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.

We particularly enjoyed the 24/7 Wall St article, and slideshow by 24/7 Wall St.

http://247wallst.com/2011/10/18/the-most-innovative-cities-in-america/

For the indexes, note 2thinknow does not directly measure patents, 2thinknow measure innovation at an earlier stage. We are interested in the economic development of cities short term with innovation. (This was misreported in a few new stories). However, there is a positive correlation between our Index conditions and patents in general.

Thanks to Business Insider’s Abby Rogers, for her added comment and slideshow analysis. Read the full BI story here.

A special note to Richard Florida, who tweeted about our Index again — and is a pioneer of the modern cities movement. Scott Kirsner of the Boston Globe also tweeted us (and was among the first journalists in 2009 to give us a top tier interview).

These are some of the other interesting news stories we received in North and South American newspapers, journals and news sites:

Huffington Post: “America’s Most Innovative Cities: 24/7 Wall St.”

The Seattle Times: “Seattle makes list of elite innovative cities”

SmartPlanet (United States): “Top 10 most innovative cities”

My NorthWest (Seattle): “Seattle ranks among most innovative cities in U.S.”

Geekwire: “Seattle is the 25th most innovative city in the world“

Huffington Post (Canada): “Innovation Cities Index 2011: Toronto Named Among 10 Most Innovative Cities In The World”

Financial Post (Canada): ” Toronto among world’s top 10 most innovative cities”

Canada.Com: “Toronto among world’s top 10 most innovative cities”

Estado (Brazil): ” Boston is the world’s most innovative city(Boston é a cidade mais inovadora do mundo)”

Exame (Brazil): ” Why Brazil is not in the ranking of the 100 innovative cities(Por que o Brasil não está no ranking das 100 cidades inovadoras)”

Exame (Brazil): “Check out Boston, the city’s most innovative on the planet(Conheça Boston, a cidade mais inovadora do planeta)”

Forbes previously mentioned us here

Thanks to the Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino’s shout out for 2thinknow at the Mass Innovation awards (which spies told us got a whooping round of applause). We heard a few other mayoral stories, including some mentions by our own Mayor Robert Doyle, of Melbourne.

Thanks as always, to our friend in the innovation economy, Rich Bendis of Innovation America — for his coverage here.

Some other interesting mentions were the World Future Society, Bost Innovation, Mayor Menino vs Mayor Bloomberg (!), Washington Clean Energy and quite a few others.

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.

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

For Asian and Europe see this separate coverage.

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.

Order Report

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!

Subscribe

For those interested in one city’s performance, data and analyst briefing services are now bundled available via > Innovation Cities Program subscription.

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.

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.

Africa is ‘different’. Featuring innovation cities in Africa.

We have done a number of interviews for African media sources. From the recent Afribiz article:

As of 2010, Africa had 47 cities with more than a million inhabitants, accounting for 31.6% of total urban population in Africa according to the UN report.  The three largest cities on the continent in 2010 were Cairo (about 11 million), Lagos (10.5 million), and Kinshasa (8.7 million).

Christopher Hire, Executive Director of Innovation at 2ThinkNow in Australia, says innovation is key to making cities what we want them to be socially and economically. Hire and his team have developed the Innovation Cities Program and Index. On the Innovations Cities Emerging Index, there are seven African cities – Cape Town, Casablanca, Johannesburg, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, and Port Louis – listed out of sixteen cities.

> Original article by Lauri Elliott

Africa’s is ‘different’ in terms of time..

Literature often refers to ‘Africa time’, but this also applies to thinking on the continent. From the article:

The key issues or trends that cities need to address successfully (according to 2thinknow) over the next 15 to 80 years are equity, economics, and the environment.

80 years refers to an Africa context in the long term. More is possible in the 15 year time frame in African context.

The objective of Innovation Cities (In an African context) is to improve “social and economic performance of (existing) cities over a period of approximately 15 years accounting for these trends,“ indicates Hire.

This requires more expansion for clarity in a specific context of Africa cities.

African initiatives outside the far North need to consider what can be done over a decade, as well as short-term wins over a year or two. It’s important though that in quickly building hospitals, roads, or infrastructure, Africa doesn’t neglect the maintenance of the 15-30 years, which is the broader point.

So our 2thinknow analysis of African opportunity is more nuanced than the brevity of the article implies.

Africa is very regional, with numerous borders as Chris Patten commented, decided by past diplomats, not by practicality. South, North and Middle are different, and some geo-political analysis would relate to water, resources and land-locked status.

Time frames vary by region, as well as cities. That is the value of the 2thinknow approach and the business opportunity from city benchmarking data on African cities.

2thinknow can assist customers to identify the opportunities and the time frames, that can be implemented on a city / population centre basis. These can vary from short (months) to long-term (years). Opportunities that are overlooked.

Africa is not the West, which the West forgets.

By contrast, more homogeneous Western societies (and indeed capitalist Asia) are moving so fast that each 15 years may take in two cycles of change and growth. Think PC, networks, internet  and mobile internet as innovation technology cycle leaders. But as numerous economists (and the World Bank) have argued, there are numerous pre-existing structures which make this short term results possible. Seoul and Tokyo are a great example of fast time frames, as is Hong Kong.

Much western aid to Africa often ignores the medium term, for the quick short-term infrastructure build.

The 2011 Innovation Cities Emerging Index and Africa.

2thinknow will release the Innovation Cities Index 2011, shortly. This will include more African innovation cities, across North and Durban in the South, is now added to Capetown and Johannesburg.

With more press coverage than ever, and the rise of the innovation economy, it is time for a large explosion of civic innovation.

Hopefully the Index will inspire African cities to “lift their game” with innovation. In the 2thinknow view, the African solution to urban innovation, must in part, come from Africa, not dusty binders on dusty shelves.

Africa among global Innovation Cities.

The Innovation Cities Index 2011 (Global, and 4 regions including Emerging) is undergoing review, and will be published shortly. This is the 5th year of the 2thinknow Index, which attracts unique visitors from 1000s of cities on release, and each year. Previous media coverage raising awareness of innovation, has appeared under Reuters, Boston Globe, NY Times (Opinion), Fox Business, ABC (Australia), and a variety of business and local news including local newspaper dailies.

See it on www.innovation-cities.com

For prompt responses to media enquiries, contact media@2thinknow.com

Flexible ANZ Government Innovation Training & services* option.

2thinknow Government Innovation Training Vouchers [GITV] allow public servants to budget, for purchase and then schedule innovation training once strategic priorities are decided.

Government Innovation Training Vouchers are available from 2thinknow only to Australian public servants. Vouchers are purchased as prepaid for future services, and offer maximum flexibility — whilst locking in maximum price savings.

Guaranteed lowest price at purchase.

2thinknow Government Innovation Training Vouchers guarantee:

That the government will pay the best available price offered to any customer in the last 12 months.

If the government price is not lower, the vouchers guarantee a 10% discount (or added value) from best available price.

That the government (and thus taxpayers) vouchers offer the significantly lowest possible price 2thinknow offers.

The Innovation Course:

The Innovation Course for Government outlines the latest innovation models and tools, with real world case studies. The preferred governmental version, allows participants time to workshop policies (past and present) using the tools. There are around 6 participants from the same department in most cases, and the course can be done in any Australian city.

For a customized departmental Proposal and PowerPoint slides on the Innovation Course™ and other innovation training, contact 2thinknow here, or your 2thinknow representative. Please also contact us to order vouchers.

Easy Redemption.

2thinknow Government Innovation Training Vouchers [GITVs] can be redeemed for 2thinknow training, including the Innovation Course. Can also be redeemed for equivalent Innovation Discovery for Government and city benchmarking data services.

At this stage GITVs are currently only available in Australia, but we welcome your international enquiries here.

Basic facts:

• Due to low margins, no discounts applies to GITVs redeemed for Local Innovation Forum events.
• Vouchers expire within 13 months from data of purchase.
• Vouchers are electronic, and issued to the department with a unique numerical serial code.
• Vouchers can be redeemed by another government department in the same jurisdiction, if by prior arrangement.

Contact 2thinknow here, or your 2thinknow representative.