Welcome to the UK Innovation Districts Group Monthly Digest, exploring the latest trends and insights in innovation, regeneration, inclusive growth, placemaking and the sustainable development of innovation districts.
"Innovation does not happen in a vacuum", Emma Frost, Chair of UK IDG
The landscape of innovation is changing. So too is the rate of growth in the innovation economy.
Over the last 15 years there has been a distinct shift away from more secluded, out-of-town innovation campuses towards new models that favour urban vibrancy, diversity, connectedness, and proximity.
Over that same period, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in economic growth related to sectors typically classified as part of the innovation economy. More broadly, innovation is helping to fuel the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is said to be stimulating change at a rate 10 times faster and at 300 times the scale than the First Industrial Revolution in Victorian times.
Clearly, innovation and specifically, Innovation Districts - where much of this activity is increasingly centred, have a key role to play in the local, regional and national economy.
Other Stories
The Centre for Progressive Policy's Inclusive Growth Conference 2022 took place last week combining keynote speeches, panel discussions and debates exploring how inclusive economic growth can meet today’s challenges. Watch it back here.
The Prime Minister spoke at the CBI conference in Birmingham citing his belief in the power of innovation to drive growth, which he declared the “defining focus of this government."
New plans have been drawn up for a £700m innovation district: Oxford North. Initial infrastructure construction works are set to be finished in January 2023, and building the first of 317 homes already permitted on the site is set to start early next year.
Clean Hydrogen Mission: Strengthening Europe’s clean hydrogen future. The goal of the the Mission is to reduce the costs of clean hydrogen to the end user to $2/kg by 2030. This will be achieved through the Mission supporting both innovation and the development and the delivery of at least 100 large-scale integrated hydrogen ‘valleys’ worldwide.
The Global Institute of Innovation Districts has gathered insights from over 100 districts and found that three strategies are common among the most successful innovation districts and why innovation districts need to prioritise inclusion strategies. Innovation Quarter provides a summary.
Innovate UK Smart Grant applications are open until 18th January 2023. UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy.
Ayming's fourth edition of the International Innovation Barometer report offers an overview of the most important innovation trends around the world. It also includes insights into how businesses are financing R&D and the impact of the current energy crisis on business ability to innovate.
Podcasts
The DNA of Cities podcast first episode is out presented by Prof Greg Clark CBE and Caitlin Morrissey. The series starts with a simple question “Do cities have DNA?” . They ask an expert panel of urban planners, economists and architects what The DNA of Cities means from their personal and disciplinary viewpoints.
Centre for Cities podcast, City Talks, latest episode is all about examining the CHIPS and Science Act discussing the US Government’s Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act (the CHIPS Act), recently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Digital Catapult's Supercharging Innovation podcast interviews Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK about the future of innovation and his mission to inspire, involve and invest – building skills and driving diversity to help create real progress.
Innovation Uncovered podcast looks at Making Gaming Accessible for All. Roughly 46 million gamers have a type of disability, presenting specific challenges for video game developers. Playground Games, a UK-based company, whose team designed the popular Forza Horizon 5 driving game, understood the assignment.
UK IDG Member News
SHIFT
From visualizing carbon emissions from buildings to wireless charging for EVs, meet the 8 South Korean start-ups set to trail new tech related to urban mobility and net zero in London's Living testbed: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Leeds Innovation Arc
Leeds council propose major developments to city centre with 'Leeds Innovation Arc'. Leeds City Council are proposing a series of major developments to the Western part of the city, which aim to bring in new businesses and jobs, as well as improving public spaces.