Every day, local politicians and administrators grapple with major challenges such as climate change, the mobility transition and much more, and how exactly these challenges can be met. The answer to this question will vary greatly from place to place, as each urban area is characterised by specific conditions and opportunities: different sizes, geographical conditions, number of inhabitants, age structure, financial possibilities, etc. As a result, although existing solutions can be used as a guide, they need to be tailored to the specific city. 

Ideas for city-specific solutions to the major challenges of our time can come from all areas of society: Politics and administration, education and research, business and associations as well as citizens and civil society. By establishing open innovation and exchange processes, these ideas can be promoted and developed.

This is the basis behind the Open Innovation City concept - open innovation at city level. The aim is to establish an open dialogue in the city, enable direct feedback mechanisms and ensure that people are closely involved in innovation processes. The result should be to strengthen the innovative capacity of the city as a whole. A more detailed explanation of the Open Innovation City concept can be found in the first chapter of the compendium that has now been published.

As part of the scientific work of the Open Innovation City project, we are focussing on a number of topics that are essential for open innovation at city level:

• Governance,
• ecosystem,
• participation,
• culture and
• partnerships.

We hope you enjoy reading and find it inspiring!

Picture: Prof. Dr. Ingo Ballschmieter on 21 September 2023 at the conference "Open Innovation in NRW's Cities".