Island innovation: Exploring External Linkages in Gotland’s Film Industry

Sammanfattning: Cultural and creative industries have been prominent topics of academic and policymaking discussions over the past two decades. However, existing literature has predominantly concentrated on urban and metropolitan regions, neglecting peripheral regions. By identifying this research gap, this project aimed to contribute to our understanding of cultural and creative industries in peripheral regions, with a specific focus on the film industry. To investigate cultural and creative industries in peripheral areas, this work employed a novel approach and engaged in a dialogue between innovation and cultural and creative industries literature. It questioned how peripheral cultural and creative industries, particularly the film industry, can foster innovation through connections with other regions using different means. The film industry is based on continuous innovation and creativity, strongly relying on accessing new knowledge and competencies in its activities. While urban centers have various sources that trigger innovation and creativity, peripheral areas with fewer endowments need to integrate with knowledge networks to access knowledge generated elsewhere. However, the integration of peripheral film industries or cultural and creative industries, in general, with these external networks, remains understudied. To address this research gap, the study employed a case study strategy. By employing a theory-building approach (Eisenhardt, 1989) and a qualitative research design strategy, the film industry in Gotland was chosen as a case study. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews with relevant actors in the industry were conducted to address research questions. First, the regional innovation system of Gotland was examined, revealing that the film industry in Gotland benefits from a robust support structure and educational organizations. The industry consists of a diverse range of organizations focused on production, education, and film culture, respectively. Second, the study investigated the external linkages of these organizations and found that, despite its peripheral location, Gotland’s film industry is well-integrated into diverse knowledge networks. Finally, the study discussed how these external linkages contribute to the development of Gotland through differentiated knowledge bases. External linkages mainly bring synthetic knowledge through film projects on the island. Symbolic knowledge, on the other hand, is accessed by industry actors through different mechanisms, such as artist residencies, inter-organizational collaborations, and temporary cluster opportunities.