Every successful business, every private sector employer, begins as a startup company where an idea became a viable product that birthed a new business which gained traction in the open market and now gives back to the community. The question for local policymakers is whether to passively wait for a spontaneous occurrence – for a lightning bolt of inspiration to strike or a startup unicorn to wander into town – or be proactive and cultivate an environment for innovation where the flow of people, ideas, applications, commercialization and reinvestment aligns into a sustainable, virtuous cycle.

In this report, you’ll see how two Intelligent Communities foster a local ecosystem of private-sector innovation by facilitating startup culture.

Report Contents:

1.  Building the Innovation Ecosystem in Your Community

Two Intelligent Communities that Embraced Innovation

2.  Taiwan: Manufacturing + Innovation

• Mainly Manufacturing, with a Side of Innovation
• Investment and Exits
• Community Innovation, Inclusion and Education
• Adding Economic Layers

3.  Stockholm’s Kista Science City

• Triple-Helix Technology District
• Kista’s Startup Edge
• Grassroots and Give-back
• Technology-Plus

4.  Takeaways: Working with Your Scale