Study title

This research draws on social network data of organisations in the creative industries and cultural sector in George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. We collected five types of network: 1) Collaborative Network 2) Advice Network 3) Funding Network (giving and receiving) 4) Training 5) Talents. The data set also contains the background information of the organisation (anonymised) and their corresponding quantitative answers on Entrepreneurial Orientation (innovativeness, risk-taking behaviour, pro-activeness of the organisation, based on 5-point Likert scale). This data enables the identification of the type of actors and their networks, and the respective organisation's entrepreneurial orientation.This research addresses the phenomenon of creative and cultural cluster in a site with a rich cultural heritage. The project will explore questions regarding the role of different actors in developing businesses in cultural districts while preserving and disseminating their cultural heritage. Hence, the research is positioned in a wider debate regarding the links between cultural preservation, urban regeneration and tourism. The selected site is George Town, a post-British colonial town in Malaysian. The town has experienced gentrification since 1997, exacerbated with the growth of tourism and influx of external capital investment in properties, after it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Gentrification induces displacement of long-term residents and causes erosion of local culture and heritage - a global phenomenon in many World Heritage Sites. Nonetheless, a cluster of creative industries and cultural sector has been developed with involvement of various local and external actors. The development of cultural district has become an important tool for many urban planners aiming to foster the development of urban centres and revitalise neighbourhoods-in-decline. Reviewing the existing models of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, there is...