Abstract. The radical changes that took place at the end of the last century contributed to the emergence of a creative economy. Unlike previous economies, in which the main factors of production were production capacity, land and labor, the basis for the development of the creative economy was the creative potential of man.
The current economic situation in Ukraine faces many challenges that need to be confronted with viable solutions. The occupation of Crimea cost Ukraine 3.6% of GDP, and the occupied territories of Donbass cost another 15% of GDP and 25% of all Ukrainian industry. In addition, many industries and factories in Ukraine are physically and morally obsolete and require large capital investments.
These problems, which, as the experience of Ukraine shows, are not solved by traditional tools, force us to look for non-standard ways to solve them. Such approaches are offered by the creative economy.To assess the opportunities provided to Ukraine by the development of the national creative economy, the article considers the positive effects of the creative economy as evidenced by the successful experience of other countries. Such effects are the formation of creative human capital, increasing incomes, increasing tolerance, the revival of depressed regions.
However, the realization of these positive effects is possible provided that there are components of the creative economy in Ukraine. Research by Ukrainian scientists proves that in Ukraine there are the main features of the creative economy, namely: creative industries; creative class as a basis of the creative lever of development of creative economy; young, creative, ambitious entrepreneurs — startups. A key factor in the development of the creative economy is creative human capital, an essential component of which are entrepreneurs — innovators who establish startups to implement their ideas.
Analyzing the various definitions of the category «startup», the authors concluded that the most acceptable is one that reflects the fundamental difference between startups and other businesses, namely: a startup is a business structure based on revolutionary innovations, the purpose of which is to solve a specific problem presentation of a new product or service in conditions of extreme uncertainty.
Taking into account the innovative nature of startups, their impact on the creation and development of creative industries and the creative economy in general allowed the authors to conclude that startups are a strategically important component of the development of the creative economy.
Research has shown that the Ukrainian startup ecosystem has good potential for development. However, the Government of Ukraine is not yet paying due attention to the development of the ecosystem for the successful creation and operation of domestic startups.
Only in the last few years has Ukraine begun to support innovative products at the state level. Examples of such support are the creation of the Invention Support Fund of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ukrainian Startup Fund.
In addition, according to the strategy for the development of innovation for the period up to 2030, startups are a structural part of the national innovation ecosystem.
However, intensive long-term work is needed to create an effective startup support ecosystem. Even with large investments and the desire to replicate the successful ecosystems of Silicon Valley or New York, it is very difficult, because their infrastructure was formed over 30 years.
Keywords: creative economy, positive effects, creative human capital, startup, ecosystem of startups.
JEL Classification М11
Formulas: 0; fig.: 1; tabl.: 1; bibl.: 14.
Innovation and entrepreneurship in Romania’s cultural and creative industries