UK Innovation Districts Group (UK IDG) has launched the Innovation Ecosystem Accelerator Programme to empower place leaders nationwide.
Registration is open now for Cohort One, taking place from February to August 2027. Learn more and Register here.
This pioneering Accelerator is designed to help local authorities, university leaders, regional development agencies, and innovation district teams unlock the full economic potential of their local innovation ecosystems.
The seven-month programme addresses a critical gap in regional economic development: turning isolated assets, research institutions, and innovation hubs into cohesive, high-performing ecosystems. Ecosystems that attract investment, foster entrepreneurship, and drive inclusive growth.
Despite significant capital investments across UK towns and cities and a growing evidence base demonstrating economic and community impact, many regions are still struggling to achieve long-term momentum from their innovation ecosystems, often due to fragmented governance, mismatched stakeholder priorities, and lack of operational capacity.
The Innovation Ecosystem Accelerator offers a structured programme of activity, a peer group and a pathway, designed by experienced practitioners, and tailored to the specific circumstances of a place, its people and operational systems.
Over seven months, participants will work through practical modules covering governance alignment, ecosystem capital strategies, anchor-institution activation, and sustainable value creation. Lifting concepts from regional collaboration agreements into impactful delivery, the accelerator ensures participating leadership teams emerge with a stress-tested, actionable place-based plan for their innovation ecosystem.
The Accelerator is a UK Innovation Districts Group programme, delivered by Recurve and Fern Consulting.
Emma Frost, Chair, UK Innovation Districts Group and Director, Fern Consulting Ltd, said: “Building a thriving innovation ecosystem isn’t about having more buildings, strategies or sector labels – it’s about turning local assets, relationships and leadership into a system that creates real opportunity.
“The Accelerator gives place leaders practical tools, independent challenge and peer support to test what’s possible. It helps align partners behind a shared ambition, and move from good intentions to an investable, inclusive plan for their place.”
Sam Markey, Founder and Managing Director, Recurve.“Place-based leaders face an unprecedented challenge, balancing local socio-economic priorities with global competitiveness.”
“Through the accelerator, and our free interactive diagnostic tool, we are helping leadership teams identify their precise ecosystem gaps and turn strategic intent into tangible, fundable application.”
For those in exploration mode, there is a free online Ecosystem Diagnostic Tool to support regional teams to evaluate their strengths across key dimensions, including governance, capital flow, and ecosystem narrative. The tool provides instant benchmark insights and can be used to support accelerator applications.
Applications for Cohort One are now officially open. Place-based leaders, economic development officers, and regional partners can register their interest here: https://www.ukinnovationdistricts.co.uk/innovation-ecosystem-accelerator/
The UK Innovation Districts Group (UK IDG) is delighted to welcome Sheffield Innovation Spine as its newest Member. This addition brings the network to 14 of the UK’s most forward-thinking innovation districts and knowledge quarters, strengthening a powerful peer-to-peer ecosystem dedicated to sharing best practices, driving inclusive innovation and leading the national conversation on innovation-led economic growth.
In an era of significant political, economic, social and technological change at home and overseas, the value of a collaborative national network cannot be overstated. By uniting localised hubs of expertise and capabilities, UK IDG enables members to pool data, influence national policy, and speak with a collective voice that champions the role of innovation districts in driving UK productivity and delivering the national industrial strategy.
Sheffield Innovation Spine is a prime example of this impactful work in action. Developing as an innovation district in the heart of Sheffield city centre, the Spine is connecting Sheffield’s academic, commercial and community assets. Delivered through a partnership with purpose between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield City Council, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Sheffield Technology Parks, the Spine is actively creating the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to attract and retain high-value businesses, commercialise world-class research, and seed sustainable economic growth across the North.
Charlotte Thompson, Director of Sheffield Innovation Spine, highlighted the strategic importance of the Membership: “Sheffield Innovation Spine is an energised, urban innovation district in the centre of Sheffield. Membership with UK IDG puts us at the heart of the national conversation – influencing policy, sharing data and best practice, and learning from other leading places.
“The Spine is a hot spot for world class research, knowledge-led businesses, collaboration and specialist spaces. We are designing for density in Sheffield city centre and our rate of change is really exciting. We’ve recently launched an investment prospectus with development opportunities and partner backed incentives for several city centre sites.
“Joining UK IDG now connects us with a thriving ecosystem of innovation districts and knowledge quarters to learn from and share with as we build our pipeline of businesses, attract investment, connect our communities, and set the conditions for inclusive innovation-led growth.”
Welcoming the newest member, Emma Frost, Chair of UK IDG, said: “We are thrilled to onboard Sheffield Innovation Spine to our growing network. Sheffield’s collaborative approach to knowledge-share and partnership working and their deep-rooted history of industry, invention and ingenuity makes them a fantastic addition to the network. We have been working with Charlotte and South Yorkshire colleagues representing the region’s unique set of innovation assets for a number of years and this Membership formalises the next phase of that relationship. It shines a light on Sheffield city centre’s 190 acre innovation district – connecting five mixed-used neighbourhoods and bookended by two world class universities. On behalf of our Members, we are looking forward to working closely with Sheffield Innovation Spine as we share best practice and crucial insights, gather evidence, shape national policy and demonstrate how innovation districts can drive meaningful, inclusive economic progress across the UK.”
UK IDG is a connected and unifying peer network, bringing people together to speak with one voice about their shared mission; tackling society’s biggest challenges through place based innovation.
Impact focused, open and equitable, UK IDG demonstrates the power of peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange. Testing, experimenting and learning from doing. This is how UK IDG Members deliver real change for places and for people.
UK Innovation Districts Group Associate Members Arup, will be joining leaders working across the built environment, placemaking and economic development roles, at the annual UK IDG Summit this Friday (5 June) in Liverpool.
Arup and UK IDG have been collaborating on industry research and policy white papers for almost a decade and today UK IDG can announce that Jack Baker – Senior Urban Designer and Architect at Arup, and Charlotte Cutter – Arup Consultant, will be joining other place-based innovation specialists to facilitate two of the three workshops at the 2026 Summit.
Charlotte will be convening a conversation on ‘Crowding Investment into Innovation: developing prototypes’. Jack will facilitate a workshop – ‘Mapping and Maximising Entrepreneurial Skills – lessons from Liverpool, Newcastle and Belfast’.
Last week UK IDG reported that Metro Dynamics are to facilitate the workshop ‘From data to decisions: how good data drives good outcomes’ – you can read more on that news here: https://www.ukinnovationdistricts.co.uk/uk-innovation-districts-summit-power-up-session-with-metro-dynamics-announced/
Arup, is a global consultancy with 18 UK-based offices and they have been operating in the built environment space for 80 years. A thought leader in the innovation district space, Arup collaborates with UK IDG Members, government agencies, businesses, research partners and placemakers to deliver inclusive and sustainable growth for UK cities and regions.
The team brings with them a wealth of experience, from policy leadership and mapping innovation ecosystems, developing the spatial proposition and case for innovation-led investment, to partnering with universities and other anchor institutions that drive the research and commercialisation capabilities of innovation districts. This includes convening and accessing innovation talent, and identifying opportunities to connect businesses, skills, people and places.
As long-time advocates of the ‘inclusive innovation agenda’, Arup will be sharing their experience working with innovation districts and ecosystems to support economic growth – creating local jobs for local people, and designing places and networks that attract people and investment.
At last year’s Summit UK IDG launched the action paper ‘Unlocking UK Innovation Districts to accelerate Industrial Strategy outcomes’ highlighting the vital role innovation districts play in delivering key elements of the UK’s Industrial Strategy. This paper was co-produced with Members, including Associate Members Arup, who generously supported the development of the report. Lessons learnt from this and policy recommendations made, will feed into this year’s workshops facilitated by Charlotte and Jack.
Ciara Graven, Senior Economist at Arup is one of 100 delegates set to attend the Summit in Liverpool this week. Ciara said: “We are delighted to be both attending and facilitating workshops at the UK Innovation Districts Summit this year! These events convene place-based innovation district leaders and partners from across the UK, bringing people together who just wouldn’t get the opportunity to meet face-to-face otherwise. It’s a great opportunity for people to get together to share knowledge, insights and experiences – and to build those all-important relationships that help shape innovation-led economic growth across the UK.”
The UK Innovation Districts Summit 2026 is being held at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, with support from UK IDG Member Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, during the city region’s Innovation Investment Fortnight. The Summit is for UK IDG Members, policy makers, placemakers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers designing and delivering innovation districts, economic growth and placemaking activity. The event is currently at capacity but you can join the waiting list and be notified if any tickets become available here: UK Innovation District Summit 2026
Metro Dynamics Consultants Fiona Tuck, Gillian O’Connell and Mary Dolphin are to join leaders working across place-based innovation roles, government teams and investors, next month, at the UK Innovation Districts Summit 2026.
The Summit, to be held on 5 June within the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, will convene UK Innovation Districts Group (UK IDG) Members with a wider network of practitioners and stakeholders invested in the UK’s innovation ecosystem.
The Metro Dynamics team will be running one of three power-up sessions programmed into the day-long Summit, delivering an interactive workshop that explores how data drives inclusive growth. Other power-up content will be led by subject matter experts on themes including; ‘Crowding Investment’ and ‘Mapping and maximising entrepreneurial skills: lessons from Liverpool, Glasgow, Newcastle and Belfast’.
Principal Consultant, Gillian O’Connell, Metro Dynamics, said: “At this year’s UK Innovation Districts Summit we’ll be delivering an interactive workshop that explores applications for data collection and the power of data-led stories. Our aim is to support innovation districts and their partners to become more confident in using data strategically: to shape priorities, guide investment decisions, strengthen partnerships and articulate impact. Reflecting the wider theme of the Summit, the emphasis will be on practical delivery and peer learning.”
Metro Dynamics is a place-based economic development advisory business. They work with cities and city-regions to support inclusive innovation-led growth. In 2021 Metro Dynamics and Professor Neil Lee were commissioned by UK IDG to research how, as part of the levelling-up agenda and the Government’s 2022 Levelling Up White Paper, places right across the UK can deliver truly inclusive innovation. This culminated in a report published the following year – Opening the Innovation Economy: The case for inclusive innovation.
Of this Summit Programme announcement, UK Innovation Districts Group Chair, Emma Frost, said: “We are thrilled that Metro Dynamics will host the data and impact themed-power-up session at the Summit this year. Having worked with the MetroDynamics on a major research project exploring the case for inclusive innovation, I know how valuable their experience is for our Members and our wider stakeholders attending. Capturing good quality data and having the confidence to use it remains a significant challenge for innovation districts and knowledge quarters across the UK”.
The UK Innovation Districts Summit 2026 is being held at the Everyman Theatre, with support from UK IDG member Knowledge Quarter Liverpool during the city region’s Innovation Investment Fortnight.
This is an opportunity for curious people working across place-based innovation, to connect with other UK Innovation Districts, explore the year’s most relevant themes, share knowledge and make valuable connections. The Summit is for UK IDG Members, policy makers, placemakers, entrepreneurs, and changemakers designing and delivering innovation districts, economic growth and placemaking activity. Secure your place today: UK Innovation District Summit 2026