Title: A cultural mega event's impact on innovative capabilities in art production: the results of Stavanger being the European capital of culture in 2008

Authors: Nils Asle Bergsgard, Kari Josendal, Beatriz Garcia

Addresses: International Research Institute of Stavanger, P.O. Box 8046, N-4098 Stavanger, Norway. ' International Research Institute of Stavanger, P.O. Box 8046, N-4098 Stavanger, Norway. ' European Capital of Culture Research Programme (Liverpool), University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford St. South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK

Abstract: Large cultural events are often catalysts for the development of the cultural economy. This paper examines the extent to which being a European capital of culture influenced inter-industrial and intra-industrial knowledge spillovers in cultural production. The main focus is on the event|s ability to strengthen the involved organizations| capabilities for innovation. The location for the study is the Stavanger region on the west coast of Norway, the European capital of culture in 2008. The results indicate that being a European capital of culture affected inter-industrial and intra-industrial knowledge spillovers, however only for a limited part of the cultural and creative sector.

Keywords: cultural mega-events; cultural actors; creative actors; collaboration; alliances; absorptive capacity; innovation; Stavanger; Norway; art production; European capital of culture; knowledge spillovers; cultural production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIRD.2010.036990

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2010 Vol.2 No.4, pp.353 - 371

Published online: 20 Nov 2010 *

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