Development of Cultural and Creative Industries (Macau)

Policies provide guidance, support, coordination and service. The Macao SAR Government attaches great importance to the development of cultural industries. It has set a scientific orientation derived from Macao’s situation (including its characteristics, advantages, etc) and development needs, providing guidelines for the development of local cultural and creative industries and combining them with the diversified development orientation of the territory’s economy. Due to Macao’s culture and creative industries’ late start, mild strength and the non-existence of industry clusters, this market is still taking its first steps and needs to be developed. According to the world economy, at this stage the government should greatly support these industries by promoting them and putting policies in practice, allocating resources, training personnel, creating venues, financing, creating an industry platform, etc. In order to promote the development of the cultural and creative industries, the Government has actively coordinated all different administrative departments to combine efforts, integrate resources, prevent the waste of human and material resources, and resolve problems and difficulties between departments. At the same time, it has harmonized and decreased the distance between the cultural and creative industries and individuals, therefore facilitating mutual cooperation and improving interactions within the industry. While performing these tasks, the Government has acted as a service provider. In that capacity, in 2010, the Macao SAR Government created the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and placed it under the supervision of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and set up a broadly representative Committee of Cultural Industries in the same year. The Government has, through the parallel operation of these two departments, actively and pragmatically promoted the development of Macao’s cultural and creative industries. The preliminary draft of the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Development Policy Framework has been determined. It is mainly divided into five areas, including: industry promotion, industry funding, creative talent cultivation, administrative and legal support, as well as industrial research. This framework sets short, medium and long-term strategies and corresponding measures for Macao’s cultural and creative industries.