Jacobs and World Economic Forum unveil a global toolkit to guide cities in building sustainable innovation ecosystems
Cities around the world are rethinking how innovation can drive economic and social transformation. In response, Jacobs and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have released a new report, “Innovation Ecosystems: A Toolkit of Principles and Best Practice”, designed to help city leaders, developers, and policymakers create resilient, inclusive, and sustainable innovation districts that deliver long-term community impact.
Reimagining Urban Innovation
With digital technologies reshaping economies and urban life, cities face growing pressure to evolve as engines of prosperity, sustainability, and opportunity. Innovation districts — concentrated urban areas that combine research, entrepreneurship, and collaboration — are emerging as vital catalysts in this transformation.
The report highlights how strong governance, thoughtful placemaking, and robust digital infrastructure can enable innovation districts to generate tangible benefits, fostering sustainability, inclusivity, and growth within and beyond city boundaries.
“The need and opportunity to innovate are clear,” said Andrew Collinge, Jacobs’ Smart Cities Director and report co-author. “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 Guiding Principles for Responsible Innovation
At its core, the toolkit builds upon a framework first introduced by the World Economic Forum in April 2025, now tailored specifically for innovation districts. The eight guiding principles — collaborative, sustainable, resilient, human-centric, transparent, accessible, efficient, and scalable — serve as a blueprint for decision-makers navigating the complex landscape of urban innovation.
“These principles are practical,” said Katie Adnams, Jacobs’ Associate Director for Smart Places and Digital Infrastructure. “They reflect what successful innovation districts share in common — an understanding that purpose, design, and digital capability must work together.”
From Principles to Practice
The toolkit translates these principles into real-world actions across three key domains:
- Collaborative Governance: Examples from Detroit’s Michigan Central, Hyderabad’s T-Hub, and Monterrey’s DistritoTec demonstrate how transparent partnerships and community involvement drive long-term success.
- Human-Centric and Sustainable Design: Districts like Singapore’s Punggol Digital District and Milan’s MIND showcase how flexible infrastructure, green spaces, and social programming foster innovation and inclusivity.
- Scalable Digital Infrastructure: Cases such as Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and NTT East Tokyo reveal how data sharing, connectivity, and testbeds enable smart innovation while bridging the digital divide.
A Roadmap for Emerging Districts
The report concludes with eight key actions mapped to the guiding principles and ten sequential steps to guide new innovation districts from vision to maturity — from establishing inclusive governance and defining a clear vision, to embedding advanced digital infrastructure and fostering collaboration.
Jacobs’ Commitment to Urban Transformation
Jacobs’ participation in this global initiative underscores its mission to help cities harness the potential of innovation districts as engines of 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,” the report emphasizes. “By translating global insights into local impact, cities can ensure innovation districts are designed and delivered with vision, integrity, and lasting value.”
