Theoretical and methodological foundations for studying the integration potential of creative industries in Central Asian countries

The creative industries sector holds considerable potential to contribute to the development of the transitive economies of Central Asian countries by creating high-skilled jobs and promoting sustainable socio-economic growth. Amid the accelerating regionalization of the global economy and the deep transformation of traditional cultural and economic development models, investigating the integration potential of creative industries has gained heightened relevance from both scientific and practical standpoints. For Central Asian countries, creative industries are not merely a significant driver of economic growth but also a powerful instrument for fostering supranational identity, strengthening cultural cohesion, and establishing enduring networks of cross-border cooperation.The aim of this study is to develop a theoretical and methodological framework for assessing the integration potential of creative industries in Central Asia through a comprehensive multi-level approach. The analysis substantiates the need to shift from fragmented examinations of individual national creative sectors to a systematic analysis of the regional ecosystem, in which institutional, economic, sociocultural, and digital factors emerge as critical drivers of integration. The methodological foundation rests on concepts of regional economic integration, creative economy theory, institutional and network approaches, supplemented by methods of comparative analysis, indexing, and scenario modeling. The article proposes the author’s model of the Integration Index of Creative Industries in Central Asia, which provides a quantitative assessment of the level of interconnectedness among the countries of the region and also allows for the systematic identification of key bottlenecks that hinder the further deepening of integration processes in the region.The scientific novelty of the study lies in the development of a conceptually and methodologically integrated toolkit for analyzing the integration of creative industries at the supranational level, consistently adapted to the socioeconomic and cultural specificities of Central Asia. The practical significance of the work is determined by the broad applicability of the obtained results in the development of regional development strategies, targeted programs for supporting creative industries, as well as interstate initiatives in the fields of culture and economy.

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