Phygital place-sensitive policy for creative industries in Russian monocities

Introduction The creative industries, unlike artistic and heritage activities, is directly contingent upon the business factors. In the context of a technological revolution, creative industries undergo phygital transformation, merging the physical reality with the digital realm of the new technological shift. Localizing themselves within monocities, this process is exacerbated by lock-in effects due to path dependency of mono-industries and their peripheral location, leading to relocation of successful businesses towards more developed regional and national centers. The research aim is to explore the complex interplay between creative industries, digital and mono-industrial companies with a view to developing place-sensitive, evidence-based policy frameworks that stimulate post-industrial growth, enhance spatial development, and foster diverse economic transitions by virtual-physical synergies in creative industries. Methods To develop multi-level place-sensitive policy initiatives for creative industries in monocities, we propose the methodology based on the revealing of co-development and counter-development patterns between mono-industry, information and communication companies, and creative industries, offering profiles of creative post-industrial development, exposing paradox of creative surplus with creative arbitrage and propose the phygital instruments of creative sovereignty. Results As a result, we have identified 15 monocities with potential of creative post-industrial development in the Sverdlovsk and Kemerovo regions, Russia, suitable for regional and state level place-sensitive initiatives. Subsequently, the case-based, regionally bounded study of Serov illustrates the creative arbitrage of gastronomy, media and communications therein. Serov monocity possesses creative neoindustrial profile encompassing media and journalism, gastronomy, advertising and communication, enabling localized place-sensitive initiatives. Policy As a local-level initiative, we suggest establishing a creative cluster for gastronomy, media, and communications along with information and communication industries, complemented by a digital laboratory implementing phygital tools such as virtual and augmented reality, mobile and design applications, game engines, and 3D creation software. Building on the identified significant co-development between mono-industry and creative industries we recommend place-sensitive revitalizing projects integrated with literary and publishing industry. On the regional scale, the study permits identification of monocities where it is feasible to implement either standalone or collaborative phygital projects combining creative industries and town-forming enterprises, improving their digital infrastructure, and creating an inter-municipal creative cluster. We contend that interregional cooperation projects between the Kemerovo and Sverdlovsk regions could become a unique opportunity for mutual enrichment and development of the regional level economy. At the state level, initiatives center on reinforcing interdepartmental coordination and integrating best practices from Advanced Development Territories into strategies targeting the promotion of creative industries. Consequently, the proposed findings and profiles of creative post-industrial development are incorporated into the framework of multi-level governance.