sector

Helping place leaders achieve sustainable, innovation-led levelling up.

The plans, policies, strategies and cultures which enable or inhibit innovation in a given location are shaped by place leaders. We seek to empower place leaders to be confident customers of innovation and effective stewards of the UK’s innovation economy.

Sam Markey

Ecosystem Director – Place Leadership

A suspension bridge spans across a wooded gorge with numerous hot air balloons floating in the sky above.

Innovation Places

Innovation places are engines of economic growth and renewal. Visit our Innovation Places hub to learn what works in sparking inclusive regional innovation economies and to connect with our networks of pioneers and practitioners.

Aerial view of a cityscape featuring multiple bridges over a river, numerous buildings, and distant hills under a clear blue sky.

Project / Case Study: Seeding an innovation ecosystem in the Belfast City Region

Connected Places Catapult supported place leaders in Belfast leading to a successful bid for a Belfast City Region Deal that will deliver £2 billion in additional GVA and 10,000 new jobs.

Smarter Spending

An innovation-friendly approach to public sector buying has the power to deliver better user experiences and spark economic growth. Discover insights, advice and practical support in the Smarter Spending hub.

The art of place leadership

Project

Innovation Places Leadership Academy – Cohort 2

Building on the success of our pilot with leaders from Aberdeen, Portsmouth and Hull, the second IPLA cohort began in April 2024 with a focus on enhancing investment in regional innovation and infrastructure in selected UK city regions.
Project

Innovation Places Leadership Academy – Cohort 1

The first Innovation Places Leadership Academy cohort ran from October 2021 to July 2023 with leaders from Aberdeen, Portsmouth and Hull.
Article

Inclusive Innovation championed in the West Midlands

Twenty small businesses fronted by a diverse range of entrepreneurs in the West Midlands have been lined up to take part in the DIATOMIC Inclusive Innovation programme.