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The Global Institute on Innovation Districts

Universities and medical institutions

Work with us to build a thriving innovation district

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GIID works with anchor institutions:

Universities, medical institutions and other research organizations are known as anchor institutions. GIID helps these organizations increase the impact and commercialization of their work by leveraging the model of innovation districts.

Understand how innovation districts are organized and how to grow your district faster

Impact

How can we amplify the reach and impact of our own research?

You want to:

  • Move faster than your current pace with help from a change agent
  • Define your innovation district’s vision and mission for impact

Strategy

How does an innovation district fit into our institutional strategies?

You want to:

  • Define a north star that inspires your organization and other stakeholders
  • Validate what you’re already doing with your stakeholders, internally within your own institution, and with government
  • Create an agenda for your innovation district that prioritizes your next steps

Reassurance

How can we lead with confidence? What are potential risks we might face that we don’t know of?

You want to:

  • Know how other districts operate and their best practices
  • Know how other institutions like yours have executed their role
  • Receive advice on how to lead a district, from people who’ve already done it

Organizing for success including governance

How are we currently organized to advance our district? How can we learn from existing districts to help us develop a tailored approach?

You want to:

  • Get expert advice and knowledge to avoid reinventing the wheel
  • Learn which types of governance work for others and how you could replicate known ideas in your district

Collaborative skills

How do we work with proximal institutions which we may see as competitors? What’s the best way to align all stakeholders under one shared agenda?

You want to:

  • Connect and share knowledge with private firms to grow your district’s impact
  • Work with local actors to design a governance structure that includes new ways to generate revenue streams

Urban planning

What should be the boundaries of our district? What buildings should we develop?

You want to:

  • Leverage placemaking ideas to create quality places where people want to live, work, play and learn

How we work with universities and medical institutions

Practice-oriented researchGlobal NetworkStrategic SupportGlobal Summit
Uncover your district’s R&D competitive advantages and your most pressing gaps and vulnerabilities.

Identify your place-based strengths and assets and use this analysis to create connective, inclusive and magnetic places.

Learn more		Sharpen and strengthen the model of innovation districts with a peer-learning and educational program.

Join a collective of 45 worldwide districts where leaders come together to support one another.

Learn more		Work with us to develop tailored strategic support to help advance and accelerate the growth and evolution of your district—and avoid costly mistakes.

Learn more		Actively participate in the face-to-face events to learn and discuss the evolving model of innovation districts given changes in macro forces that affect your business model

Develop new relationships with leaders in the field, other companies, and key institutions seeking new partnerships

Argue for the kinds of reforms necessary to strengthen company and institutional engagement—and how that translates into increased impact

Learn more

“Engaging GIID has been a game changer on how we are looking at the potential of our campus.”

Kirsten Hildebrandt

Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus

“Thanks to GIID’s guidance and conversations with my peers, I now have the champions that we need from the University and the chamber at the table to go forward. We are completely aligned in our thoughts and outcomes desired and are now working on a Vision, Mission and Governance structure for the innovation district.”

Jesse Smith

Manager, Industrial Partnerships and Economic Development, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Featured resources for universities and medical institutions

Tearing Down Real Walls: A Place-Based Approach to University-Industry Collaboration

article

Julie Wagner
Learn More
Australia’s pathway

Australia’s pathway to innovative growth lies with its universities

article

Authored by Julie Wagner and Bruce Katz
Learn More

Accelerate the evolution of innovation districts worldwide

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