The Evolution of Innovation Districts: The New Geography of Global Innovation

“The Evolution of Innovation Districts: The New Geography of Global Innovation” offers new insights on these evolving places, building on the 2014 paper, “The Rise of Innovation Districts: A New Geography of Innovation in America.” After four years of research and ground truthing, this paper offers new insights on innovative practices, processes, and policies and how to implement them at scale.

Specifically, this paper illustrates how successful districts are designing holistic asset-based strategies that leverage a district’s economic, physical, and social networking strengths. The paper further explains how organizational strategies and structures, particularly a strong governance model and coordinated finance, are proving to be essential for districts. Finally, the paper describes how the imperative for meaningful inclusion—where districts work for everyone—will stimulate a new set of inclusion and social innovation strategies to guide districts in the future.

FACILITATING CONVERGENCE: HOW ASSETS TRANSFORM INTO STRATEGIES