This review reveals the present state and future research avenues on ‘creative industries’. A total of 63 articles published in Financial Times (FT 50)-ranked journals (in 2024) are categorized in three major periods and arranged segment-wise to analyse themes, research questions and methodologies incorporated. The study follows Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and adopts the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol for the literature review. Future research in creative industries should explore the impact of digitalization, intellectual property rights, resource allocation and funding on innovation and performance across segments. Adopting a mixed-method approach, emphasis should be given to cultural dynamics, entrepreneurial ecosystems and technological adoption under Industry 4.0 to get deeper insights into value creation, firm performance and the evolving role of creative sectors in achieving sustainability goals. Also, studies on the roles of gender, ownership and economic shifts will deepen the understanding of value and competitive dynamics in the creative industries.
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