From Cultural Heritage to Circular Economy: How Startups Recombine Local Resources and Digital Tools for Sustainable Growth
List of Authors
  • Qin Shuyang, Sharareh Shahidi Hamedani

Keyword
  • Digital Bricolage; Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH); Circular Economy (CE); Startup Resilience; SDG

Abstract
  • Peripheral startups in Southwest China navigate a precarious "triple squeeze"—a structural entrapment defined by geographical isolation, capital scarcity, and aggressive encroachment by franchising generalists. The core problem lies in the inability of these micro-firms to activate "latent" cultural assets under extreme resource constraints, leading to a high failure rate during the "Death Valley" phase. This paper investigates how Digital Entrepreneurial Bricolage enables sustainable growth. CHAGEE, Blue-Sustain, and Sunyata were selected as representative cases as they offer diverse successful models of identity, material, and spatial resource recombination. Secondary-data driven qualitative analysis was used in this study. The Findings suggest that digital tools facilitate a "cultural-green identity" that allows startups to occupy specialized market crevices. This study provides a strategic framework for aligning regional entrepreneurship with SDG 12 through digital asset orchestration, demonstrating how "making do" with digital-cultural resources creates a shield against macro-economic shocks.

Reference
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