Innovation districts are urban areas with networks of knowledge-producing organisations such as universities, research bodies, teaching hospitals, cultural institutions, and knowledge-intensive businesses. Innovation districts are becoming the locations of choice for spin-out, start-up, and scale-up science and technology driven firms, as well as for larger businesses undertaking research and development.
There has been previous work on innovation districts in the US and London, but the UK story is less well-known. This paper looks at the progress and lessons from the six innovation districts that form the UK Innovation Districts Group. Whilst these projects are at different stages of development, their success to date and future potential is clear. Through major investments in new campuses and cultural buildings, public spaces, physical and digital infrastructure, and proactive curation of social, research and business networks, innovation districts are emerging as some of our most significant and productive economic locations.
2019 - The emergence of innovation districts in the UK - Paper for 36th iasp world conference, nantes
1.
1
The emergence of innovation districts in the
United Kingdom: progress and lessons
Paper for 36th IASP World Conference, Nantes 24 - 27 September 2019
Tom Bridges BSc, MSc, MRTPI, Leeds Office Leader, Director Cities Advisory, Arup
Paul Jansen MSc, Cities Market Leader Europe, Arup / Founding Partner Innovation Area Development
Partnership (IADP)
Prof. dr. Jacques van Dinteren, director Zjak Consult / Founding Partner Innovation Area Development
Partnership (IADP)
Summary
Innovation districts are urban areas with networks of knowledge‐producing organisations such as universities,
research bodies, teaching hospitals, cultural institutions, and knowledge‐intensive businesses. Innovation
districts are becoming the locations of choice for spin‐out, start‐up, and scale‐up science and technology driven
firms, as well as for larger businesses undertaking research and development.
There has been previous work on innovation districts in the US and London, but the UK story is less well‐known.
This paper looks at the progress and lessons from the six innovation districts that form the UK Innovation
Districts Group. Whilst these projects are at different stages of development, their success to date and future
potential is clear. Through major investments in new campuses and cultural buildings, public spaces, physical
and digital infrastructure, and proactive curation of social, research and business networks, innovation districts
are emerging as some of our most significant and productive economic locations.
Introduction
In the 1980s and 1990s ideas about the West European economy changed from service economy or post‐
industrial society into knowledge‐based economies. Innovation was considered crucial to be able to compete
worldwide and, by doing so, to prosper economically. From that moment on the generation of knowledge, the
establishment and growth of networks of business and knowledge institutions and the availability of high‐
quality education (and in the end a high‐quality workforce) were considered to be essential to hold or
strengthen economic positions. Information and communication technology play an important role in the
networks needed: the exchange of data, information and knowledge. But this technology seemed to make
distances disappear. That is why three decades ago the concept of ‘death of distance’ was introduced. It
questioned the necessary proximity of persons in the case of knowledge exchange. The concept did not hold.
Areas of innovation, such as science and technology parks, still had a reason for existence. However, it was
realised that, as the economy became more knowledge based, it was both spatial proximity and high densities
of face‐to‐face contact as well as being well incorporated in global networks that makes the exchange of
information and ideas, and hence innovation, successful. Knowledge driven firms value being in locations
where they have wide access to a skilled workforce, and which can provide the spaces and networks for
people, firms, researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, creatives and investors to collaborate, compare and
compete.
Thanks to agglomeration effects it is the cities and urban agglomerations that have the best opportunities for
companies and institutions to innovate. Within these urban agglomerations the areas of innovation, where
innovative firms, universities and other institutions cluster, still play a role. In recent years the typology is even