We are pleased to invite you to the Spring Economic Development Forum taking place in Florence from 27 to 29 March 2019. The theme of the forum will be "The role of European local innovation ecosystems in creating sustainable future of EU".

 

The pace of change in cities in recent years is not expected to slow down.  The disruption brought by innovation to urban economic systems has been enormous. Instead of reacting to this trend, cities are reclaiming their role as co-creator and co-designer of societal innovation. This requires an active role of the cities’ leaders in rethinking the way innovation takes place. For this to happen, cities must allow the development of an ecosystem that enables the governance of the multitude forces of change, towards a common vision of Sustainable Development.

 

Only with a functioning ecosystem can citizen’s idea translate into projects and experimentations that can benefit everyone: the community’s support and feedback can only strengthen these ideas, leading to scalable and successful innovation. City planners must enable the development of strategic partnerships, facilitating the involvement and cooperation with both public and private actors. To reach long-term socio-economic and environmental goals and achieve Cities must lead the way. 

 

The EDF in Florence will be a chance to come together and discuss how new business models, new methods of participation and co-creation of innovations, stronger and more agile institutions, innovation ecosystem local champions, and better cities involvement for better regulations, can all contribute to the development of a stronger European Innovation ecosystem.