Innovation and Creativity

DOCUMENTS

Bringing down the city walls: new 'open innovation' for new open cities  Read more
Towards innovative public procurement  Read more
Urban knowledge economies affected by the crisis?  Read more
How cities can harness the capabilities of universities in a period of economic uncertainty  Read more
Synthesis of Baseline Studies of the URBACT projects exploring innovation and creativity in cities  Read more

Innovation and Creativity



The economic crisis has made at least one thing clear. This is that over-dependence on large traditional industries, and low productivity, low wage sectors is an immense risk in a globalised economy.

In the past, economic sectors have come and gone, bringing first prosperity then wreaking havoc on cities and their inhabitants. It is in this context, the European Commission recognises that stimulating the innovative and creative capacity of all its citizens is ultimately the bedrock for a more sustainable future. After making 2009, the European Year of Innovation of Creativity, the Commission argues that "growth based on knowledge and innovation" should be one of the three main priorities for the new strategy for "Europe 2020" To back this up, the EU Commissioners for innovation and industry are preparing a new policy paper to feed into a top level debate on the direction of innovation strategy. 

The strength of URBACT networks working in this field lies precisely in the fact that they are at the forefront of practical experiments to see how cities can turn these fine words into reality in quite different context. For example, two URBACT networks are exploring how cities can make full use of the knowledge economy. But they are approaching this from quite different view points which could provide lessons for many other European cities.

REDIS, led by Magdeberg, is exploring how cities can integrate science and technology into the heart of their urban fabric rather than creating “gated” out-of-centre science parks. RuNup, led by Gateshead, is examining how small and medium sized cities – often without a strong university - can enter what has traditionally been seen to the exclusive preserve of the champions league of large metropolis.

Similarly, the Fast Track network UNIC, led by Limoges, is investigating how a previous dependence on a traditional sector like ceramics, rather than being a burden, can be turned into a lever for opening up new “paths of innovation”. Creative Clusters, led by Obidos, is testing how quite small cities with a rural hinterland, can generate a dynamic creative environment and creative industries. Finally, FIN-URB-ACT, led by Aachen is developing new ways of supporting innovative firms.

Many other networks dealt with by this pole also have important things to say in this area. For example, Urban N.O.S.E on how to create jobs which deal with social needs via the social economy, WEED on how women can play a vital role in the knowledge economy, OPEN Cities on how to make the most of the skills and talent that can be brought by migration.

You can read more about each of these projects by clicking on the links in the text above,  reading the articles on the activities of Creative Clusters and UNIC.

You can read more about each of these projects by clicking on the links in the text above and reading the articles and papers below.

To understand more about the aims and methods being used by the URBACT projects working on innovation and creativity read the synthesis of their baselines studies.

The 2009 Annual URBACT Conference also held a workshop on innovation and creativity.

 

1. The Priority for 2010 – Exploring the Role of Cities in Open Innovation
2. URBACT ARTICLES on Cities – Innovation and Creativity
3. URBACT REPORTS and other outputs on Cities – Innovation and Creativity
4. URBACT EVENTS on Cities – Innovation and Creativity
5. Useful LINKS for Cities working on Innovation and Creativity
6. URBACT Case Studies
7. Other EVENTS relevant for Cities concerned with Innovation and Creativity

  
 
1. The Priority for 2010 – Exploring the Role of Cities in Open Innovation

The five URBACT networks above have decided to focus on the theme of the "ROLE OF CITIES IN OPEN INNOVATION" for their joint work during 2010 and part of 2011. According to Henry Chesbrough, "Open Innovation is a paradigm that assumes that firms can and should use external ideas and internal and external paths to market… The central idea behind open innovation is that in a world of widely distribute knowledge, companies cannot afford to rely entirely on their own research".  Under this approach the ideas and skills of a wide range of stakeholders including suppliers, skilled workers, clients, financiers, external research centres and universities and end users – assume far greater importance.

A related concept is that of the "Open Living Laboratories" promoted by DG Research in the European Commission. These are described as being "about experimentation and co-creation with real users in real life environments, where users together with researchers, firms and public institutions look together for new solutions, new products, new services or new business models.  Cities are ideally placed to play series of important roles in influencing the "ecology" of actors that characterises this kind of open innovation. However, in order to do this they often need to forge new partnerships with local, regional and national bodies. The work carried out by URBACT projects can provide crucial insights and tools as to how to achieve this. To find out more about the possible role of cities in open innovation read the scoping article by Eurico Neves on "Bringing down the city walls: new open innovation for new open cities".


2. URBACT ARTICLES on Cities – Innovation and Creativity

This is the first piece of work by URBACT to scope the potential role of cities in the emerging trend towards "open" innovation. The article starts by defining open innovation and then describes a series of fields in which cities can put open innovation in motion: by creating interconnected spaces which function as "living labs", by attracting talent and skills, by creating the technological infrastructure and by investing across boundaries. It also provides two practical illustrations of how cities can be involved. 

Traditionally innovation has been seen as a linear process starting with research and development in universities which is then "spun out" to small creative start-ups - which in turn blossom into world players – very much along the lines of Silicon Valley. However, this model does not work for many small and medium sized cities, where there is often a gap between the research agenda of universities and the needs and capacity of local firms. This article analyses the various ways in which cities can start to overcome this gap which is particularly serious in a recession when there is an urgent need for cities to maintain their skill base.

When this article was written in mid 2009, urban science based projects led by the private sector were suffering most while those led by the public sector were holding up better. However, even then it was clear that there are differences between cities in countries which put a high priority on research and development and those where it is a secondary consideration. Despite the risks, this situation is forcing some cities to explore new ways of improving the links between the science establishment and the physical, economic and social fabric of cities. Precisely, the core topic of REDIS.

This article argues that cities are "trying to cut a piece of paper with just one blade of a pair of scissors" when they concentrate only on the research and development "push" side of innovation. In fact, cities can have a much bigger impact if they also tap the immense power of public procurement to stimulate the "pull" for innovation. The article provides examples and looks at the ways in which they can do this without falling foul of competition laws.

Until recently knowledge based and creative activities have been seen as the preserve of the "champion's league" of world class cities. However, the Creative Cluster URBACT project has set out to explore the conditions and strategies that can allow small and medium sized cities to participate in the creative economy. This article describes the key issues raised in their opening conference that will guide the rest of their work.

Many cities have been devastated when their traditional industries go into decline. Some try to completely reinvent themselves and switch into emerging sectors. However, competition is fierce in the areas of new growth.   UNIC starts from a different angle and tries to fuse place-based industrial heritage with state of the art business technology to design "innovation paths" that are adapted to the strengths and weaknesses of each city. This article describes main features of their approach as laid out at the launch of the second phase of their activities. 


3. URBACT REPORTS and other outputs on Cities – Innovation and Creativity

In the 1970's and 1980's many European cities developed science and technology parks in separate suburban locations which almost became "gated communities". However, experience has shown that this approach not only creates a potentially harmful physical divide but it also fails to build the kind of diverse, interactive environment that is conducive for innovation and the diffusion of scientific research. This brief report provides examples of instruments and tools that municipalities can use to break down the ivory towers which separate science and technology from city life.

This report draws on the results of the REDIS network's "implementation labs" - which are specially adapted peer reviews of urban science quarters. Using Newcastle's Science Central Plan as an illustration, it argues that community involvement in science districts needs to go beyond the traditional approach of informing and consulting on the masterplan. It provides suggestions on how this could improve the diffusion of socially relevant innovations and reduce the risk of creating elitist enclaves, cut off from the rest of the city.

This is the report of one of the REDIS network's Implementation Labs in Aarhus, Denmark's second largest city. The "IT City of Katrinebjerg" provides an excellent model of universit –business collaboration and is active in user involvement in innovation. The implementation lab highlights both the strengths and the weaknesses of the cities efforts to integrate this science district into the city.

This REDIS implementation laboratory report looks at the conditions for creating a totally new science district from scratch close to the Port of Piraeus, near Athens in Greece. It provides cities who would like to regenerate run-down areas through knowledge based activities with interesting insights on what to look out for and what to avoid.

Based on a study visit to the medium sized city of Tampere by the RUN UP project, this brief report analyses different roles that universities can play in urban development based on a four stage model. The economic crisis means that cities like Tampere are increasingly looking "beyond stage 4" towards "open" and user led innovation systems. This is precisely the priority for URBACT's work in 2010.

It is becoming increasingly clear that innovation within cities is not just a question of building scientific capacity or "knowledge push". It is also necessary to work on the demand for knowledge and the "absorptive" capacity of firms. This report takes the reader through the key lessons coming out of a conference in Potsdam held by the REDIS network on how to market knowledge and knowledge cities in a way that stimulate economic development

This report provides a very complete picture of how a city which used to be the centre of the UK car industry has turned itself round by using its universities to stimulate a new pole of economic development base around sectors like aerospace, specialist vehicles, digital and creative technologies, environmental technologies and others. 

This is a charter signed by fifteen mayors from six countries which lays out a series of conditions and recommendations for promoting creative industries in small and medium sized cities. 


4. URBACT EVENTS on Cities – Innovation and Creativity

  • First half 2010

- 18-19 January. Potsdam. Knowledge City Marketing. RUN UP project

- 24-26 January. Piraeus, Greece. Implementation Lab on City Science Districts. REDIS project.

- 6-7 May. Regio Emilia. Italy Creative Local Education Systems. Incubating Future Talent. CREATIVE CLUSTERS project.

- May. Halle. Denmark. Implementation Lab on City Science Districts. REDIS project

- June 11. Open Innovation in Cities. Thematic Pole Meeting of projects working on innovation and creativity. Paris

- July. Attracting and Retaining Creative Entrepreneurs to Small and Mediums Sized Cities. CREATIVE CLUSTERS project.

- Summer School on Innovation in Cities. Joint Event by REDIS and RUN UP project.  


5. Useful LINKS for Cities working on Innovation and Creativity.


6. URBACT Case Studies
(content coming soon)


7. Other EVENTS relevant for Cities concerned with Innovation and Creativity
(content coming soon)