The article substantiates the theoretical foundations for the conceptualization of the creative imperative as a key phenomenon in the post industrial model of economic development. It is argued that in the context of the knowledge-based economy, the creative imperative functions as a systemically integrated mechanism for transforming intangible resources into added economic and social value. The paper identifies five interrelated components of the creative imperative – knowledge, ideas, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial competencies – as structural elements of a dynamic model that explains the logic of value creation in the modern economy. Special attention is paid to the development of a structural functional model that reveals the internal logic of the transition from cognitive resources to innovative products and services. The model demonstrates how knowledge serves as the initial intellectual foundation, which through creative recombination generates ideas that subsequently evolve into innovations under the influence of entrepreneurial action. The article also examines the systemic properties of the creative imperative – synergy, adaptability, and multiplicativity – as factors that ensure the sustainability, flexibility, and scalability of creative-driven development. Synergy is interpreted as the ability of the creative economy’s components to generate emergent effects exceeding the sum of their individual contributions. Adaptability reflects the capacity of creative agents to respond to external shocks such as technological shifts and socio economic crises. Multiplicativity reveals the creative economy’s potential to produce secondary effects in related sectors, promoting institutional, cultural, and behavioral transformations. The study employs an interdisciplinary methodological framework, drawing on cognitive economics, innovation management, and entrepreneurship theory. It is concluded that the creative imperative should be considered not only as an analytical category but also as a functional development model capable of ensuring long-term competitiveness and transformation of national economies under global uncertainty. The proposed conceptual framework may be applied to the design of strategic policies for economic modernization and sustainable development. Furthermore, the findings offer a theoretical basis for rethinking the role of human creativity in shaping future-oriented economic systems.
Author Biography
Denys Niedielko, National University of Water and Environmental Engineering, Rivne
