COMMENT The case for technology-enabled and collaborative innovation districts has been compelling for years. Cities and regions have harnessed their assets to drive societal and economic benefits and help to build the knowledge economy, which is key to the UK’s future growth prospects.
Investment in R&D will drive growth prospects for the larger pharmaceutical companies, which will increase the need for life sciences space within innovation districts. Also, as part of R&D investment strategy, there is an increasing level of spend in the allied technology sectors, which will have an impact on labour requirements.
The type of labour needed will determine location, and this is an obvious reason for locating in cities – to operate in a more diverse labour pool alongside the technology companies.
We are seeing a new model for innovation emerging, more targeted to finding solutions to today’s biggest challenges. How have innovation districts evolved, and what does the concept of innovation mean in the current landscape?
Smarter urban environments
London and other major city regions have been undergoing a reinvention to position themselves as globally competitive innovation centres and cement the UK’s reputation as a world-class investment destination. Creating urban innovation districts goes beyond bricks and mortar, requiring a thoughtful design approach to curate the best mix of organisations, people, skills, industries, amenities and placemaking. Only then will the environment spark those incidental conversations and meetings that lead to breakthroughs.
The Knowledge Quarter in Liverpool is a stand-out example, with many companies and universities collaborating within a small radius.
With the rise of life sciences as a crucial industry post-Covid, more pioneering start-ups and scale-ups in the space are seeking central locations. This is the case for the SC1 life science innovation district in central London, where our team is delivering the Pears Centre for Children and Young People in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust hospital.
This will modernise mental health facilities and bring together groundbreaking clinical services and research to provide effective early intervention. Innovation can extend beyond technology and life sciences, to focus on mental health and wellbeing.
With population growth and the trends of urbanisation and densification, the need for innovative and sustainable city solutions will intensify. This is where fast-advancing technologies can support the evolution of smart cities. Smart cities and innovation districts have many synergies and can mature in tandem, given the importance of robust digital connectivity and infrastructure, and the fact that being data-led is a priority for both companies and cities.
Districts should facilitate collaboration between academia, industry, start-ups and government agencies. This can be achieved through shared spaces such as co-working offices, incubators and accelerators. The new breed of innovation districts include incubators and accelerators that provide support services, mentorship and resources.
Laboratories should be planned so that they can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different research needs and equipment – using the principle of ‘long life, loose fit’ where possible. Flexible lab spaces enable smaller firms to adapt to evolving research needs and scale operations as they grow.
Moving towards inclusivity
Beyond the urban environment, there is a regional need for innovation to drive more inclusive growth and improve productivity. Innovation can thrive in non-urban settings but this calls for a different approach, with places designed to focus on specific areas of expertise.
While life sciences work well in city centres, for instance, due to proximity to universities and hospitals, research centres lend themselves well to more rural or suburban settings. We have been involved in the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for more than a decade, designing “first of kind” facilities such as the National Satellite Test Facility.
A more inclusive innovation model can also go a long way to boosting local economies through critical skills development, employment opportunities and acting as a catalyst for regeneration.
At Greater Manchester’s Atom Valley, we have been supporting a public-private partnership working on an advanced hi-tech manufacturing hub that will create 20,000 jobs across Rochdale, Bury and Oldham. The region has certain areas of deprivation, and this project will help kick-start a virtuous cycle where the positive impact will reconnect these suburban towns, flow into surrounding communities and unlock success for the wider Northern Powerhouse.
Strong connections
It is also important to remove silos between individual innovation districts so that they are better connected as a network, rather than acting as disparate hubs.
This is in line with the levelling-up white paper, which aims to increase public research and development spend outside the South East by 40% by 2030, and the government’s reaffirmed focus on innovation-based growth, having introduced 12 new investment zones with tax incentives and an additional £100m of funding to be allocated across Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and the West Midlands.
More areas will look to establish innovation hubs, and it is vital that the right environment is in place to facilitate this, including simplifying the planning process, collaborating with local authorities and making the right spaces and infrastructure available. The objective is for as many people and regions as possible to participate in – and reap the rewards of – a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem and the new knowledge economy.
Maja Nesdale is a director at Arcadis. Simon Carter, associate principal at Arcadis, also contributed to this article
Photo © Arcadis
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