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Oct 23, 2025
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Credit: Anton Grassl
Cities everywhere are reimagining how innovation can shape their future. A new report from Jacobs and the World Economic Forum, Innovation Ecosystems: A Toolkit of Principles and Best Practice, offers a clear framework and practical guidance to help city leaders, developers and policymakers design, govern and scale innovation districts that deliver real social and economic value, distilling lessons from global experience.
Responding to urban and global challenges
With digital technologies changing urban economies and models of economic participation, cities are under pressure to re-invent themselves as engines of prosperity, sustainability and opportunity. Innovation districts, concentrated areas where research, entrepreneurship and collaboration thrive, are at the forefront of this transformation. The report demonstrates that with strong governance, thoughtful placemaking and robust digital infrastructure, innovation districts are increasingly positioned to deliver meaningful, far-reaching benefits, enhancing sustainability, inclusivity and community impact both within and beyond their boundaries.
Jacobs’ Smart Cities Director, Andrew Collinge, who co-authored the report, notes: “The need and opportunity to innovate are clear. Our mission at Jacobs is to reinvent the places of today for a better tomorrow, through the thoughtful and impactful design of resilient, future-oriented places. This report is a practical toolkit for cities and organizations seeking to do just that.”
Eight principles for responsible innovation
At the heart of the report is a framework, first introduced by the World Economic Forum in April 2025 and now applied specifically to innovation districts. The eight guiding principles—collaborative, sustainable, resilient, human-centric, transparent, accessible, efficient and scalable—provide a north star for decision-makers navigating the complexity of urban innovation.
“These principles are practical,” says Jacobs’ Associate Director, Smart Places and Digital Infrastructure, Katie Adnams. “They reflect what successful innovation districts around the world share in common—an understanding that purpose, design and digital capability must work together.”
From principles to practice: Governance, placemaking and digital infrastructure
The toolkit translates these principles into actions across three core areas:
Collaborative governance: Case studies from Detroit’s Michigan Central to Hyderabad’s T-Hub and Monterrey’s DistritoTec show how public-private partnerships, community empowerment and transparent decision-making create shared accountability and long-term success.
Human-centric design and sustainable places: Good placemaking is shown to be essential for attracting talent and fostering creativity. The report profiles districts such as Singapore’s Punggol Digital District and Milan’s MIND, demonstrating how flexible infrastructure, green spaces and vibrant community programming drive innovation and social cohesion.
Efficient and scalable digital infrastructure: Districts like Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and NTT East in Tokyo highlight how strong connectivity, data sharing and testbeds support cutting-edge innovation while helping close the digital divide.
Eight actions and ten steps for success
The report concludes with eight key actions, each mapped to a guiding principle, and ten sequential steps for emerging innovation districts mapping the journey from early vision to operational maturity. These steps range from establishing inclusive governance and defining a unique vision, to embedding digital infrastructure and designing for collaboration.
Jacobs’ commitment to urban transformation
Jacobs’ involvement in this report reflects our commitment to helping cities unlock the potential of innovation districts. We believe that innovation districts are not just engines for local social and economic rejuvenation—they are vital platforms for inclusive growth, sustainability and community wellbeing.
This toolkit is more than a collection of best practices—it’s a roadmap and a call to action for all those dedicated to building the cities of tomorrow. By translating global insights into local impact, communities, policymakers and industry leaders will ensure that innovation districts are designed and delivered with vision, integrity and lasting value for generations to come.
About the authors
Andrew Collinge is smart cities director at Jacobs, leading the smart places & digital infrastructure team. He works with local and regional government to integrate digital infrastructure into strategic growth and placemaking initiatives. He supports higher education bodies in leveraging digital technologies to both manage their campus assets and create impactful learning and collaboration experiences. His team delivers smart cities and digital master planning projects worldwide.
Previously, Andrew held senior data and digital roles in London and Dubai. In London, he led the Mayor of London’s analytics function and established the city’s first smart cities team. In Dubai he produced ethical AI guidelines adopted by Federal Government and led the development of an Emirate-wide AI-ready Data Centre Strategy.
Katie Adnams is an associate director in smart places & digital infrastructure at Jacobs, specializing in projects at the intersection of technology, innovation and the built environment. She has led major initiatives integrating emerging technologies into the fabric of cities and developments, from national innovation programs to masterplanning new urban areas, across the U.K. and internationally.
Previously, Katie headed the urban innovation team at Connected Places Catapult, the U.K.’s innovation accelerator for cities and transport. With a background in urbanism and data science, she applies a user-centered design approach to ensure data and technology drive greener, more resilient and inclusive environments.
