Professor Nicos Komninos mentioned the Innovation Cities Index in the leading URENIO resource site. Professor Komninos is one of the pioneers of knowledge-based and cluster forms of innovation in cities (along with knowledge economy pioneer Professor Carrillo of Monterrey), and respected and quoted by 2thinknow.

This followed an article in Greek Daily To Vima, where our Executive Director, Christopher Hire was interviewed following Professor Komninos — regarding innovation in Athens and the Greek economy.

These are a selection of the other interesting news stories we received in European newspapers, journals and news sites:

NUzakelijk (Netherlands): “Amsterdam in top 10 innovative cities (Amsterdam in top 10 innovatieve steden)”

France Innov’City: “Exclusive: 2011 Index of the most innovative in the world unveiled(Exclusivité : l’index 2011 des villes les plus innovantes du monde dévoilé)” (from the Ille d’Paris)

20 Minutes (French): “NANTES – Nantes parmi les plus innovantes”

Executive Digest (Portugal): ” The world’s most innovative cities(As cidades mais inovadoras do mundo)”

HG.HU(Hungary): ” The world’s most innovative cities (A világ leginnovatívabb városai)”

Economia 24 (Poland): “Boston’s most innovative city(Boston najbardziej innowacyjny)”

Onet Biznes (Poland): “The most innovative cities in the world”

ERR (Estonia): “Rating: Boston is a city in the world for innovation(Reiting: maailma innovaatilisim linn on Boston)”

Postimees(Estonia): “A hundred of the most innovative cities in the world there is no Estonian”

Italians in Fuga (Italy): “Classifica delle città più innovative al mondo”

2thinknow’s Innovation Cities™ Index provoked quite a discussion in Russia, and a worthwhile discussion on types of innovation for Russian cities.

Here’s a discussion from Korrespondent (Russian): “Q: Smart City. Rating of the most innovative cities in the world”

More from, the Voice of Russia: “Researchers named top-10 innovative cities of the world” (EN)

Lenta (Russian): “Russian cities were not included in the one hundred most innovative in the world”

Infox (Russian): “Moscow dropped from the list of the most innovative cities in the world”

Ukraine: “Named the most innovative places in the world”

Some other articles appeared in Germany, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Amsterdam and other capitals. If you see a news story, let us know.

Please note we are aware of printed newspaper articles which we may not have captured. If there are any significant articles captured not listed here, you can let us know and we will up date this site. We also are aware of a great number of blog sites too numerous too list, but please draw any great sites to our attention.

The analysts at 2thinknow were of course flattered by this coverage for our innovation agency from these sources.

For Asian and Americas see this separate coverage.

These are some of the very interesting news stories we received in Asian newspapers, journals and news sites:

China Daily: ” Top 10 innovative cities: Boston leads world in 2011″

Xinhua News (China News Agency): ” Top 10 innovative cities: Boston leads world in 2011″

China News (China):  “Assessed by Australian innovation agency, Hong Kong was continuously Top 1 in Asia for 2 years

People’s Website (China): “Global Innovation Assessment of Cities, Hong Kong was ranked Top 1 in Asia

Legal Evening (China): ” Create Innovative Cities, Hong Kong is the most Innovative City in Asia“

Sina News (China): ” Australian innovation agency assessed innovation city globally, Hong Kong continuously ranked as the most innovative city in Asia for 2 years

Ifeng Finance (China): “Create Innovative Cities, Hong Kong is the Most Innovative City in Asia“

Cable News (Hong Kong): ” Hong kong defend its champion as the most innovative city in Asia”

Hong Kong Commercial Newspaper: “Australian Innovation Agency Assessed Global cities, Hong kong continuously ranked as the most innovative  city in Asia for 2 years”

Wen Wei Po (Hong Kong): ” Hong Kong Continuously Ranked as the most innovative city in Asia” [PDF]

AM730 Newspaper (HK): ” Innovation Cities, Hong Kong was ranked 15th in the world”

Live Trading News(Singapore): “Top 10 innovative cities”

The Daily (Korea, South): ” Boston was ranked #1 innovation city in the world… and Seoul?”

The Financial News (Korea, South): “Seoul will be beautiful”

Bernama (Malaysia NEws agency): ” Top 10 innovative cities, Boston leads world in 2011″

International Business Times: “Melbourne Tops Aussie Innovation in 5th Annual Cities Index”

Vietnam News: ” Boston is the innovation leader of the world”

Indonesia Serbaneka: ” Boston, World’s Most Innovative City”

The analysts at 2thinknow were interested in the range of coverage for our innovation agency from these sources across Asia.

Journalists wishing to do innovation news stories, please contact us at media@2thinknow.com

For Americas see this separate coverage.

Recently 2thinknow were featured in Connected Magazine, Canada. Here’s a quote from the article:

Thanks to such a large population, Toronto exports the same amount of information and communication technology as the whole of Australia, and has a strong technology sector in terms of “human infrastructure,” says Christopher Hire, executive director of Australian consulting innovation analysts 2thinknow, which annually produces an innovation ranking of cities. . “Economically, Toronto has the right cluster of start-ups and business support,” Hire says. “Toronto is the most-connected Canadian city.”

The article was by editor / journalist Andy Holloway. The article focuses on tech innovation.

2thinknow measure broad-based innovation, including non-technological innovation. This includes 162 standard city indicators on all world cities. This underlying cities data in our analysis is available for Toronto, and over 300 world cities from: www.citybenchmarkingdata.com

Toronto, Canada is ranked #12 in our Innovation Cities Index 2010. This is a broad-based series of multi-indicator scores that explains Toronto’s ascent (however we re-balance factor weightings each year). The basis of the analysis, and 2010 rankings, is explained in the Innovation Cities Analysis Report: http://report.innovation-cities.com

The new 2011 index launches end of Q3, 2011. It will be available here: www.innovation-cities.com

New Canadian city data inclusions include Fredericton-St John, and Moncton.

2thinknow’s Innovation Cities work was recently featured in Shanghai. This was in an article from the highly regarded think-tank: the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article appeared in a number of Chinese new sources included China.com.cn.

A google translation of an excerpt from the article is as follows:

But innovation can also be more broadly understood. An Australian institution, “I just want to” (“2thinknow”) with their own indicators to rank cities on the global innovation. It’s 162 index system of indicators, including cultural capital, human infrastructure and innovation for the economic vitality of a very important market networks. According to its innovative world city rankings, New York ranked No. 5, compared to the Forbes ranking of U.S. cities much innovation forward – because (2thinknow) the agency’s understanding of innovation Bifubusi (diffusion?) is much broader.

Read in full: Original Link | Google Tranlsated Link

The article makes interesting reading on Chinese cities, and views of innovation in China.

Below is a recent piece  in Le Devoir about New York’s approach to sparking ideas (and potentially, innovation):

From the article (translated):

The City of New York recently concluded its first Festival of Ideas, which aims to develop the creative potential of the city by exploring new avenues in different sectors. The festival is held on the themes of the heterogeneous city, the city network, the city reconfigured, and the sustainable city through culture, community, education and participation.

New York’s scaled down few segment approach, further validates the 2thinknow 31 segment model for innovation, for smaller cities.It will be interesting to see if they can take that next step from ideas to actual change. We still rank Boston above New York for innovation, and do not expect that to change in 2011.

Other cities have held a festival of ideas (with no net change in innovation), so time will tell.

An innovation model.

2thinknow have the resources for cities to take a broad view of their city, and draw on our custom data-set of approaching 112,000 data points for 31 segments — to make change relevant to each city.

2thinknow assists cities, with events, data and analyst advice using this model.

Here’s the article in French:

Can artists be used to renew a ‘steel city’?

2thinknow says ‘yes’ if part of a broader innovation change initiative. Our Innovation Cities™ Index 2010 ranks Geelong above Newcastle within the same classification, for the record.

From Chris Zappone at the Age newspaper (republished Sydney Morning Herald):

Artists tapped to renew cities’ ailing CBDs?

The discussion is one approach to improving cities, the use of artists for renewal. Examples used are recent movements to renew steel / manufacturing centres Newcastle & Geelong.

As leaders in the Innovation Economy, 2thinknow encourage urban artist-led projects for renewal. 2thinknow gives a quotation to the article.

Global comparative benchmarks data on arts sectors are 1 of 31 segments of our City Benchmarking Data, available for order. Our segment approach to measuring, comparing and changing cities, and regional economies, is world-leading.

Contact us to discuss.

The questions below are by Zsuzsa Kravalik, freelance journalist.

Below are English answers. The Hungarian final version (edited/translated) article appeared on the popular Hungarian site Index.hu, as well as Hungarian urban planning sites > more here.

Why do you focus on Innovation and not other aspects of life? Why is “innovation” so distinct a character that you specialise on it?

Innovation matters because it a universal process across different business, social services and industries. To create the change needed in cities like Budapest, they must embrace the change process. This is distinct from ‘academic theory’ on innovation or change, but a practical process of change, in the 2thinknow view.

As to our definition, innovation is “structured change to benefit stakeholders” (from 2thinknow definition, version 2.4.). In short, innovation means people can change their communities, businesses can change their business models, and hopefully, government can improve its capacity to deliver services to people.  By examining innovation as a change process 2thinknow can independently measure the success (or failure) of innovation across sectors and industries.

For cities like Budapest, or Pecs, and East European capitals from Bucharest to Warsaw from 2thinknow’s view this means change to benefit citizens and grow local business opportunities for community enterprises. Right now, in the current economic climate, it is communities that create innovation, often not centralised decision making.

In your Innovation cities index you measured, compared and categorized 289 cities. You analysed 31 industry-community segments. Which are the strong and weak points (industries/community segments) of Budapest?

In 2010, Budapest achieved the above benchmark or top of the band scores in some elements of Architecture, Arts such as film, emerging crafts sectors, public art galleries and museums, mobility on all modes (excellent metro by global standards), energy, water supply, viticulture (although potentially impacted now), education, some logistics, and with some improvement needed, commerce.

Budapest scored competitively but less well than competing cities on business, further improvement on commerce, and some aspects of government. This does not mean attracting ‘big business’ and multi-nationals, but longer term wealth creation from mid-size companies within an innovation framework. Some learning from overseas companies may be required, but this, in our view, is not the only way. And in our analysis, environmental concerns must hold sway against excessive dirty industries in Budapest and broader East Europe.

Is there a sector on what Budapest should focus? For a Budapest-size city does it make sense to choose a few sectors and concentrate on them or is it more beneficial to try to invest and higher across the whole field of urban life?

There are many sectors which Budapest could improve on.  First a warning about ‘fads’. The transient nature of trends means last year’s ‘hot area’ is no longer tomorrow’s. Financial services were the hot topic of the last few years, but they don’t create lasting wealth for cities like Budapest. ‘Carbon markets’ are a proposed solution to global warming, but misapplied they can entrench disadvantage and poverty, as well as destroy farming land (which will have a higher value in future). In general, today’s newspaper articles are tomorrow’s fish wrapper. So it’s important not to follow fads. Fads are not innovation.

2thinknow view innovation as structured change, lasting change, to benefit citizens, communities, and businesses those citizens rely on.

So, our view is that cities like Budapest should identify key strengths, and improve those areas. But also look for really low benchmark areas and make those competitive. Some of those low benchmark areas are listed below in questions.

We have a recommended approach to change planning. It is based on 2thinknow City Benchmarking Data which measures a single city data-set of a city on 162 city indicators. City Benchmarking Data identifies and classifies the areas of strongest and weakest performance against all other cities, including a variety of data. Leaders and organizations within cities can use this information to create a change plan, or work with 2thinknow to do so.

Budapest already has the basis of a fully-formed economy, suitable to larger cities, which is superior to one key specialisation. Innovation segments that Budapest has been stronger than competing cities, in include film (historic strength), the arts, industry, software (although this is constantly changing), conferences and tourism. For us to comment more, the  mix of sectors requires detailed analysis and inside knowledge of existing strategy and internal data.

In our view, Budapest could start with enabling a more business-oriented approach of dynamic start-ups targeted at agriculture, viticulture and other indicators within the food segment.

You publish your Index yearly. From 2009 to 2010 Budapest moved down from 36th to 61th while Prague moved up from 74th to 29th. How could you explain this change? What has changed in these two cities during one year?

The Innovation Cities Index, globally listing 289 cities. This is published yearly around from Aug-October (depending on global events). The accompanying Innovation Cities Analysis Report is published annually, with an additional 6 month update.

Different to other indexes, Innovation Cities Index is trend-weighted. Whilst underlying benchmark scores of cities may not change each year, the relative importance (or weighting) does.  So cities can move around within the top 100. Both Prague and Budapest are nexus and hub cities respectively.

In 2010, the Index is based on our assessment of cities potential for innovation in the current economic climate. However, the Global Financial Crisis changed weightings substantially. The GFC was impacting Budapest more strongly in some segments, than Prague. We also adjusted other factors in 2010, such as the time frame in years, and there is an ongoing calibration year on year as better data comes to hand.

Budapest is a hub city, which means it is a critical juncture for innovation in multiple sectors of the economy. The city’s closest competitor is Prague, which in 2010 was a nexus. Some of this is due to geography, but as nexus cities like Melbourne, Sydney or Singapore show geography can be overcome by a co-ordinated approach.

It seems Vienna is really high on your scoreboard. Last year it was 2nd globally and this year it is only behind Boston, Paris and Amsterdam. How could you explain its innovation strength?

We are measuring a broad suite of 31 segments, these include one-third Cultural Assets, as well as Human Infrastructure, and Networked Markets as the other thirds. On our Index, Vienna scores well among the same top 5 cities that also includes New York. These cities have the basis for creating innovation, and inside the European Union, Austria has a great potential to create innovation.

In terms of being balanced city, Vienna ranks well on Cultural Assets such as arts, museum, events, city information, language aspects. Human infrastructure sees good transport and mobility options, favourable entry point to East Europe, logistics, business, start-ups, commerce, education, medicine, economics. And in terms of Networked Markets indicators Vienna is globally well-connected. Once again some of this is geography, that changes only over time.

Of course, Vienna has the pre-conditions of innovation it is up to Vienna to use them.

We Hungarians like scoreboards and like to compare ourselves to others. Does it makes sense to compare ourselves to others or would it be better to check the individual factors and work on them?

All cities do! The use of rankings and scorecards is worthwhile. Our Index is trend-weighted, independent, and also from outside the leading economies of USA, E.U., China, Japan and even Canada. We also accept no funding from government. We make our revenue from the sale of Innovation Cities Analysis Report, City Benchmarking Data, the Innovation Course, Local Innovation Forum events and other services to cities, business and government.

This means 2thinknow can see European cities, and East European capitals, with a cool eye from outside. Our Innovation Cities Index is the largest and broadest index. Our Index goal is always measuring potential for economic and social development of cities, through innovation potential.

The City Benchmarking Data is an economic and social analysis based on global comparatives and independently produced. So this is separate to a ranking, and thus provides more enlightenment. It balances academic theory with practical considerations.

For other worthwhile indexes, include liveability surveys from Mercer and EIU measure how desirable a city is for western expats (so are designed to determine hardship postings). But these indexes are not ‘how good’ a city is. Many people do not want to live in the extreme cold climate cities that often win these rankings.

Forbes, FT and Fortune produce some of the best news/magazine indexes, along with Conde Nast for tourism. Magazine rankings such as Monocle and many others are less useful for economic purposes unless in partnership with someone like 2thinknow, EIU or Mercer. Many national indexes or smaller attempts do not include enough cities to be worthwhile. Nor do they include enough indicators. Many magazine rankings have many design faults.

Budapest is often compared to Vienna and Prague, but maybe there any other cities in Central Europe to what Budapest can be better compared, to which cities Budapest is more similar, such as Venice or Berlin? Are there any such cities?

Budapest is far ahead of many of it’s competitors in East Europe across multiple segments. However, other cities such as Warsaw and Tirana (despite low scores) have a business approach that may in some indicators, be superior. It’s this Western thinking (without the worst aspects of Western business) that will determine future success in this area of the world.

Personally, I prefer to live in Budapest among all East European cities I have visited, and it is a beautiful city. It also had the best coffee and some of the best food quality of any city in Europe. I enjoyed the markets. Many Western (especially North American) cities do not have this, and food quality will be a big issue, along with organic food in the West. Preventing the industrialisation of farming and allowing for the maintenance of food nutrient quality will be a big issue in the future.

Reducing industrial pollution, whilst investing in new cleaner manufacturing may be areas of interest to Budapest.

For interesting comparisons not normally considered — to Singapore, or Dresden, Gdansk, Copenhagen, Minneapolis, Lyon, Reykjavik (not as a better city, but based on recent experience), Hamburg, Melbourne, Fukuoka, Pittsburgh, and others may be enlightening. Each city can learn for good and bad from others.

The Innovation Cities Index compiles data into 3 factors: Cultural Assets, Human Infrastructure and Networked Markets. How is Budapest’s performance on these 3 factors compared to European standards?

We reduce the detailed internal scores to a 3 factor score, each factor out of 10 for the Index. Budapest scored a 9 in Cultural Assets, alongside cities such as Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and London. This is exceptional.

In terms of Human Infrastructure, Budapest scored a 7 with Rome, Nuremberg, Reims and Nice. This is more than competitive, however in 2010 Prague beat Budapest by one point. Of course we have more detail on each of the 77 City Indicators, trend weighting and analysis that support this. A key driver was the impact of the GFC on the periphery of the E.U. In a connected world, all connections affect each other. Human Infrastructure includes the infrastructure of creating social and economic innovation.

The Networked Markets was 7, which again is above competitive. This means Budapest is a truly global city.

Usually innovation is thought to be the attribute of the private sector. Can cities, city governments and national governments do anything to boost innovation in cities? How important is innovation in the public sector?

Government can do a variety of things. In many ways this is the core of our work in East Europe.

It requires a full participation and engagement with the government to answer this question fully. In general, in Budapest generational change coupled with the correct techniques (not necessarily those academic thoughts taught purely in universities) can create a better climate for the right types of business, and a higher quality of life for citizens.

One thing Western cities in North America do well is keep government from interfering with some aspects of private sector. However, each culture is different and regulation of quality is necessary and something the E.U. does better. All modern cities have problems with corruption, but also conversely, cynicism.

The dream of a smart, globally connected Budapest, home to dynamic businesses is important. But government must have citizen oversight to reduce corruption and lobbyists – a cancer on innovation and business in all capital cities. Innovation must reward business merit, as outlined by Adam Smith in the 18^th century – despite the older generation of anti-Smith rhetoric!

What would you recommend for Budapest to do in the future to improve its innovation capacity?

In a direct sense, the city should purchase 2thinknow City Benchmarking Data as it is the most complete benchmark of the city available, using this to create a City Change Plan. And someone locally should hold a Local innovation Forum event. And use this event to engage young leaders in Budapest to enact change. We have put together all the elements to start in one place, at a lower cost than ‘going it alone’.

ABOUT 2THINKNOW CITY BENCHMARKING DATA: City Benchmarking Data from 2thinknow can provide benchmarks of all international cities that out-perform on over 180 City Indicators from local to high-tech manufacturing, labor force, business approach, company start-up times and all the data innovators, and cities, need.

We are the only company to provide actual performance data, with analysis, evidence and source URLs in Excel and Slide formats. All priced at USD $25 per location per indicator [PLPI] so it’s affordable data, relative to doing it yourself. If you compare 2 cities or 10 cities, we can tell you which cities are best at what you need. More > http://www.citybenchmarkingdata.com

Or contact us at 2thinknow to discuss your needs.

Innovation in Africa is a possibility, and Cape Town a likely source as a future urban innovation economy.

Cape Town ranked 3rd in the Emerging Cities region of the Innovation Cities Index in 2011, by 2thinknow.

Janine Erasmus, a journalist from South Africa, wrote this excellent summary of the Cape Town situation in an African journal. A PDF is below.

http://www.2thinknow.com/?attachment_id=2356

Source: CPSI: http://www.cpsi.co.za
(We have uploaded the PDF to our servers, because the original link was misfiring.)