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Advance / How we support districts / Empirical Research
GIID has deep experience working with specific stakeholders to enhance the growth and impact of innovation districts in their city or region
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GIID is redefining how innovation ecosystems grow and evolve worldwide. As a leading not-for-profit organization, we conduct independent, practice-oriented research to help innovation districts sharpen their competitive edge—turning ambition into measurable impact.
Our team of world-class researchers and practitioners delves into the core drivers of innovation district success, uncovering the critical assets and strategies that shape how these ecosystems function and create value.
We work with a range of stakeholders
in their pursuit of obtaining robust, empirically-grounded research to advance their districts:
Innovation districts
(In any stage of development) Seeking to better understand their advantages and gaps. We engage with governance boards, CEOs, or strong university leaders.
Anchor institutions
(Such as universities and medical institutions) Stakeholders seeking to be the anchor of a future of existing innovation district. Organizations want to better understand what assets they can bring to this work and how to leverage them to create a world-class innovation district.
Governments
Looking to strengthen their knowledge-intensive economies while addressing social inequities. These governments value an impact-oriented, place-based approach that empower local actors.
Developers
Companies assessing what outsized role they can play in districts, how to help create a diversity of talent, and how to expand their own market share in the process.
Explore our groundbreaking research to discover five key insights at the forefront of our understanding—both what innovation districts currently are and what they can become when their full potential is unlocked. These insights provide actionable intelligence for district leaders striving to accelerate their impact.
Types of research GIID provides
Our findings are presented through written analysis, intuitive maps, charts, and tables, offering a clear vision for leveraging your district’s strengths and assets to advance your innovation ecosystem.
Data collection and analysis of R&D strengths
includes top areas of research commercialization, where research is most impactful, and where industries are citing district’s institutional research.
Analysis on the constellation of districts and other innovation hubs
This type of novel analysis also evaluates the extent to which the group of hubs are collaborating on research and commercialization activities.
Research of place-based assets including the ‘place-innovation’ nexus
Analysis and benchmarking of development density across districts; the percentage of parking and underutilized assets; the level of mixing between R&D and neighborhood amenities; and the extent to which districts are strengthening the level of accessibility and porosity. Analysis comes in the form of maps, charts, and tables. Where possible districts are compared with other districts to understand where differences prevail.
Analysis of leadership capabilities and district’s organization for success
If innovation districts are to strengthen their role in their region, success on their level of organization. A weakness of many districts, GIID has a dedicated area of research to evaluate leadership and how to organize more effectively, including some form of effective governance.
"The deeper analysis, and the overview and evidence that the GIID team is providing us, is really helping to clarify and to accelerate our progress."
Tell us more about your organization or district and how GIID can help you.
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