Innovation Matters: Cities as test-beds of innovation for sustainability

When it comes to innovation development, the opinion often gravitates towards a macro-level government-focused perspective. Yet, as we discuss in the next episode of the Innovation Matters podcast, innovation does not only come from the national institutions but also from regional governments and even city-level programmes. It is cities that overwhelmingly provide the elements, systems, and dynamism driving innovation. They serve as test-beds, or laboratories, for trying out ideas for entrepreneurship, policies, and partnerships to see what works and what does not. Yet, in the words of today’s guest, “cities are places where the problems are really visible” and where we can address real challenges through small-scale pilots. Considering the importance of cities in fostering innovation, today’s episode analyses their potential impact in solving the most pressing social challenges ranging from pollution to sustainable energy transition. To guide us in this discussion, we welcome Susana Borrás, a Professor at the Department of Organization at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. Susana researches the design of innovation policy and its instruments, the governance of change, scale-up processes in socio-technical systems, the organizational strategies of legitimation in science and technology regulatory areas, and the organizational capacity and processes related to social learning and policy learning. In addition to her research activities, Susana Borrás also advises governments and institutions at international and national levels on matters of science, technology and innovation policy. She is currently a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV) and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Centre for European Studies, Sciences-Po Paris, France.