The UK’s innovation accelerator for transport,
“There’s a growing recognition of the need for and value of working together,” says Connected Places Catapult’s Director for Place Leadership, Sam Markey; reflecting on the engagement of cities and regions in cohort two of the Innovation Places Leadership Academy (IPLA).
“Participants have recognised that the innovation economy and innovation strategy cannot be seen as someone else's problem; it’s a shared opportunity.”
With a rapid and significant maturing of the devolution agenda – including the setting up of several new Combined and Strategic Authorities – now is a perfect time for places at the cutting edge of change to share their successes and experiences of creating thriving localities with other councils, through forums such as the IPLA.
“Place leadership is about how diverse organisations in our cities and regions work together more effectively across organisational and geographic boundaries to align efforts and achieve shared outcomes. When we started using the term four years ago it was an alien concept, but now both the term and the practice are widespread.”Connected Places Catapult’s Director for Place Leadership, Sam Markey
The IPLA programme aims to empower local leaders with skills, insights and connections to drive inclusive economic growth through innovation. It is convened by Connected Places Catapult, with design and contributions from The Leadership Centre.
The Centre’s chief operating officer John Jarvis says the concept of place leadership has been evolving for several decades, but that the local authority landscape has changed enormously in recent years – which makes strong local leadership ever more important.
“With a few notable exceptions, previous place policies have tended to create competition for investment and influence between regions, and even among the organisations within places. Whereas now we are seeing much greater generosity of collaboration across organisations and a sense of shared vision.”
Of the recent IPLA cohort, Sam and John describe Sheffield as having a “very intentional strategy for the innovation economy”, which is proving to be “highly adaptable” as new opportunities arise.
They say Newcastle has a wealth of innovation and research and development activity, having been very successful in attracting investment, and are now looking at how to join these assets up to create even greater impact.
Cardiff is responsible for some “really exciting approaches to public procurement”, and has successfully empowered service managers to be effective “customers for innovation” through challenge funds.
And representatives from the East Midlands – which has recently created a new Combined Authority – have started an important debate about how innovation economies can best be supported in ‘polycentric’ places featuring several conurbations, and the role of the constituent organisations to drive region-wide prosperity.
To read about the experiences of these four cities and regions click here.
“It’s been a privilege to go on the journey with members of the cohort over this last year,” says Sam. “I thank them for their engagement and their candour in reflecting on their experiences and sharing with each other.”
John adds: “We are looking forward to maintaining the support, and facilitating conversations continue between localities.”
Sam says the IPLA cohort two programme was designed with an expectation there was going to be a further wave of devolution, and greater opportunity for high potential regions to step up and follow in the footsteps of those places who had already received devolved powers and funding.
“Since 2016 when I started at the Catapult, we have developed a rich understanding of how to cultivate innovation-led local growth and sought opportunities to share these practical insights with local leaders. Across two cohorts of IPLA, I have had the priviliege of working with more than 30 individuals who are driving transformation in their cities and regions,” he adds.
“For new and emerging regional leadership, an ambitious and empowered approach to the innovation economy will be essential to achieving our collective ambition for local economic growth.”
“Growth and connecting the economy to the local aspirations of places is at the heart of what the programme is trying to create. The Leadership Centre has a long history of supporting place-based working and understanding the unique tapestry of a locality; supporting and getting underneath its history, its relationships between public sector and private organisations and the nature of a community.”The Leadership Centre, Chief Operating Officer, John Jarvis
“The IPLA programme has allowed for us to have deeper conversations with places, to develop place-based leadership capability and use learning across the cohort – and build a network of people who can support each other to reignite the energy and momentum that may have been latent in those areas” he adds.
Sam adds that innovation-led local growth delivers multiple benefits: by creating the conditions for innovative businesses to flourish, it generates new jobs and investment in more parts of the country. Fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is also a means to create better outcomes, experiences and services for local people, and deliver greater efficiency in public services to make taxpayers’ money go that bit further.
Both agree the programme “is as much about action as it is learning” and will support the Government's mission to create inclusive, innovation-led growth to benefit people locally and help boost the national economy.
“Our work across place leadership has demonstrated the value of investing in leadership capacity,” says Sam.
"Leaders are under considerable pressure" adds John, "not just to keep the lights on, but to re-energise and re-imagine what their organisations do and how they do it".
Both Sam and John say that they would firmly encourage the UK Government to be looking at investing in capability building programmes, like the IPLA, in order to make sure that places are supported to rise to the moment and get the best out of the opportunity.
Read more about the work of the Innovation Places Leadership Academy and the work of the UK Innovation Districts Group which aims to revitalise under-performing downtown neighbourhoods into vibrant hubs for innovative and creative companies. Join us in creating a prosperous, inclusive future for the UK.
Read about the experiences of the four cities and regions mention in this piece below.
