Place-based Funding Programs and Innovation Ecosystem Building
On July 8, 2024, more than 50 people attended The UIDP Academy Workshop at the University of Cambridge, U.K. From the U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Engines programs to UKRI’s Strength in Places and Innovation Accelerators in the UK, governments seek to invest in research and innovation ecosystems to drive regional economic impact and competitiveness. These programs invest in jump-starting long-term, place-based innovation and supporting regional collaboration among diverse partners. In response to funding and other drivers, organizations are experimenting with how a region can tap into and develop its unique local resources and partners to create an ecosystem that drives innovation, leading to locally anchored impact.
Need a recap? Access available presentations and event materials from UIDP Academy Workshop, Cambridge, U.K. 2024 below, and bookmark this page to find new resources as they are added. These presentations were not prepared by UIDP and do not necessarily reflect UIDP policies or positions.
July 8, 2024
The Landscape of Complex Research Collaborations
Sarah Main, Elsevier
In this presentation, attendees heard from Elsevier on the current global research landscape with particular attention paid to partnerships appearing and maturing in innovation ecosystems. Information shared offered insight into how government strategy reviewed in the previous session interplays with current partnership efforts and the hotspots of complex collaboration networks. See the Innovation and Technology map Elsevier created for the National Science Foundation
Place-Based Funding Programs: Strategy and Philosophy Behind US Government Funding
Tony Boccanfuso, UIDP; Michael Ledford, Lewis-Burke Associates
Governments at all levels are driving institutions of higher education to take on more responsibility in supporting local economic development through innovation ecosystem initiatives. In this framing discussion, attendees heard about the motivations behind these programs and gained insight into government goals for these initiatives.