Exploration of creative industry networks: the case of Binongjati knitting community

Abstract

Abstract The creative economy is a term used to describe industrial activities that are traditional and innovative. Each creative economic activity in Indonesia has its own uniqueness, and in these activities skills, knowledge, and creativity are transferred through local and national links. The paper argues that the characteristics of similar artists are very different between the two types of industries. This paper aims to examine the business networks developed in the context of creative and informal economy in the production and sale of goods of creative kampongs in Bandung. The case study is the Binongjati, a historical creative kampong that specializes in the production of knitting crafts and related fashion products. This study was conducted by interviewing the key persons in Binongjati and distributing questionnaires to business owners. The study found that business networks in the Binongjati creative kampong are spatially wide and economically established. However, based on the production process, industries significantly relied on their production input to local suppliers. Thus, the industry is fragile to any disruption to the local economy in Bandung. However, there are at least two policy implications that need to be considered: the importance to capture local knowledge and innovation and the creative industry policy that should focus to expand the market by enhancing business network analysis and business database of both supplier and customer.