Growth Beacons: How Innovation Districts Can Create and Spread Prosperity
Geoff Mulgan, Jeremy Williams, Hope McGee
Across the UK and around the world, Innovation Districts are becoming important engines of productivity, creativity and growth. As part of our work to help governments combat spatial inequality, IPPO launches a new report, produced with collaboration from the UK Innovation Districts Group and UCL’s EPPI Centre, to show how districts can drive success.
Growth Beacons: How Innovation Districts Can Create and Spread Prosperity highlights the key role Innovation Districts can play in facilitating economic growth, while sharing their benefits broadly with local people.
As well as making the case for Innovations Districts, the report looks at what national and local governments can do to help them succeed both economically and socially. Read the Executive Summary below, and download our full report and appended Rapid Evidence Review.
This report will be launched at a free, 1-hour online event on Wednesday October 23rd at 11 am BST (UK time). Sign up for here.
Download report with Rapid Evidence Review Appendix
Executive Summary
As the nations, regions, and cities of the UK grapple with the need to raise productivity, this report by the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO), produced with the involvement of the UK Innovation Districts Group (UK IDG), argues that Innovation Districts will play an increasingly key role in facilitating economic growth. It shows how districts can share their benefits broadly and how governments can support them.
Drawing on a formal review of the global academic evidence alongside conversations with successful districts from across the UK and internationally, we set out the case for Innovation Districts as growth beacons – hubs of entrepreneurship, research and ingenuity which can drive forward economic development.
We consider what makes them work in facilitating innovation – the important roles played by anchor institutions, capital, their physical shape and sense of place, the key relationships and a long-term approach.
We also show how they can be successful socially – demonstrating the ways in which their benefits can be shared equitably with their local populations. Collating best practice from across the UK and globally, we set out options for districts including elements like local SME support, talent development and event programming.
The report also addresses what national and local governments can do to help districts succeed in their mission of driving inclusive innovation. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to success, we provide some relatively low-cost and easy-to-implement policy steers that governments can act on now to help districts fulfil their potential.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to success, our report provides some relatively low-cost and easy-to-implement policy steers (below) that local and national governments can act on now to help districts fulfil their potential.
These suggestions are based on our research on best practice from across the UK and globally. Further background detail from our research, can be found in our report and in the EPPI’s centre’s rapid review of evidence:
Recommendations for Local Governments
- Explore stronger vehicles to grow districts. Powerful intermediaries like development corporations could be utilised to mobilise capital and bring together partners.
- Link districts into jobs and skills strategies. Collaboration on local planning can support talent pipelines through early innovation experiences, apprenticeships, and FE college courses.
- Collaborate with developers to provide infrastructure for innovation. Planning obligations can incorporate innovation assets like venues, maker spaces, and equipment for communities.
Recommendations for National Governments
- Connect regional and innovation strategy. Join the dots between local growth plans and innovation strategies, encouraging greater R&D and inward investments in innovation districts.
- Create ministerially chaired forums. A place for districts, national and local governments to coordinate action: from investment support to regulatory flexibility and knowledge sharing.
- Provide districts and authorities with data. Support the planning for jobs growth and skill demand while encouraging the coordination of complementary activities.
- Explore tax options to capture land value and re-invest locally. Governments need to develop options to support local development, including reshaping planning tools like Section 106.
Download the full report and appended Rapid Evidence Review.
Join us for the free online launch event on Wednesday 23rd October 2024 at 11 am BST (UK time).
For more information about this report, please email IPPO Policy Evidence Lead, Dr Jeremy Williams.