Dan Cunningham writes that cultural and creative industries are thriving in Taiwan, but their loose definition means that almost any business can qualify.
The News Lens
Date: 2018/04/04
By: Daniel Cunningham
Photo Credit：AP/ TPG
Taiwan is in the midst of a push to re-establish its culture and creative industry (CCI) credentials at the top of the global tree, aiming to revive the heady days when pop stars like Teresa Teng dominated the airwaves, or dramas like “Meteor Garden” could be found flickering ubiquitously on TV screens across Asia and beyond.
Companies involved in the sector face stiff competition from international rivals benefiting from sharply honed models that maximize return on investment and ensure a virtuous circle of creative growth. Conversely, in Taiwan, the term wenchuang (文創, cultural and creative) has achieved commodity fetish status among marketers, but a lack of attention invested in determining which enterprises deserve the title threatens to undermine the sector’s vitality.
Taiwan already has a thriving CCI sector, but is its development is hampered by the inclusion of large enterprises in other industries.
Taiwan’s CCI sector is currently worth some NT$807.25 billion (US$27.7 billion) or 4.72 percent of Taiwan’s total GDP, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture (MoC). It accounts for 63,339 companies and 2.25 percent of total employment. The majority of companies are low earners; just over a quarter earn less than NT$100,000 per year, a further 35.02 percent earn less than NT$1 million, and another 22.2 percent earn less than NT$5 million. Less than 1 percent earn over NT$100 million, painting a picture of a sector dominated by small enterprises with relatively few heavyweights.
[FULL STORY]
