to United Nations figures.
- USA: Creative industries generated $142 billion in export sales in 2012 -- more than aerospace or American agriculture.
- USA: The cultural economy employs over 27 million individuals.
- EUROPE: creative industries contribute $600 billion (USD) to European economy.
- EUROPE: 10% of ALL exports stem from creative industries.
- CHINA: Spending on creative and cultural goods surpasses $97 billion USD in 2009.
- The creative economy of California (the world's 8th largest economy) generated more than $3.3 billion in state and local tax revenues in 2012.