Wow with know-how. Exploring ecosystems

Wow with know-how. Exploring innovation
ecosystems
Digital Mutual Learning
Introduction
Oulu has been actively supporting and funding the implementation of innovation ecosystems, defined
as structures created with actors that pursue technology development and innovation among their
objectives.
Over the years, innovative global business ecosystems built upon on innovation capacity and high-tech,
were developed following step-by-step the quadruple-helix principle, creating dynamic structures that
engage group of individuals, firms, governmental and academic organisations, in collaboration with
international partners.

Oulu Innovation Alliance – the framework agreement was initiated between key partners, including
the city, University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu Region
Joint Authority for Education, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Technopolis Plc., and VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland, to secure sustainable, strategic commitment to join co-creation within the
innovation ecosystem.

The event
The digital mutual learning session will be a unique opportunity to enable cities to work together and
learn from one another on how to create, improve and handle the main challenges in the innovation
ecosystems. It will be built on the capacity of city authorities to better recognise, understand and
further develop their role as stakeholders and partners in local innovation ecosystems, essential in the
recovery process.
The questions posed to cities are based on:
    - A Robust Innovation Ecosystem for the Future of Europe;
    - Innovation Ecosystems in Europe: First outline of an innovation ecosystem index

Objectives
The Economic Development Forum’s mutual learning activity aims to inspire cities’ practitioners whilst
speeding up the transfer of innovative practices, by adapting them to different local contexts

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throughout Europe. The objective is to encourage the exchange of know-how and the collaboration
between the cities with a special focus on:
. Learning        from Bilbao, Leeds, Lille and Oulu how to develop an innovative business ecosystem
    also in the local context of virtual study visits on 18.03.2021 (OuluHealth, Smart Port, Oulu Business
    Station).
. Discovering         the conceptual framework on Innovation Ecosystems in Europe: First outline of an
    innovation ecosystem index.
. Exploring        how to overcome the challenges mapped by European Commission for innovation
    ecosystems (challenges described on p.4).
. Investigating the roles of cities and success factors in local innovation ecosystems in different
    operational environments.
. Sharing        European cities’ challenges to build innovation ecosystem and use it in the recovery
    process.
. Recommending to the European institutions how to support the local innovation ecosystems.

Format
The session will consist of following parts of the mutual-learning methodology. By using interactive
digital tools, we want to engage members in learning, sharing and co-creating better knowledge for
boosting innovation ecosystems. In addition to Oulu’s strategic approach, other European urban
contexts will be shared, and participants will learn through in-depth exchange on best practices and
work on the recommendation towards European institutions.
Step 1: Co-learning
The first step will be centred on capitalising on the lessons learned from innovative approaches already
tested which show results or impact. Through a facilitated learning process, participants will learn
success factors that can help the transferability, scalability or replication of the innovative approach to
other urban contexts.
Step 2: Co-sharing
This stage is dedicated to sharing innovative approaches deployed by Bilbao, Leeds, Lille and Oulu. It
is key to ensuring the participation of relevant local actors from industry, academia and civil society
(e.g. social enterprises, foundations, citizens’ initiatives etc.).
Step 3: Co-creating
The final phase is focused on co-creation of solutions based on the quadruple helix approach to
innovation, encouraging cities and stakeholders – i.e. industry, academia civil society, citizens,
including young people - to work together. The logic is to bring out-of-the-box ideas to help cities
looking for innovative ways in tackling pressing challenges they are facing locally and work on the
recommendations for EU institutions.

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Digital Mutual Learning
                                          Agenda
                                        19/03/2021
                                      9.30 – 13.00 (CET)

9.30 – 9.45 – Introduction
Aleksandra Olejnik – Policy Advisor (Eurocities)
Introduction to the methodology: a conceptual framework introduced in Komorowski (2019),
Innovation Ecosystems in Europe: First outline of an innovation ecosystem index and research and
report of the European Commission ‘A Robust Innovation Ecosystem for the Future of Europe’.

9.45 – 10.45 Co-learning
15 min for each of the presentation of 4 cases: Oulu, Bilbao, Leeds and Lille

10.45 - 11.00 Coffee Break/Informal Networking

11.00 – 12.30 - Co-sharing and co-creating
In 4 breakout rooms smaller groups of participants will be able to get details on how the innovation
ecosystem has been built up on the chosen local context.
1. Actors from local authorities will share their role in developing innovation ecosystems.
2. A representative for each of the innovation ecosystem case will present the local challenges, the
    existing strategy to address those, key success factors and role of the innovation ecosystems in
    recovery.
3. Participants will have the possibility to share similar experience in the same field.
4. Co-create solutions – brainstorm on which solutions can be replicate, create out-of-the-box
    solutions and develop recommendations towards European institutions.
5. The rapporteur will draw the main conclusions.

12.30 – 13.00 - Conclusion (Back to plenary)

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Speakers & Moderators
   1. OULU – ArTech
   Olli Rantala, Planning Director for the City of Oulu Education and Culture Services

   Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, cities across Europe are facing the key challenge where new
   content and business models are needed to overcome the void where the technology alone can't
   solve the needs where people are in need for social interaction and interactivity. TechArt intends
   to build gradually an ecosystem where Oulu region and companies and various stakeholders will
   both learn, share and grow from the collaboration and connecting the content, content creation
   and technology together.

   Oulu has been a prominent player in Europe and globally developing new technology, where many
   patents are the result of a long and extensive research in the field of information communication
   technologies and sensor based applications. Many start-ups have emerged from the cluster where
   there is highly skilled labor available. However the technologies created and developed in Oulu are
   seldom seen in the city, public spaces, nor used with the content created in the arts and culture.
   Therefore the added value of TechArt then is the focus on bottom-up connectivity, co-creation and
   the iterative processes by both the technology companies and content creation in the field of arts
   and culture. Oulu is applying to become The European Capital of Culture 2026. Aside from the
   ECoC process, TechArt is well aligned with the City of Oulu Strategy 2026 and the regional smart
   specialization strategy, both building on Oulu’s existing advanced technological capabilities, the
   award-winning participation policy and the strategic development of city culture.

   Moderator: Jesús Gómez, Manager, Valladolid adelante Agency for Innovation and Economic
   Development of Valladolid, EDF Vice-Chair
   Muralist: Marta, Eurocities
   Rapporteur: Antonio Barroso, Braga and Cristina Gil Adelantado, Barcelona

   2. BILBAO – AS Fabrik
   María del Blanco, Head of Strategic Sectors of Bilbao Ekintza, the Economic Development Agency
   of the City of Bilbao.

   AS-FABRIK is a concept, developed over the last 3 years in Bilbao and operational right now as a
   hub, to increase the competitiveness of the advanced services sector of Bilbao and connect it
   better to the digital transformation demands of the manufacturing sector (Industry 4.0). A
   strategic alliance with the city, businesses, universities, local service providers and entrepreneurs
   has been set up in order to create a new ecosystem based on innovative pillars, and hosted in a
   tailor made space for experimentation and incubation of new services. New education programs
   for university students, entrepreneurs and professionals addressing the new challenges of the
   industry 4.0 and the digital economy are tested there, while networking actions, supported by
   dedicated IT tools, ensure a good match between demand and supply. AS FABRIK facilitates the
   prototyping of new business models and to support specialised start-ups that will benefit from a

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Minimum Viable Product (MVP) test Fab Lab for the market validation of new products and
services.

Moderator: Elena De Nictolis, co-director at LabGov.City at Luiss Guido Carli
Muralist: Irene, Eurocities
Rapporteur: Gianluca Saba, Genoa

3. LEEDS – Ide@ Community
Eve Roodhouse – Chief Officer Culture and Economy, Leeds City Council supported by Richelle
Schuster

The ide@ community an online space for anyone with a burning desire to start a business or to be
their own boss. It's in here that you'll find the Leap course, a new initiative to help aspiring business
owners make the jump to entrepreneurship brought to you by the Leeds MIT REAP team. The
ambition is to create a vibrant, engaged and diverse community of potential entrepreneurs across
the Leeds City Region.

Moderator: Sena Segbedzi, Coordinator, OECD Champion Mayors Initiative
Muralist: Anna, Eurocities
Rapporteur: Ulrike Firniss, City of Gothenburg

4. LILLE – Plaine Images
Stephane Bossavit, Innovation & Attractiveness Director

North of France has been well known to be a pillar of the textile industry. More specifically in
Roubaix and Tourcoing, cities next to Lille. As if creation had never left this place, and with a turning
page willpower, Plaine Images ambition is to reach the previously Vanoutryve textile factory scale
with 3000 individuals. A true ecosystem where 1 800 people work in 140 companies of all sizes :
from start-ups to international companies. Economically valuable creative imagination, in the
image of these successful companies. Creative imagination with added value, in the image of those
who come here to grow. Plaine Images belongs to a metropolitan plan drives by Lille Metropole in
association with Hauts-de-France region.

Those who think that imagination only creates ideas should imagine things differently. Here, what
imagination produces is creative industries that succeed and brands that set themselves apart.
They are experts from the world of gaming, audiovisual, virtual reality and design, who are
asserting themselves and growing their customers references. The results are successes,
innovations, careers and jobs that perhaps you have not imagined.

Moderator: Bernardo Rodrigues, Policy Officer Governance & International Cooperation
Coordinating at Greater London Authority
Muralist: Pietro, Eurocities

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Rapporteur: Heidi Humala, Helsinki

Challenges mapped by European Commission for innovation ecosystems in the
EC report ‘A Robust Innovation Ecosystem for the Future of Europe’

Connectedness To unlock the innovation potential from Europe's incredible research capacity, the
relationship between corporations and start-ups with universities and Research and Technology
Organisations (RTOs) must be improved through better and more frequent networking and novel
trainings. Innovation must flow beyond the main city hub, and abroad, so it can reach everyone in
Europe, improving their livelihoods.
Competence          All stakeholders agree that entrepreneurship and understanding of how the
innovation ecosystem operates must permeate all actors, from students to faculty, researchers,
entrepreneurs, investors, and civil servants with more and better information on all innovation
processes.
Capital The challenge involves a need for more capital, an improvement of cross-border investment
and a de-risking of the investment in disruptive companies (e.g. in deep tech). It's essential to continue
investing in early-stage companies and to support and enable trial and error and the scaling-up of
innovative pilots from the public sector.
Crosscutting      Beyond these three challenges, stakeholders brought up the urgency to reduce the
current regulatory burden. There is a need for simplified legislation, experimentation and flexibility of
existing legislation through the use of regulatory sandboxes, and new ways of developing innovative
public procurement).

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