The present study aims to investigate the impact of smart strategic management on the smart performance of creative industries by elucidating the mediating role of smart entrepreneurship. This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-survey (correlational design) in terms of data collection, based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised managers and specialists active in five sectors of creative industries in Ardabil Province (handicrafts, visual arts, design and fashion, media and digital production, and music). Sampling was conducted using a stratified random method, and ultimately, 297 valid questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL software for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and path analysis. The findings revealed that smart strategic management has a positive and significant impact on both the smart performance and smart entrepreneurship of creative industries. Furthermore, smart entrepreneurship significantly enhances smart performance and acts as a mediator in transferring the effects of smart strategic management to performance. Additionally, among the dimensions of smart strategic management, “technological intelligence” followed by “market intelligence” and “competitor intelligence” have the greatest contribution to predicting smart performance. Establishing a smart strategic management system through continuous monitoring of technological and market developments provides a dynamic platform for reinforcing smart entrepreneurial behaviors, ultimately leading to the promotion of competitive advantage and operational sustainability of creative enterprises.