Watch:
This article introduces a special issue on the increasing role of cities as a driver for (open) innovation and entrepreneurship. It frames the innovation space being cultivated by proactive cities. Drawing on the diverse papers selected in this special issue, this introduction explores a series of tensions that are emerging as innovators and entrepreneurs seek to engage with local governments and citizens in an effort to improve the quality of life and promote local economic growth.
Much of today’ s most vibrant innovation happens in cities. Although some may write this trend off as a mere reflection of the demographic shifts associated with the mass urban migration, there is something much bigger happening. Cities are becoming a platform for the innovation economy. Urbanization, the democratization of innovation and technology, and collaboration are converging paradigms helping to drive entrepreneurship and innovation in urban areas around the globe. These three factors are converging to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in cities and have been referred to as the urbanpreneur spiral.
Special Issue on City Innovation
- The City as a Lab: Open Innovation Meets the Collaborative Economy
Boyd Cohen, Esteve Almirall, Henry Chesbrough - Rise of the Startup City: The Changing Geography of the Venture Capital Financed Innovation
Richard Florida, Charlotta Mellander - The Open Kimono: Toward a General Framework for Open Data Initiatives in Cities
Pascual Berrone, Joan E. Ricart, Carlos Carrasco - The Making of the Urban Entrepreneur
Pablo Muñoz, Boyd Cohen - A Smart City Is a Collaborative Community: Lessons from Smart Aarhus
Charles C. Snow, Dorthe Døjbak Håkonsson, Børge Obel - Governing the City: Unleashing Value from the Business Ecosystem
Ivanka Visnjic, Andy Neely, Carmelo Cennamo, Nikola Visnjic - Smart Cities at the Crossroads: New Tensions in City Transformation
Esteve Almirall, Jonathan Wareham, Carlo Ratti, Pilar Conesa, Francesca Bria, Anibal Gaviria, Amy Edmondson