2011 City Results

The 5th Annual Innovation Cities Index was released today by 2thinknow, classifying city innovation globally. The release includes 4 regional and 2 global indexes for 331 benchmark cities, across 80+ countries.

INDEXES > TOP 100 | AMERICAS | EUROPE | ASIA | EMERGING | GLOBAL

View short Media Release + Read the 2011 FAQ

Please reproduce the index results in articles, blogs and media as per license terms.

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The October edition Innovation Cities Analysis Report on the Index, city trends and building urban innovation economies, is available to order. > New Edition > Report Site > Order!

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Media Release

This is an extended Media Release, please use as appropriate.

DATE: Tuesday, 18TH October 2011.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Boston came first again in a field of 331 cities in the Innovation Cities Global Index. This year’s top cities were rounded out by San Francisco Bay Area, Paris, New York and Vienna, as the 5th annual index was released today by analysts from innovation agency 2thinknow. 2thinknow is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data identified innovation as the key driver of economic recovery from previous recessions and downturns for nations, and 2thinknow’s annual index extends this to cities.

Melbourne came tops over an improved Sydney this year for innovation, in the 5^th Annual Innovation Cities Asia Index.  Tokyo and Shanghai rounded out the top five cities, in the index released today by analysts from innovation agency 2thinknow.

The Innovation Cities Asia Index was one of four regional and two global indexes released in Melbourne, today.

European cities continued to place well globally, often indicating a separation between city and national performance.

Comparing European cities in the global indexes, Germany’s Munich continued climbing up to 7th place globally from 15th. Amid struggling UK cities London improved to 11th from 14th, as Manchester (32nd) rose to Nexus status for the first time. In Europe, Italian and Spanish cities fell further outside the top rankings, with Barcelona (19), Milan (16), Madrid (52) and Torino (80) ranked counter to poor national trends. Other top tier European Nexus cities listed included Amsterdam (6), Lyon (8), Copenhagen (9), Frankfurt (12), Hamburg (13) and Berlin (14).

According to 2thinknow Executive Director, Christopher Hire, “Key cities will perform out of pattern with nations, as nations enter or exit economic malaise, or multi-speed economies.”

In 2011, 331 benchmarked cities were scored on 162 indicators by 2thinknow based on their facility to generate product, process, service and other innovation types across an urban economy. Results are classified into five bands of performance including top-tier Nexus and Hub cities, followed by globally competitive Node cities.

According to 2thinknow, Executive Director, Christopher Hire, the “Innovation Cities Global Index measures cities as innovation economies. We collect and assess data for transport, universities, arts, design, sustainability, economics, start-up facilities, labour, technology and other indicators to measure the opportunity cities offer their citizens.”

The analysts noted that city performance can be faster to turn around than overall national performance. All indexes are available on www.innovation-cities.com

The analysts first named Boston as the second-top global innovation destination in 2007. In 2011, the analysts stated that Boston’s dominant institutions Harvard and MIT, coupled with a strengthening start-up and arts in global networks kept the city number one overall globally across multiple economic segments in the turbulent national economic cycle. In Canada, Nexus city Toronto moved up two places to 10th globally. Montreal joined Seattle and Los Angeles as North American Nexus cities for the first time.

The top 10% of 331 cities were classified as Nexus cities by the analysts. Nexus cities were the analysts best general destinations for innovation, followed by the next 73 Hub cities named as challengers in many sectors of the city economy. The balance of cities were classified as Node cities or in two lower performance bands. According to the analyst’s classification, Node cities are globally competitive for innovation.

In 2011 the Index uniquely foresees stronger U.S. innovation performance over 2 to 5 years, based on mid-size city businesses seeking innovation opportunities in global cities. 2thinknow noted that across the USA, most major U.S. cities were likely to be globally competitive Node or above, by meeting mid-level benchmarks for innovation. The analysts identified Human Infrastructure and Cultural Asset investment as key to stronger U.S. performance.

Hong Kong climbed to 15th globally and first Nexus in Asia, ahead of Australia’s city economies represented by Melbourne and Sydney, at 17th and 20th respectively. A weakened Tokyo moved temporarily down to 22nd place ahead of a steady Shanghai (24) among a record 24% Asian Nexus cities, also including Seoul. China’s economic performance to date was reflected by more Chinese cities than ever in the global Index, and the entry of cities like Wuhan and Chengdu for the first time.

Global Hub cities rising in the analyst rankings this year included Bordeaux, Vancouver, Budapest, Tel Aviv, Orlando and Shenzhen. Well-known cities the analysts discounted significantly this year included St Petersburg, Moscow and Buenos Aires (replaced in South America by São Paulo). Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod technology city and Rostov-na-Donu entered the Index for the first time, as Mumbai became India’s first Hub city. Cape Town this year became the first African Hub city. Adelaide in Australia also became an Asian Hub based on new investment activity.

According to 2thinknow, Executive Director, Christopher Hire, the “Innovation Cities Global Index measures cities as innovation economies. This goes beyond technology or patents alone. 2thinknow analysts also collect data on assess transport, universities, arts, design, sustainability, economics, start-up facilities, labor as well as other factors to measure the opportunities cities offer their citizens. We aim to measure cities economic opportunity not nations.”

In 2011 the 331 cities benchmarked for innovation, up from 289 cities in 2010 and compared with 256 cities in 2009. The top 125 cities were ranked by the analysts based on 21 current global trends, listed in the accompanying Innovation Cities Analysis report. The indicators framework, models and global analysis of trend impact were also outlined in the report. 2thinknow launched the index in 2007 and expanded the index in 2009 to 289 cities.

Each year, the global index and top rankings are released with four regional indexes, that classify and then rank the top cities for North & South America, Europe, Asia and Emerging regions. In 2007 the analysts predicted the Global Financial Crisis as a “September (2008) shock event”, and Indexes predicted London’s fall and foresaw counter-cyclical strong performance of German and French cities overall.

Cities move in the Index over 2 or 3 year periods, and many city classifications have been relatively stable year on year since 2009.

— ENDS—

SPOKESPERSON

Christopher Hire
Executive Director
2thinknow ICP

+61 409 787 960 (Mobile)
+61 3 9935 2927
TIME: Melbourne, Australia (AEST)

Rapid email: media@2thinknow.com

Cities Data

Separately, City Benchmarking Data from the 2thinknow Index is city-level available to order for any 331 benchmark cities (from all regions) for all 162 indicators, or any mix of cities and indicators for city data projects. > Data Site

For single cities this data is bundled with annual reports, at a discount via top-tier subscriptions via Innovation Cities Program subscription.

According to the analysts, top-ranked nexus cities have better economic opportunities for all of us, due to their innovation economics building future industries for employment and community services.

Paris and Amsterdam contested the top spot with Boston, being ranked second and third, respectively, in the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Top 100 Index. Since 2009 Vienna has moved to fourth place and New York to fifth place. The cities of Frankfurt, San Francisco, Copenhagen, Lyon and Hamburg, rounded out the top ten places.

In Asia, Hong Kong was first in 18th place overall. Japan has two cities in the top index, with Tokyo (20) and Kyoto (22) both ahead of Chinese city Shanghai (24) in the current year. Australia’s strong relative economy was represented by Melbourne and Sydney, placed 19th and 28th respectively.

In Europe, German and French cities out-scored United Kingdom cities across all classifications of the Index. In southern Europe, capitals of Milan (16), Rome (20) and Barcelona (26) placed well followed by and Madrid (60), despite the economic and social concerns of the region.

Scored cities were classified in five groupings for their importance to the innovation economy. Nexus cities dominate the globally innovation economy across many sectors, followed by hub cities.

Node and influencer cities have regional industry influence on innovation, so whether these were ideal places to live and work was based more on choice of industry.

2thinknow commenced the index in 2007 to help start-up businesses, creative class and communities determine their cities relative performance in the global innovation economy.  In 2010 of 289 cities scored, compared with 256 cities last year. Of these 282 were categorized, with 30 hub cities, 65 nexus cities, 162 node cities, 20 influencer cities and 5 upstarts.

The index was scored based on measuring 31 common industry and community segments of the urban economy, with 162 indicators weighted against global trends. This was reduced to a 3 factor score out of 10 measuring the cultural assets, human infrastructure and networked markets of an innovation economy.

The final complex process of a top 100 ranking focussed on assessment of cities ‘market confidence’.

Entrants that rose since 2009 to become nexus cities included Hong Kong (now 18), Shanghai (24) and Munich (15).These cities represented innovation performance at a global level and across many sectors of the innovation economy. Prominent hub cities included Singapore (31), Seattle (35), Chicago (47) and Manchester (58) in England.

The index relied on measuring cultural assets, and infrastructure as conditions for innovation, rather than counting patents or research spending.

The index can be viewed at http://www.innovation-cities.com/

The index is designed to evolve over time, with global economic and social conditions.

2thinknow are a private network of consulting innovation analysts, based in Melbourne, Australia.
— ENDS —
SPOKESPERSON
Christopher Hire, Executive Director
2thinknow ICP
+61399352927
media@2thinknow.com

RELEASED: 2THINKNOW, Level 27, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St Melbourne VIC 3001 AUSTRALIA Phone: +61399352927

A longer variation of this release including regional & global top tables http://www.innovation-cities.com/top-100-city-rankings-for-the-innovation-economy/

There is also an extensive FAQ and more resources on the index rankings.
http://www.innovation-cities.com/innovation-cities-top-100-index-top-cities/

This morning, in Melbourne, Australia a new concept in urban research a global city report, was launched with a new website to take new ideas in urban planning and city management global.

Cities now house 50% of the world’s population, yet the body of ideas and practice available to cities is far less in number and depth than in business and management.

As a new concept in urban research, the Innovation Cities Analysis Report aims to change this situation with a concise readable work pulling together ideas to be implemented and communicated to create innovation in cities.

Whilst innovation in nations has been a topic attracting much attention — indeed the OECD proved that Finland and Norway innovated their way out of previous recessions, leading to stronger economic recoveries — this information has not to date been applied to cities.

The Innovation Cities Analysis Report fills that gap. Unlike other cities literature, the focus goes beyond ideas. The centrepiece is a structured framework for the implementation and communication of ideas in local cities, towns and suburbs.

This framework, the Innovation Cities Framework, has been created upon review of 42 benchmark cities, and expanded to the ongoing review of 256 cities.

The report introduces the framework as a structured logical way of communicating urban approaches — rather than presenting an idea as an opinion, the idea can be measured based on the potential implementation and communication.

For more, read the newly launched report website: http://report.innovation-cities.com

• Melbourne has world-class Cultural Assets, as good as or better than European cities, despite infrastructure issues
• U.K. and France interested in how cities can achieve “Australian economic miracle”
• Rely on multiple industry and community sectors to achieve cosmopolitan cities

Melbourne is the Australian city North Americans and Europeans could learn the most from, that’s the conclusion of a new global city report launched in Melbourne today.

A new concept in urban research, the Innovation Cities Analysis Report, was launched in Melbourne today by Australian innovation agency 2thinknow with a website designed to take Melbourne’s uniquely cosmopolitan and open view of cities to the world.

The report is significant because it provides new answers to how a city can improve economic and social performance in the face of economic uncertainty and potential job losses, by embracing a cosmopolitan approach to city planning.

In the global city report, Melbourne’s cultural assets and government arts strategy featured withh 32 mentions. These included praise for local architectural practices, laneway culture, major events, visitor information brochures, AFL and the sports industry.

Melbourne’s reputation as the “casual food capital” of the world was singled out, with the food quality, dining, diversity and affordability sections of the report using case studies from Melbourne. This included laneway cafes, bars and the Queen Victoria Market.

Answers in the report centre on a balanced multi-sector approach to cities across 3 factors: cultural assets, human infrastructure and networked markets.

The unique basis of the report is an ongoing benchmarking study of over 256 cities, on 162 performance indicators started in 2005.

The largest city benchmarking program ever undertaken, the program measures cities in terms of actual performance as experience by citizens, not statistics. The program does this by the design of performance indicators, then using the internet and global connections in new ways to monitor city performance.

Sydney received 17 mentions. Regional Victoria was praised along with Adelaide’s cultural assets of food and wine. However, infrastructure gaps in Australia were highlighted relative to Asia and Europe.

Editions of the report and benchmarking data have been purchased by city and state governments and business from Australia to New Zealand to United States, Canada, and Europe.

More details are available about the Innovation Cities Analysis Report on the website:  http://report.innovation-cities.com

LEARNING FROM AUSTRALIA

The report concludes that Melbourne’s mix of cultural factors in cities contribute to a balanced approach to urban factors. This balance was what made Melbourne a destination for industry innovation in up to 31 industry and community segments.

The report takes a purely commercial approach to innovation, looking at potential job-creating industries and social innovation in areas that impact citizen satisfaction: such as transport or the environment.

Other studies on innovation in city that deal with patents or published research.

This championing of cosmopolitan Melbourne, follows recent media reports in global newspapers that nations such as France and U.K. were examining more closely how to emulate Australia’s economy and major cities.

The global city report places major Australian cities favourably within a global context, and concludes that they are out-innovating many United States cities in terms of urban planning and development of diverse cities.

Sydney also received 17 mentions, for cultural assets such an active nightlife, cultural links to Asia, private art galleries, casual food options, environmentally-friendly buildings such as Lend Lease’s The Bond and cinemas such as the Orpheum in Cremorne.

However, infrastructure was a strong negative in Sydney, with the analysts drawing attention to poor airport connections, disorganized urban planning, generally high prices and, like Melbourne, globally high property prices.

BEYOND THE CENTRES

South Australia’s food and wine around Adelaide received 3 mentions in the report, with a profile of the Central Market and the wine cluster in surrounding areas.

Regional cities, in regional Victoria, received a mention, with Ballarat’s art gallery and Clunes’ Book town promoted within the global city report as positive examples for regional areas across the world to emulate.

On the West Coast, Perth received a single mention, as did the Canberra. Neighbouring New Zealand cities received 6 mentions between them in the current edition, with special attention being drawn to a global quality film industry in Wellington.

NATIONAL BROADBAND ASIA

In terms of Federal Government programs, Australia’s fibre-optic National Broadband network was held up as an example of positive government intervention in the economy, and bringing Australia in line with Asian internet speeds.

In terms of the weaknesses of Australian cities, infrastructure gaps in logistics bottlenecks, rail freight, ports and public transport were highlighted. The report proposes greater public transport, more innovative car sharing schemes and less reliance on the automobile. Property affordability was highlighted, using the measure of multiple of salaries as a key concern relative to all other developed nations.

In Asia, Singapore and Hong Kong were highlighted, along with mainland Chinese and Japanese cities for improving infrastructure, including fast-rail. The lack of a fast-rail corridor, with redundancy, between Brisbane-Sydney-Canberra-Melbourne and regional areas was singled out as a missed economic opportunity.

ABOUT THE REPORT

The Innovation Cities Analysis Report integrates economics, markets and job creation concepts into to social urban planning ideas championed by Jane Jacobs, Richard Florida and others.

The report does this via the Innovation Cities Framework, a commercial model for measuring, comparing and planning for innovation through measuring city performance indicators, similar to the KPIs used in business.

The report is commercially available to city governments, business, community associations and media globally. More details are available about the Innovation Cities Analysis Report on the website:  http://report.innovation-cities.com

LEARNING FROM COPENHAGEN

Globally the report drew on many European examples such as Copenhagen’s traffic scheme, fast-rail projects in Germany, Japan and France, universities such as those in and near Boston, and the European bicycle rental schemes, newly implemented in Melbourne.

Boston, MA was the most mentioned U.S. city, with 26 mentions, and had previously been ranked #1 in the world for innovation, in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.

San Francisco and New York were frequently mentioned for their pro-business, pro-start-up approach, technology clusters and environmental initiatives.  Although the report warned many U.S. cities were falling behind and in danger of becoming backslider cities – cities that focused on minor social issues, at the expense of solving fundamental urban planning and design principles.

Overall, Australian cities were mentioned favourably within a global context.

CHANGING CITIES

The analysis report of urban research is part of the Innovation Cities Program, a program of resources for city government and business to create local innovation in urban areas.

The program includes a 162 indicator benchmarking data set of 256 global cities. Also in the program, are the Innovation Cities Index city rankings based around potential of cities to respond to current economic and social challenges.

The Index city rankings for 2010 are scheduled to be released in early August, with a new site launched prior to the city rankings launch. Index rankings provide a base of 162 cultural, economic, political and social indicators to ranking cities, rather than the base of 39 indicators used for liveability by Mercer’s annual rankings.

2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Program is mentioned in the City of Melbourne’s liveability and Benchmarking Programs, and is quoted on the Future Melbourne website. The library at Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet have been customers of the report since the early editions, along with libraries, city governments worldwide, trade boards, media organizations and corporate executives.

ABOUT 2THINKNOW

2thinknow is an innovation agency based in Melbourne, Australia, established as a re-branding in 2006, and the company established 1999 has provided data analysis and reporting services to Federal and State government and ASX-listed Australian corporations.

—ENDS—

SPOKESPERSON:

Christopher Hire
Executive Director
+61 3 9935 2927
Email: media@2thinknow.com

VERSION UPDATED FINAL, JUNE 23RD, 15:30 PM AEST, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA.

Further resources:

Journalists wishing to be emailed further releases on the topics of innovation in cities, city rankings and new urban research, should email media@2thinknow.com with a request. Several such emails will be sent several times a year.

Using this framework, Boston was identified as the world’s number one
innovation city out of 256 cities. San Francisco Bay Area and New York were
ranked as top nexus cities for innovation, as well as Toronto in Canada – and
a Washington D.C. that is increasingly critical in the U.S. innovation
economy.

Outside these cities, the report called for a Capitalist New Deal: helping
local business become global business – via sustaining local innovation by
building diverse start-up clusters within cities, not single enterprise towns.
Green-tech and clean-tech sectors were potential liberators for the U.S. and
Canadian cities.

Brighter spots were Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St Paul, Vancouver, Montreal,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, Portland and Ann Arbor, identified as key
innovation nodes competitive with Asian and European cities.

Failure to innovate would leave the U.S. chasing European cities in an
innovation race, just as Asian cities were advancing. U.S. cities have a large
infrastructure gap with Europe in air-travel, fast-rail, finance and mobility,
and competed in education.

Christopher Hire, innovation analyst and Executive Director at 2thinknow,
authors of the report, said that cities “want to innovate and profit from the
new era of networks and connectivity will need to be networked. Not just
digitally, but physically. The next high growth company – and next jobs – will
come from clusters of cities that are interconnected.”

“Cities that can inspire ideas, implement locally and network globally.”

In Asia and North-west Europe, digital mobility – an ability to be online
anywhere – was singled-out as a key driver in innovation-led economic growth.
Asian cities Kyoto, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were outpacing many
U.S. cities in the innovation race due to broadband, start-ups, ports, freight
and business approach.

Examining 31 innovation segments, the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Framework
applies 162 indicators in a structured analysis and planning framework for
measuring, defining and building an innovation city. For analysis this is
communicated as 3 factors – highly developed cultural assets, human
infrastructure – for mobility, education, technology – and networked markets.

Copies of the report are available for order at
http://report.innovation-cities.com

Image of Christopher Hire, Executive Director of 2thinknow presenting the
Innovation Cities Analysis Report: http://www.asianetnews.net/special-events

Media spokesperson:
Christopher Hire,
Executive Director,
2thinknow

<REMOVED>

SOURCE 2thinknow

Media, Christopher Hire, Executive Director, 2thinknow,

Online: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/26/idUS110124+26-Oct-2009+PRN20091026

MELBOURNE, Australia – Innovation Analysts 2thinknow released today a 4 year global study of what makes cities innovative, in an in-depth report.

The report found that United States cities long-term infrastructure advantages were eroding to Asia, but also sets out clear steps U.S. cities could take to regain their advantages. In the middle-East, the report identified new focus on science and technology as the key to innovation. Steps were outlined in the report to help Australian cities capitalise on innovation.

Christopher Hire, innovation analyst and Executive Director at 2thinknow, authors of the report, said that cities “want to innovate and profit from the new era of networks and connectivity will need to be networked. Not just digitally, but physically. The next high growth company – and next jobs – will come from clusters of cities that are interconnected.”

“Cities that can inspire ideas, implement locally and network globally.”

In Asia, the report identified digital mobility – an ability to be online anywhere – as a key driver of innovation-led economic growth. Australian innovation was identified as requiring high-speed internet, improved mobility in and between cities, freight infrastructure spending and specialisation skilling programs.

The report also commended European cities for out-performance with rising broadband speeds – enabling digital mobility – and fast inter-linked connections between European capitals – through fast-rail, logistics and ports. Amsterdam, Hamburg, Lyon and Copenhagen were also singled-out in a world of increasingly globally competitive cities – that included regionally superior infrastructure of Singapore and Seoul.

Examining 31 innovation segments, the report applies 162 indicators in a structured analysis and planning framework for measuring, defining and building an innovation city. Overall, these indicators are grouped into 3 factors – highly developed cultural assets, human infrastructure – for mobility, education, technology – and networked markets.

According to the analysts, the framework is designed to “turn theory into action” – based on analysis from international research tours, published ideas of professors from Harvard, Oxford, Imperial College and leading independent authors. For city examples for each indicator, the report uses 2thinknow city benchmarking data from a pool of 256 cities.

Today is the first public release of the framework, although rankings of cities were commenced in 2007. The latest city rankings were released by 2thinknow in July.

Copies of the report are available for order at http://www.innovation-cities.com

— ENDS —

Media spokesperson:
Christopher Hire,
Executive Director,
2thinknow
Phone: +61 (0)409 787-960
Phone: +61 (0)3 9225-5284 [switchboard]

Released via AAP Media-net: http://www.aapmedianet.com.au/MNJ/Release.aspx?R=633713&K=8973133

Boston also edged past Amsterdam, Paris,  San Francisco, which rounded out the top five cities in the annual 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index.

European cities dominated the top Innovation Cities, with 61% of the top 75 in the European Union. US Cities were mainly from coastal states or the  Great Lakes area.

London rose unexpectedly, followed by Hamburg, New York, Tokyo and Lyon in France. Toronto in Canada came in 19th, as Melbourne fell from 8th to 20th followed by Sydney in 22nd place. Vancouver placed 48th followed by Montréal.

The Index looks at which cities are taking the steps towards embracing innovation. Innovation now will lead to faster economic recovery and better resources for citizens in the next few years.

The Index looks at 162 Indicators including an active arts scene, architecture, environment, openness, setting up a business, creative media sectors, mobility, internet technologies, diverse base of industries, tourism,  and how much market power the city had in world markets to sell innovations.

The often-overlooked market factor formed one third of the Index and resulted in the inter-connected European Union cities in Germany and France scoring highest overall. For the same reason, the need for better infrastructure in Asia impacted their scores

“The biggest story is the rise of networked European Union cities, relative to the decline of middle-America US cities.” said Christopher Hire, of 2thinknow.

“But if you have an idea, the top 150 of the cities analysed all represent a good destination for some type of innovation. Whether it’s a web start-up in San Francisco, laneway retail in Melbourne, smart manufacturing in Kobe or fashion in Paris.

“Your city will have key clusters, key industries that some citizens can use to create future economic & social wealth. We may have a recession, but the key to innvoation success is knowing which innovation can succeed where.” Hire added.

Harvard & the Massachusetts Institute of technology contributed to the rise of Boston, and a temporary retreat of East Europe led to a slight downward movement of Vienna. Paris was very close also to first place, being held back by famous French bureaucracy in business establishment.

However, Vienna and Paris both scored a perfect 10 for Inspiration – which measures the overall strength of the cities cultural assets such as museums, art galleries, airport access, food and wine, music venues, sports industry and fashion design.

Boston was in many ways better placed than New York with a less financial-services reliant city, that has the advantage of global consulting firm connections to roll-out new innovations.

Compared with past years, one major surprise was Washington DC at No 15. This was largely indirectly due to the Obama Effect – as the US capitol is now critical to innovation in sciences and business as one of the nations largest shareholders.

Singapore 31st just won close race with Hong Kong 38th as the pre-eminent Asian hub.

Abu Dhabi at No 50. outranked Dubai, as financial problems overtook the more well-known Mid-East hub. Shanghai followed at No. 52, largely on broader China issues.

The 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index has been published since 2007, and is available from the website www.innovation-cities.com for with 256 cities scored in 2009.

— ENDS —

USEFUL LINKS:

256 Cities Index:  http://www.innovation-cities.com/2thinknow-innovation-cities-global-256-index/
Understanding the Index: http://www.innovation-cities.com/executive-summary-research/
Media Resources: http://www.innovation-cities.com/media-resources/

SPOKESPERSON:

Christopher Hire
Executive Director of Innovation
2thinknow (twitter )

Phone: +61 3 9225 5284 (during 8.30 to 5.30 AEST M-F)
Email: media@2thinknow.com
On Twitter follow @christopherhire or @2thinknow

Boston 2007 Americas Innovation winner, New York places 2nd, both top 5 Global, in independent report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Boston 2007 Americas Innovation Winner, New York Places 2nd – Both Top 5 Global, in Independent Report

BOSTON, Mass. – Apr. 26, 2007 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Boston was named as the 2007 Americas Innovation Winner, in the Global Innovation Review 2007, an independent comparative report by the first Global Innovation Agency, 2thinknow(TM).

New York, America’s 2nd place scored equal with Boston as an inspiring city, and excels Boston in depth and breadth of creative industries, however, Boston’s small size and easy international access (7 hours to European capitals) amongst other factors, make it the #1 American Innovation global hub.

The basis of these awards was the inaugural 2007 Global Innovation Review, the first comparative independent review of globally innovative cities, conducted over a few years research by the author and 2thinknow(TM) Innovator-In-Chief Christopher Hire and 2thinknow(TM), visiting the cities during 2 years of 3 round-the-world trips. There is an online Media Centre at http://www.2thinknow.com/media/

Hire said, “All Americans should feel proud as it is a great achievement that two US cities made it into the Top 5 global innovation hubs, against strong competition from multiple cities in the UK, Australia, France, and Germany.”

Further in Hire’s opinion as author, “It’s a great achievement for Bostonians. Boston is the most innovative city in the American continent, and a great global base for innovative businesses, being ranked second place globally on criteria of Inspiration, ability to implement innovation locally, and Access to markets for innovation.”

Collectively the separate rankings for Inspiration, Implementation and Market Access form the Hire Innovation Loop; assessed in person by author and assigned a rank by scoring each out of 10, leading to a total out of 30.

This model and ranking system; the Hire Innovation Loop; is a model explaining how innovation forms in cities and organizations and what conditions need to exist for cities to be more innovative. In the Global Innovation Review the model is explained as applied to cities, each city ranked, and a variety of scores calculated. The Review was global, and the European, Asia-Pacific and Top 8 Global Innovative Cities will be named on Friday April 27, 2007.

City Rankings: 2007 Americas Innovation Winner Boston scored 27, New York a 25, and San Francisco just missed out on 23, which was equal 8th globally, however, it was knocked out of the top 8 by the Asia-Pacific Winner.

Assessed Inspiration criteria included world-class art galleries, museums, public institutions, public spaces, universities, and ‘creatives’. Implementation criteria included infrastructure, transport, business environment, ethics, access to capital, and ease of establishing and sustaining a business. Market Access refers to the size of a market to sell the innovation to, which in the case of East Coast US cities is Europe and the huge US domestic market.

Availability of the Global Innovation Review: Full details of the assessment criteria, Innovation models (including the Hire Innovation Loop) and rankings are available in the Global Innovation Review 2007, available for order from www.2thinknow.com/gir/ as a printed book now for USD $179.00 and shipping 15 May 2007. The global rankings will be posted on the 2thinknow.com website after announcements, for free access by all.

The goal of the Review and awards was to assess, analyze and rank innovative cities comparatively globally, using the Hire Innovation Loop model to assess and explain comparative innovation in cities.

About the Author:

The author and judge of city rankings, was Christopher Hire, Innovator-In-Chief of 2thinknow(TM). Hire has previously worked as in Australia in Project management/consulting/Executive education for over 350 government and corporate clients, including multinationals, yet is only 32. Hire was born in the US, married, and lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Full Author Profile: www.2thinknow.com/e/chbio.htm

Photos: www.2thinknow.com/e/chphoto.htm

*(Photo: http://2thinknow.com/images/Media_C_Hire/Photo_CHire_DinnerSuit_Speak_ONLINE_ONLY.JPG)

*(Photo Caption: Christopher Hire, Author of the Global Innovation Review 2007. Photo by 2thinknow(TM).)

2thinknow(TM) is a trademark of Consolidated Melbourne Holdings Pty Ltd.

Send2Press(R) is the originating wire service for this story – www.Send2Press.com

NEWS SOURCE: 2thinknow

# # #

/END/

MEDIA CONTACT(S):

[ not for publication online or in print ]

Mr. Christopher Hire
Innovator-In-Chief
2thinknow
Global Innovation Agency
Global Cell: +61 409 787 960
media @ 2thinknow.com

/Editor’s Note: In person, in Boston / New York / Washington DC until April 28.

Media Centre at: www.2thinknow.com/media

Head Office: Level 2, 395 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AUSTRALIA