The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of (1) quintuple helix on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) performance; (2) ability of SMEs on SMEs performance; (3) quintuple helix on ability of SMEs; (4) innovation on SMEs performance and (5) innovation on ability of SMEs. The analysis uses quantitative analysis, as a descriptive analysis as well as inferential statistics. Respondents are taken from the population of the craft subsector of creative industries, governments, academicians, media-based and culture-based public, in addition to natural environments of society in creative industrial cluster cities in Spain (50 samples) and Indonesia (50 samples). The results of the study identify the significant influence of: (1) quintuple helix on SMEs performance; (2) ability on SMEs performance; and (5) innovation on ability of SMEs. On the other hand, they show the non-significant influence of (3) quintuple helix on ability of SMEs and (4) innovation on SMEs performance in craft cluster creative industry in Indonesia. Regarding the craft creative industry in Spain, the results show the significant influence of (2) ability of SMEs on SMEs performance, (3) quintuple helix on ability of SMEs; (4) innovation on SMEs performance and (5) innovation on ability of SMEs, but the non-significant influence of (1) quintuple helix on SMEs performance. The comparative study results show that the relationship of (2) ability of SMEs on SMEs performance, (5) innovation on ability of SMEs, both in Indonesia and Spain, were significant. On the other hand, there are some significant relationship of (3) quintuple helix on ability of SMEs and (4) innovation on SMEs performance in Spain but such relationships do not exist in Indonesia. Moreover, while the effect of (1) quintuple helix on SMEs performance is significant in Indonesia, it is not significant in Spain. Furthermore, the mediation function shows the inverted result on indirect relationship of quintuple helix on SMEs performance through ability of SMEs in Indonesia, but full mediation in Spain, whereas the effect of innovation on SMEs performance through ability of SMEs is observed as full mediation in Indonesia, but partial mediation in Spain.