How Can Innovation Districts Encourage Inclusive Growth? 

As part of their work to equip governments and cities with the best evidence and knowledge to combat place-based and spatial inequality, the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) convened an international public roundtable on Innovation Districts.
At a time when the UK Government has committed to increasing R&D spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 - its highest level ever level - this session asks what policymakers at the national, regional, and local level can do to encourage fair and effective place-based models of innovation.
Engaging experts and stakeholders from across the UK and internationally, this focused, 1-hour roundtable considers the evidence and best practice across industries and geographies in the actualisation of innovation districts.
Questions the session considered included:
• How can Innovation Districts share their benefits as widely as possible among local residents?
• In what ways can land value be captured and distributed equitably?
• Can you establish an Innovation District without a university or successful major company?
• Does an Innovation District have to be place-based?
The roundtable is chaired by IPPO's Co-Investigator Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan and feature contributions from:
• Isabel Sabadi, General Director at 22@Network, Barcelona
• Vanessa Campbell, Director, Innovation Precincts, University of Melbourne
• Beth O’Neill Maloney, Executive Director at Kendall Square Association, Massachusetts
• Carlos Andrés Jaramillo Velásquez, CT+i Solutions Developer, Ruta N, Medellin Innovation District
• Kieron Flanagan, Professor of Science and Technology Policy, University of Manchester
• Kevin Morgan, Professor of Governance and Development, Cardiff University
The International Public Policy Observatory, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, works with partners across the UK nations and internationally to distil and share the best global evidence for policy practice across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland across key strategic themes including Place and Spatial Inequality.