Investment models for innovation ecosystems at EXPO2020 Dubai

IASP was pleased to participate in a workshop at EXPO2020 Dubai organised by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service.

Held at the Swedish Pavilion on January 21, the workshop presented a draft study into new investment models for urban innovation ecosystems. It draws from earlier research carried out in collaboration with IASP into Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for STPs and AOIs, which contained several case studies of IASP members.

The new study focuses on the attraction of mainstream private investors. It aims to identify potential revenue generating streams and develop metrics for describing and quantifying the positive socio-economic impact of innovation districts’ development projects. IASP members will once again participate in the research: Berlin Adlershof in Germany, ThessIntec in Greece, High Tech Campus Eindhoven and Milano Innovation District – MIND provide four out of the five case studies.

IASP CEO Ebba Lund joined a roundtable exploring innovation ecosystems and innovation districts alongside Martina De Sole, President of the European Network of Living Labs; Iskra Reic from Astra Zeneca; Richard Lyons from Berkeley University’s Hass School of Business; and Darja Isaksson, Director General of Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency. “Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it’s a people business. It needs people to come together and is very linked to specific locations,” concluded session moderator Alessandro Fazio, Head of Competence Centre on Technology Transfer at JRC.

The workshop also heard from District 2020, also an IASP member: director Tala Al Ansari presented future plans for Dubai’s Expo site which by 2022 will be reborn as an innovation-driven business ecosystem that brings together global minds and embraces technology and digital innovation to support industry growth. Following the six months of the World Expo, District 2020 will re-purpose 80% of the Expo’s built environment into an integrated mixed-use community that will continue to attract businesses and people to work, live, and visit.

An overview of the programme can be found here, and you can watch the recording of the full JRC workshop here.