This policy briefing outlines why cities form ‘spikes’ of innovative activity, and what is needed for them to be hubs of innovation. 

Key findings:

• Employers and a skilled workforce form the heart of a successful city: a pool of highly skilled people attracts employers, which attracts people – a virtuous circle.
• Ways for cities to break into this virtuous circle include establishing local institutional support, and providing the infrastructure for knowledge and talent to flow from elsewhere.
• The UK needs ‘intelligent competition’: enough competition between local areas to allow for the emergence of good ideas, but not so much as to be destructive to the nation’s ambitions or its use of public resources.
• Nesta is working to support cities as hubs of innovation.

The UK’s cities form spikes of innovation in an otherwise flat world.

Our cities need innovation strategies tailored to their unique strengths and weaknesses, but competition between them must not overshadow UK-wide priorities.

Author:
Nesta