The concept of creative industries was first introduced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport of the British government more than 20 years ago. Since then, other countries have incorporated this concept into their political and economic policies as a means of conserving local culture while still encouraging the flood of technological progress that the world has witnessed in recent years. An examination of the literature on the subject finds that many efforts have been made to clarify if whether digital innovation is regarded as evolution or disruption. In this context, opinions are still divided.
This research aims to gather empirical information and shed light on the phenomenon of digitalization and its impact on the environment of creative industries. This thesis presents the effects of digitalization on creative industries with data collected through interviews with workers of a creative company and a study of its annual reports. A total of eight workers were interviewed. They were questioned about the added value of digitalization in their work, and how digitalization may be demonstrated as a resource or a threat to a creative sector.
The findings reflect the day-to-day experiences of professionals who often use digital tools in their work operations and are thus more sensitive to digitalization challenges. This thesis includes findings that contribute to a broader academic discussion of creative industries and empirical data that may be used to develop practical solutions to challenges that creative workers confront as a result of digitalization's effects.