Reframing an Unfolding Canvas: Policy Approaches to Facilitate APEC’s Creative Economy amid Evolving Digital Technologies

The creative economy holds untapped opportunities for economic progress globally, including in the APEC region. The continuing evolution of digital technologies, like AI and extended realities, could help drive creative processes in different ways. They could play a role in inspiring creative ideas and content creation; enhancing creative production and dissemination processes; and expanding ways to appreciate and participate in creative experiences. Optimising their use, however, requires challenges such as the digital divide and unclear legal frameworks for intellectual property rights to be addressed. For APEC to build a mature creative economy, policymakers should endeavour to accentuate the strengths of digital technologies while mitigating associated challenges. This policy brief offers policymakers with a range of approaches, such as formulating holistic educational and skills training programmes; providing clarity on intellectual property issues; and creating and adapting ecosystems to be supportive of digital technologies.