Can Government Spark Creativity?

In today's Bangkok Post there's a story about the government's plan to encourage creativity in the workforce. Optimistically titled "Thailand to be Creative ASEAN Hub", you have to wonder how sucessful they might be.

We’ve talked here before about Asia’s potential for innovation. While there's plenty of process innovation, real creativity seems to be in less supply. The Thai government expects, within the next six months, to create a new government ministry to oversee the encouragement of innovation and creativity, and the development of the knowledge economy. It’s a laudable idea, as countries like Thailand should try not to get left behind in an evolving world economy.

But can government really spur a creative economy?

There are some things within government control that can help encourage the growth of creative firms:

Sponsor education systems that develop the skills needed for creativity and innovation.

Provide limited-time tax incentives for creative firms.

Subsidize or guarantee loans for firms in creative fields.

Implement immigration policies that make it easier for domestic firms to bring in foreign talent.

Can these kinds of programs work? Maybe.

There can be some stimulus in the short term. Fiscal programs like tax credits and loans can make it easier for new businesses to enter the market by lowering some financial barriers, and can provide a safety net for entrepreneurs who want to take a shot at something new.

In the medium term, immigration policies can encourage an influx of Creatives to fill the current gap left by an un-Creative workforce. Over time these workers can bring new ideas into the workplace and begin reshaping attitudes, encouraging a more creative mindset within the nation’s economy. We are seeing something like this in Singapore, where foreign talent has set examples that domestic talent is following, to the point where Singapore was highlighted n a survey this year as the most innovative country in the world.

Over the long run, education policies are what it takes to create an innovative economy. We say “over the long run” because it’s going to take at least a generation of people going through a new system and coming out the other end before education changes the nature of the workforce, and even longer before this new workforce changes the nature of the workplace. Countries like Thailand who want to be strong innovative centers cannot delay the restructuring of their education system, even though the effects will not be felt for a long time.

So government policies have the potential to work…but will they? Ah, that’s another question. Governments aren’t typically known for understanding innovation and creativity. The idea of Thailand creating a bureaucracy to address innovation seems a bit of a paradox; bureaucracies, though they serve a useful purpose, which is to do repetitive tasks efficiently, and that’s pretty much the opposite of innovation. Governments aren’t innovative, so relying on them to encourage innovation seems a bit of a pipe dream.

The lesson for Thai Creatives, and Creatives everywhere for that matter, is that they probably shouldn’t wait around for government programs to help them. It’s nice if the government offers worthwhile programs, and creative firms should certainly take advantage of them they can, but if you want to be creative, then get out there and create.