Innovation districts like the one around our White City Campus can drive collaboration and provide a place-based approach to economic recovery.
For several years Imperial has served as an anchor institute in an exciting new innovation district at White City, encompassing the White City Opportunity Area and Imperial’s own White City Campus. There are also strong links with nearby Hammersmith Hospital (run by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust) and Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus.
Fundamentally, this approach is different to the numerous initiatives like Enterprise Zones, Business Improvement Districts and various forms of clusters and research parks, which have had mixed success in the UK.
As a leading research-intensive university, Imperial has extensive experience of assembling various health, industry, and government partners on collaborative projects; which it is now applying on a broader canvas at White City, taking on a stewardship role to spearhead place-based innovation and convene people and networks.
What is very clear is that innovation districts must adapt and embrace the challenges posed by coronavirus and continue to choreograph collaboration and knowledge exchange in a more pragmatic way.
Giving universities and their local partners a greater mandate to drive inclusive growth at a local level could create an extended network that will make our societies and economies more resilient to future challenges.
