From regional innovation to science citiesDavid Charles and Felicity Wray

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Overview

The return of the concept of the science city

Limitations and critiques of regional innovation systems

The new focus on science policy at sub-national level

Science and city-regions

Characteristics of science cities

Case study of Newcastle

Policy issues

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The second coming of the science city?

Science parks Technopoles, technopolises and science cities Regional innovation systems and strategies Regional science policies Science cities

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Evolution of the notion of the science city

University cities as centres of learning only – Bologna, Oxford

The 19th century industrial city – Manchester, Newcastle

Innovation and the global metropolis – London, Berlin Paris, New York Tokyo

Planned science cities – Akademgorodok,Tskuba, Taedok, Hsinchu

Emergence of specialist science and innovation cities with universities at the core – Silicon Valley, Grenoble

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Limitations of regional innovation systems approach

Focus on system interactions – what does a region do if the only strengths are in science?

Regions with weak traditional industries and low levels of related variety

Strong cities with relatively weak regional hinterlands

Sectoral/cluster innovation systems not mapping onto regions

Limited focus on international links

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From regional innovation policy to regional science policy

Growing involvement of regional level bodies in science policy as an extension of regional innovation policyImplications for regional investment of the Lisbon agenda, ERA and especially the Barcelona target of 3% GERD in GDPConcern about the conflicts and tensions between different scales of policymakingNotion of the agora as a site of debate on the purpose and meaning of science and the validity of ‘regional’ objectives for scienceContextualisation of science

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Shift to a multi-scalar science policy

Four key elementsNew paradigms of regional development

Growth of devolution movements in a number of EU countries

Rise of international collaboration, notably in the EU Framework Programme

New disruptive technologies and mode 2 knowledge production

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Investments in universities and science infrastructures

Chasing global rankings

Cities/regions and universities in mutual investments

Universities as key assets

Florida arguments on talent attraction

Rethinking the university in the context of globalisation, commercialisation pressures and the triple helix rhetoric

Need for new governance relations to deal with new spaces for university engagement

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So what is a science city?

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Is a science city likely to be like this?

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Or like this?

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Science cities as hubs of the global knowledge economy

Economic development policy focused on hub citiesAlternatives to global cities as finance capitalsSources of new industries and knowledgeGovernment enthusiasm for new knowledge- based clustersR&D centres as poles of development but national policy tendency to centralisationScience parks and technopoles as tools of regional and national developmentCompetition for investment but also talent

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Elements in the science city

Universities and public research – quality, research intensity, international in focus

Basic research focus of business – home grown or international

Innovative culture in local industry clusters

Spin offs from HE

Support services and infrastructures – venture capital and advice

Knowledge exploitation culture

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Spaces of engagementNeed to rethink the physical design of universities to reflect new roles and modes of knowledge transfer

Existing land and property portfolios and the need to manage them effectively

Centrality or dominance of universities in some cities

Reshaping the university as a place of shared knowledge production and encouragement of wider participation

Examples of strategic development to reposition universities in international networks and also to underpin international competitiveness

New forms of campus and knowledge precincts etc

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An international trend

UK science cities – Newcastle, Manchester, York, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham

Zurich, Leuven, Ulm, Dortmund, Heraklion?

Asian cases – Singapore, Cyberjaya, Taedok, Shanghai, Bangalore

Australia – Brisbane, Melbourne

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Singapore Biopolis

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Brisbane – Smart State to Smart City

Evolution of Smart State strategy

State investment in science infrastructure and translation spaces

Parallel developments of other innovation system components

Strong international dimension

Main concentration of investment in Brisbane

Recent recognition of the importance of precincts and spaces for engagement

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UQ

CBD

QUT Kelvin Grove

QUTSouthbank Griffith U

Boggo Road precinct

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Date

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UK Science City programme

Announcement by government with no funding

Building on policies to encourage university engagement with business and 10 year plan for science

Six science cities in two announcements

Deliberately excluded London and golden triangle

No relocation of R&D on the agenda

Cities to develop own strategies based on universities through regional development agencies

Varied approaches across the six cities

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Newcastle Science City - Spaces for Science and Business

Science Central

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Strategy for success c. 2007

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What might Newcastle Science City look like?

A place where: the university is open to business and economic development

Spinning out high tech/knowledge intensive companies

Bringing in high tech companies

Working with industrial and government partners

Active social entrepreneurship

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Elements

4 science themes – mix of old and new

Translation research and exploitation

Campus redevelopment and expansion

Major physical redevelopment

Science education and widening aspirations

Public debate and understanding

Balancing interests of three main partners and building new governance structures

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Business School contributions

Business students and graduates – general and specialisedStudent project work with Science City partners and firmsSpecialised training within university and for businessResearch on innovation and technology futuresPolicy advice and supportSupport for commercialisation strategies and enterprise programmesProfessors of practice

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Prospects for UK science cities?

Does it make sense to have 6 in addition to the golden triangle?

Is it possible to achieve anything without massive new resources?

Is it about regeneration, university strategy or regional economic development?

What’s the potential benefit – high tech? new services? a tool to rethink wider regional support?

Is it the last best hope?

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Tentative Policy Recommendations

No more rounds of UK Science Cities

Less emulation of successful places,

Less preoccupation with being ‘world class’,

Less emphasis on cultivating or even creating sexy sectors

And instead …

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Policy Recommendations contin…

More refinement and subtlety in the strategies. Focus on local context and acknowledge history.

More strategic integration of the various forms of innovation, more achievable goals.

More outward facing – how engage with other territories engaged in similar activities AND harness value.

More funding from central government.

Continue to devolve decision making and autonomy to sub-national agents to make and shape their local development trajectories.

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