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This chapter investigates the role of female-led innovative start-ups within the Italian creative industry. Creative industries are characterized by sectors driven by individual creativity, cultural expression, and technological integration, generating outputs of both economic and cultural value. In this context, innovation is considered as a key driver for development and growth. However, only few studies pay attention to the role of firms, and particularly female-led enterprises, within this domain. The Italian context is one of those, in which targeted regulations have long aimed to foster growth. This study offers an empirical representation of innovative creative female entrepreneurship by examining the ownership structure, territorial distribution, and economic performance of these enterprises. The research adopts a qualitative and quantitative methodology performed with a mixed-methods approach. The analysis was carried out on a dataset of 3,704 innovative start-ups identified using Confindustria’s criteria and sourced from the AIDA Bureau van Dijk database, as of March 3, 2025. The main findings reveal that only a marginal share (13.69%, or 507 firms) of the Italian innovative creative sector is represented by female-led start-ups. These enterprises are predominantly concentrated in the north-west (159) and central (151) regions, operating mainly in software production, web-portal services, and general design activities. The originality of the study lies in twofold. From a theoretical perspective, the present research contributes on gender studies, innovative start-ups, and stream on the creative industry. From a managerial perspective, the analysis provides clear insights into the structural characteristics of these enterprises, offering valuable implications for sector practitioners, policymakers, and financial stakeholders. These insights can support the design of targeted policies to foster innovation-driven growth in the creative industry, particularly those oriented toward empowering female entrepreneurship.

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Female Innovative Start-Ups in Creative Industries: The Case of Italy

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Giuseppe Modaffari,
  • Pedro Seva-Larrosa,
  • Francisco García-Lillo

摘要

This chapter investigates the role of female-led innovative start-ups within the Italian creative industry. Creative industries are characterized by sectors driven by individual creativity, cultural expression, and technological integration, generating outputs of both economic and cultural value. In this context, innovation is considered as a key driver for development and growth. However, only few studies pay attention to the role of firms, and particularly female-led enterprises, within this domain. The Italian context is one of those, in which targeted regulations have long aimed to foster growth. This study offers an empirical representation of innovative creative female entrepreneurship by examining the ownership structure, territorial distribution, and economic performance of these enterprises. The research adopts a qualitative and quantitative methodology performed with a mixed-methods approach. The analysis was carried out on a dataset of 3,704 innovative start-ups identified using Confindustria’s criteria and sourced from the AIDA Bureau van Dijk database, as of March 3, 2025. The main findings reveal that only a marginal share (13.69%, or 507 firms) of the Italian innovative creative sector is represented by female-led start-ups. These enterprises are predominantly concentrated in the north-west (159) and central (151) regions, operating mainly in software production, web-portal services, and general design activities. The originality of the study lies in twofold. From a theoretical perspective, the present research contributes on gender studies, innovative start-ups, and stream on the creative industry. From a managerial perspective, the analysis provides clear insights into the structural characteristics of these enterprises, offering valuable implications for sector practitioners, policymakers, and financial stakeholders. These insights can support the design of targeted policies to foster innovation-driven growth in the creative industry, particularly those oriented toward empowering female entrepreneurship.