Future-ready skills as catalysts for business competitiveness and growth in Bandung's creative economy

This study examines the role of 21st Century Competencies in enhancing the competitiveness and business growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Bandung, a recognized creative economy hub. An explanatory survey was conducted involving 143 MSME owners and managers from the fashion, culinary, and handicraft sectors. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that 21st Century Competencies, including critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy, have a positive and significant effect on both MSME competitiveness and business growth. Competitiveness also significantly contributes to MSME growth. The model explains approximately 58% of the variance in business growth. These findings highlight the importance of future-ready skills as strategic capabilities in strengthening MSME competitiveness and sustainability in a rapidly changing market environment. Practically, the results suggest the need to enhance digital literacy, innovation capability, and collaborative skills through targeted training programs and strategic partnerships. However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data from MSMEs in a single city, which may limit generalizability.