Next generation science parks
innovation ecologies in a digital world
Dr David Hardman
CEO - Innovation Birmingham
Chairman - UKSPA
Duncan Berntsen
Director, Berntsen Consulting
www.innovationbham.com
Innovation Ecologies
Science parks have
driven economies as
aggregators as
geographically compact
entities
Ecologies are intrinsically dynamic –
subject to continuous and rapid change - responding
to external influences - technological, socio-
economic and political
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drivers of historically unique change
Societal evolution
- technology integral to life
- urbanisation
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Future relevance of geographic location s?
“Silicon Valley no
longer a place but a
network of places”
Today … linking from
elsewhere and then
relocating activity to
the Valley
Tomorrow ….
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IT Generations by 2020
Boomers the ‘Why nots’ born 1946-64
Gen X ICT Immigrants born 1965-80
by 2020 in Europe 1 in 5 will be over 65
majority will work beyond retirement age
many starting small businesses for
life style and financial support
Gen Y the Millennials born 1980-2000
Their digital orientation, fluency in web
and mobile, means they will remain quick
adopters of new technology as
they focus on careers, families, home
and high-tech living
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The SoLoMo effect
social media platforms, physical location interacting with one’s
mobile device
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Gen ‘Z’ - our 2020 innovation ecology clients
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The ICT Generation
Gen Z - born after 2000 81% 26%
of online teens would need to fly to meet
use some kind of most of their social network
social media friends
Fluent in mobile and social platforms
global reach and outlook with local 76% 52%
wish their hobby use YouTube and other
could be their job social media sites when
ease (GenY=50%) researching for homework
global friendships through virtual
connections
they are/will challenge academia requiring affordable
personalised learning based around video, podcasts,
webinars and social media tools with real-time on demand
expectations
…. these are the 2020 entrepreneurs
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The socially connected consumer
Global growth of the internet, cloud computing combined with
advanced analytical tools to scour large data sets on mobile
platforms – accelerated rate of change
New market transparency as business and consumer activity
is tracked and monitored
market power continues to shift to the consumer
entry barriers to global markets lower for small
businesses
48% of all UK retail 34% of all retail 3,400% growth in 47% of consumers
have used mobiles
websites are accessed website sales are mobile commerce
to browse competitor’s
from mobile devices from mobile devices in last 4 years
websites while in store
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Technology reducing cost barriers to start-ups
The Internet explosion required infrastructure which
spawned the original tech start-up community in Silicon
Valley
- Interconnected personal computers - Databases –
browsers – servers - storage – security ……
Today - horizontally scalable computing & storage
systems
- Open source software
- Web Services
Translates into Less capital required to start a
company
After : Mark Suster , http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/
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Characteristics of web-connected businesses
Transient/kinetic workforce – horizontally distributed
talent - Collaborative networks of contingent workers
creative nomads - more self-employment and micro-
businesses with global reach
collaborative communities of customers and suppliers
drives crowd-trained decisions, problem solving and
anticipation of need
Data becomes the value component in many products and
services
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Urbanised innovation – nothing new
C19th and early C20th
industrial districts—high
concentrations of
manufacturing enterprises
engaging in similar or
complimentary work
Such clustering facilitated
local supply chains - fluid
supply of workers living in
the surrounding communities
and walked to work
Edward K. Muller and Paul A. Groves, “The Emergence of Industrial
Districts in Mid-Nineteenth Century Baltimore” Geographical Review 69
(2) (1979): 159–178.
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Today’s Innovation Districts
Innovation districts maintain elements
of earlier models but embody new
interplays demanded by the new
economies
where supply chains are global
“ While the marginal cost of transmitting
information across geographical space has
fallen significantly, the marginal cost of
transmitting knowledge still rises with
More than half of global
distance …. Therefore, the knowledge spill
population lives in a city over benefits of clustering in cities
can be large for high-value, knowledge
City dwellers are 50% more intensive sectors.”
productive than rural workers
and 30% more prosperous
Devolving Decision Making: Meeting the Regional Economic Challenge; The
Larger cities come up with more Importance of Cities to Regional Growth”
London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2006
innovations per head than smaller
ones
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Today’s uk science park scene
UK ‘Science Parks’ tenant companies : 4,083*
UK ‘Science Parks’ jobs in tenant companies: 74,045*
As at 2013 all figures based on ukspa membership
Urban quasi-urban Suburban
Core city regions
London
Cambridge
Oxford
Source UKSPA : analysis by GVA
Other southeast/east
Driving future growth: Core cities and the
knowledge economy Spring 2014
Scotland
other
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Today’s Innovation Districts
“The trend is to nurture living, breathing communities
rather than sterile remote, compounds of research
silos”
Business Week June 2009
(Knowledge economy) companies thrive in urban
environments, where they can connect with other
industries, drawing on the culture and diversity of the
city
South Mountain Economics, LLC, “A Balanced and Growing Economy:
How San Francisco is Making the Transition to a Digital City” (2014)
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Assets Actors and Activity
Local physical communities and environments remain
important as they drive more creativity through
diversity
Urban yet borderless - invites wider inclusion which
flattens innovation - speeding up social progress
creating positive feed-back loop stimulating more
opportunity
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City innovation Ecologies
The future physical
environment communicates
with- through - to - you
such environments sense,
scan, receive and feedback
These sensing environments will be conscious with
feedback loops to and from themselves and people within
range
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Without walls intelligent city
Open digitally matched
communities of interest
will remain serendipitous
environs
promoted by the internet
of - people - things -
place
passing through the walls
of:
public sector -
organizations –
academia –
commerce –
public realms
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Assets Actors and Activity
A physical place that
promoted community dynamics
- an environment striking a
balance between order and
chaos
…. innovation centre
…. science park
or a city innovation quarter
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the challenges
To address borderless complex and dispersed
innovation chains work-force and consumers
To catalyse the growth of micro-
multinationals
To embrace the consequences of the
urbanisation of innovation
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a connected convivial epicenter
for communities
defined by interest not location
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- as a knowledge capture platform
community
entrepreneurs
connected
collaboration
borderless
innovation
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Designed to promote innovation
Order Structured Pensive
environment
‘Serendip’
Hot-desking
Innovation Marketplace
creative
chaos
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Innovation
‘The success of innovation
at any moment in time is
driven by utilising what is
possible at that time,
remixing the possibles,
lateral thinking - not just
new ideas but remixing old’
Steven Johnson
in Where good ideas come from: the natural
history of innovation. Riverhead Books. NY.
2010
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Serendip
An environment promoting
creative serendipity
promoting collisions of
thoughts and ideas
opening doors to new possibilities
‘The Three Princes of Serendip’
Horace Walpole (Let. to Mann, 28 Jan. 1754)
(Serendip, old name for Ceylon, Sri Lanka)
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Serendip for a smart city
a driver of innovations through
the active promotion of diverse
data sets
promoting unique collaborations
across sectors supported by
corporate partners from:
Built environment
ICT and Games
Digital media
Digital Medtech
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virtual incubator networks
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iCentra
DIGITAL Ports -
An alliance of Physical creative locations connected via
digital bridges that offer a sense of ‘place’ to promote
amplification of ideas –
global to support local
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Consequences
20 years ago we thought we were going to be wired
hermits but it turns out greater urbanization pervades
Smaller connected real estate
Digitally enhanced convivial centres
integrated Urban locations
Multi-sector stimulated
Highly collaborative, flexible, data rich
kinetic and transient communities of creative nomads
Horizontally connected smes - fewer corporates
Driven by The internet of ( innovation )
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Thank you
Gen Z science parks will be :
Connected
Communicating
Collaborating
Creating
communities
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