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District Playbook

A framework to create district-led innovation ecosystems

What is Our Playbook for Innovation Districts?

Innovation districts and their broad base of stakeholders are seeking a blueprint—a theory of change—if not an empirical basis to frame their work.

Districts can draw on their economic, physical, and social networking assets to create innovation ecosystems. This requires a set of connected strategies, deployed over time.

The Theory of Change builds on research that has been developed over the past decade, starting at The Brookings Institution and sharpened over time by our continued work with districts worldwide. It offers districts a holistic picture of the work ahead and a way for them to understand their own theory of change.

The Theory of Change helps district leaders understand what is required to create an integrated and inclusive geography of innovation. This requires a range of strategies and tactics to strengthen districts’ Unique Value Proposition.

"Our District Playbook is a blueprint to help innovation districts become centers of change and impact. This means organizing your district around the societal problems your district is best positioned to solve."

Julie Wagner

President, The Global Network of Innovation Districts

Elements of the Theory of Change

Organize for success

Learn how districts can design themselves to be organizationally ready to take on the work. Organizing for success requires shifting from an organic, if not market-led, approach towards one that is more intentional, coordinated and synergistic.

The shift requires districts and their local leaders to:

  • Set a vision and detailed ambitions
  • Develop a governance structure
  • Orchestrate sustainable financing including new revenue streams

Strengthen R&D specializations

Understanding your district’s R&D means articulating your strengths and capacities with specificity. It means moving away from broad fields of sectors to strong or emerging specializations.

 

In 2016, at least 54 nations boasted of possessing at least one biotechnology hub. North America alone identified over 30. A review of the leading hubs for bioelectronics or immunotherapy in transplant or orphan drug development yields a much smaller list.

 

There’s value in identifying R&D niches to develop a clearer competitive advantage.

Create quality, connected places

Physical proximity, density, and highly connected environments grow in importance. They impact how innovation districts facilitate knowledge exchange, spurring a greater focus on “place”.  Districts are investing considerable resources to ensure high quality, people-centered designs, increased walkability, and greater accessibility.

 

The work requires district leaders to think about place as an enabler for:

  • Drawing together companies with institutional researchers.
  • Educating and training residents into meaningful employment.
  • Inviting a diversity of people—including children—into the spaces to test ideas, to ask questions, and to own the space.

Facilitate convergence

Scientific and technological breakthroughs often spring out of unconventional combinations of disciplines.

Some of the most exciting developments in cancer treatment in recent years have involved combining expertise from oncology and immunology. The earliest and most effective Covid-19 vaccines were derived from a mashup of expertise from virology, genetics, and computational science. Research on the next generation of supercomputers combines knowledge and ideas from quantum physics and information science.

Our research examines the extent to which districts are achieving unique forms of convergence and, likely, spawning specific competitive advantages.

Advance equity and inclusion

The rise of innovation districts is occurring during a period of dramatic demographic transformation and economic restructuring. Combined, these create enormous income, wealth, and health disparities, both within and across cities.

The goal of the “inclusive city”—a city that expands educational and employment opportunities, creates wealth, shares prosperity, and engages residents as co-creators and problem solvers—is leading innovation districts to design, finance, and deliver tighter links between innovation and equitable growth.

Advance sustainability

The combined R&D strengths of districts need to be deployed to develop, test, and scale new solutions in energy transition, climate adaptation, smart mobility, new materials, and more.

For emerging districts, a net-zero district is now considered a minimum requirement. Districts of the future should be the ultimate “living labs” that develop and scale new solutions, uniquely positioned to take on climate change.

In all districts, deliberate efforts to take on our warming climate will require strings of strategies, such as local housing choices to reduce commutes, renewable energies, green buildings, and the elimination of carbon-producing materials in buildings and across supply chains.

Build critical mass

A district’s ability to reach its full potential rests on its capacity to understand its unique specializations and to achieve a critical mass of companies, talent, and innovation infrastructure that align those specializations and enable them to flourish.

This goes beyond industry attraction and investment. Critical mass of the right kinds of actors with specific specializations, capabilities and drive is a far more orchestrated process.

Create buzzing, connected community

Practitioners leading mature innovation districts share how the growth and development of networks through programming has transformed their real estate into buzzing, connected communities.

Creating a buzzing community means placing a priority on informal and formal social networks between different district actors, including residents. Social networks are shaped and grown through different social programs such as training, networking events, and fun activities.

Communicate for impact

Far too many places and people do not understand why innovation districts are important to our societies. To change this, districts need to be able to powerfully communicate how they are structuring their R&D prowess and commercialization skills to address societal problems.

Communicating for impact requires districts to establish a distinctive brand, clear messaging and a strategy that aligns with the district’s overarching mission.