@Article{AbeledoPerezRausell_RSPP_2026,
  author = {{Raúl Abeledo-Sanchis} and {Virgilio Pérez} and {Pau Rausell-Köster}},
  title = {Creative Hubs and Regional Innovation: Intermediary Institutions in the Mediterranean Textile Sector},
  journal = {Regional Science Policy & Practice},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {18},
  number = {11},
  page = {100343},
  doi = {10.1016/j.rspp.2026.100343},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2026.100343},
  abstract = {This paper examines how intermediary organizations—Creative Hubs—can foster cross-sectoral innovation between Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and the traditional Textile and Clothing (T&C) sector. Drawing on evidence from the EU-funded CreativeWear project (2016–2019) across five Mediterranean regions, it analyses how hubs mobilise creative, symbolic, and place-based knowledge within industrial innovation processes, facilitate collaboration between creative and industrial actors, and contribute to regional innovation policy. The findings identify three interrelated intermediary functions—matchmaking, adding value, and connecting—and show how territorially embedded hubs can support place-based innovation while facing persistent challenges of institutionalisation within regional innovation systems and Smart Specialisation frameworks.}