“Innovation is not just about product development: it is about how our society changes and improves” Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission

‘Innovation’ describes the process of producing and putting into place something new, be it a product or process. An innovation is therefore the end output of the process of innovation.

Often, economic growth is the main incentive for innovation. Innovative societies are also developing solutions to challenges such as climate change and tackling inequalities. 

Cities and their partners facilitate technological, market-based innovation, as well as leading the ‘public’ and ‘social’ innovation that is key to Europe’s global competitiveness. Cities provide the critical mass of markets, consumers and businesses to serve as laboratories of growth and innovation.

Municipal administrations are both innovators and supporters of innovation. On the one hand, their infrastructure and services - business incubators, research and development clusters, adult learning, or local partnerships - are conducive to innovation. Similarly, they are able to drive forward innovation by exercising their powers, for example, though stringent urban planning policies that ensure new approaches to housing, or procurement calls that favour new approaches to product design.

On the other hand, city administrations are innovators themselves. They adapt their work and services to respond to changing circumstances. By drawing on local intelligence, cities can develop entirely new solutions to challenges, such as healthcare or transport congestion.

We believe that cities should be placed at the heart of the EU’s Innovation Union and the accompanying ‘innovation partnerships’, and be well-placed to participate in key programmes such as Horizon2020.