Last Tuesday, July 2nd, Isabel Sabadí, Director of 22@Network Barcelona has participated in a round table of How Can Innovation Districts Encourage Inclusive Growth? With other innovation districts.

As part of their work to equip governments and cities with the best evidence and knowledge to combat place-based and spatial inequality, the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) convenes an international public roundtable on Innovation Districts.

At a time when the UK Government has committed to increasing R&D spending to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 – its highest level ever level – this session asks what policymakers at the national, regional, and local level can do to encourage fair and effective place-based models of innovation.

Engaging experts and stakeholders from across the UK and internationally, this focused, roundtable considered the evidence and best practice across industries and geographies in the actualization of innovation districts.

The questions the session during the session has been:

• How can Innovation Districts share their benefits as widely as possible among local residents?

• In what ways can land value be captured and distributed equitably?

• Can you establish an Innovation District without a university or successful major company?

• Does an Innovation District have to be place-based?

The roundtable was chaired by IPPO's Co-Investigator Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan and:

• Isabel Sabadi, General Director, 22@Network Barcelona

• Vanessa Campbell, former Precinct Director, Suburban Rail Loop District, Melbourne

• Beth O’Neill Maloney, Executive Director at Kendal Square Association, Massachusetts

The International Public Policy Observatory, funded by  the Economic and Social Research Council, works with partners across the UK  nations and internationally to distil and share the best global evidence for  policy practice across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland across key  strategic themes including Place and Spatial Inequality.