The Role of the Orange Economy in the Digital Age: An Exploratory Study in Costa Rica

Abstract

The emergence of the orange economy in the digital age is vital in boosting economic and social progress, particularly in culturally rich nations like Costa Rica. Often referred to as the creative economy, it spans activities such as arts, culture, design, music, and audiovisual industries, nurturing cultural diversity and national identity while also creating jobs and stimulating innovation. In Costa Rica, this economy thrives due to its dynamic cultural landscape and dedication to sustainability and social inclusion. However, the shift toward digitalization brings both opportunities and challenges, such as incorporating innovative and revolutionary technologies that enable the creation, distribution, and consumption of creative goods and services. This research aims to examine these barriers and offer solutions via a qualitative method rooted in action research. Data were gathered through case study review and document analysis, with thematic categorization methods used. Findings indicate that restrictive administrative procedures and insufficient digitalization hinder business growth. Technology-based companies emerge as crucial for measuring the orange economy’s impact and driving innovation. Among the recommendations are digitizing and simplifying administrative chores as well as using governmental policies encouraging technological usage to support economic development, thereby improving the engagement of the technology-based industry and building a more inclusive and effective ecosystem.

Received: 11 January 2025 | Revised: 18 March 2025 | Accepted: 18 April 2025

Conflicts of Interest 

The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work.

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing does not apply to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Author Contribution Statement

Gabriel Silva-Atencio: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration.