Unpacking the clustering of the creator with digital entrepreneurial ecosystems: evidence from Chinese cities

Digital platforms have re-wired how value is created, distributed, and captured—yet the geography of the related Creator Economy remains poorly understood. To unpack the clustering of the creator, this study develops a creator‑friendly Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (cfDEE) framework and constructs a comprehensive city‑level DEE index using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to capture the structural conditions that support creators’ entrepreneurial activities. The index comprises five key pillars: digital creator vibrancy, institutional & infrastructural support, market & business network, support entities & enabling Intermediaries, and cultural values & societal support. Combining this index with platform-based creator data for 232 Chinese cities, we examine how DEE strength relates to creator clustering through both global (OLS) and local (GWR) spatial models. Results reveal a strong and spatially heterogeneous correlation between DEE strength and creator clustering. Building on this, we develop a fourfold typology of creator clustering: Creator Vibrancy–Driven, Balanced but Low-Vibrancy, Intermediary-Enabled, and Low-DEE, Government-Driven. These findings contribute to a more contextualized and geographically differentiated understanding of the creator economy by adapting DEE to the platform era and offer actionable insights for policymakers aiming to foster the growth of creator economy and entrepreneurship in general.