Figures show Dundee’s creative industries pull in more money than life sciences, energy, tourism and financial services as the city’s leading sector.
The city’s digital and creative industries generated a combined turnover of £353 million, the most up-to-date figures show.
This is the highest in any comparable sector.
It comes as The Courier prepares to host a range of creative industry experts at the Courier Business Conference next week.
DF Concerts supremo Geoff Ellis will give the keynote address, while fashion designer Jade Robertson and LiveHouse boss Angus Robb will discuss their experiences as business leaders.
Tickets are available on the event website.
Held once again in partnership with Henderson Loggie, the showcase will take place at Chris van der Kuyl’s The Big Real at Water’s Edge.
These figures and more will be discussed at the event, which focuses on powering Scotland’s creative economy.
Creative sector is Dundee’s largest
Gillian Easson is the director of Creative Dundee, which collated the report into the creative sector’s economic impact.
It found Dundee has “exceptional creative density” which reinforces the city’s reputation as a “compact yet highly productive creative city” with a number of strengths.
Dundee has 23.9 creative industry jobs per 1,000 residents, surpassing
Aberdeen’s 17.9.
Creative industry turnover has almost doubled from 2008, rising from £178m to £353m in 2022.
The city also has a denser concentration of creative industry employment relative to its population.
Dundee’s creative industries include publishing, art, design, advertising, software development, film, music and museums and galleries.
More than 3,530 people are employed in creative and digital industries in Dundee.
“The economic value brought by the creative and digital sectors is great, of course,” Gillian said.
“But our creative and digital industries offer so much more for the city and surrounding area.
“There is growth beyond the economic impact. There is the social impact, and contributions to our health and lifestyles.
“And there is also the sense of identity creative enterprises contribute to the people who live here.
“Our creative and digital industries are powered by SME and freelance companies.
“225 of the businesses in our creative and digital sector employ between 0 and 49 people, so would be considered small.
“But the impact they have and opportunities they create are massive.
“Now is the time to leverage our regional advantage by further prioritising our creative and digital industries to strengthen and grow the sector.”
Conversation