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How ‘innovation districts’ are continuing the fight against COVID-19

Julie Wagner, President of The Global Institute on Innovation Districts, writes:

Last month, I wrote about innovation districts’ critical efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Since the outset of the pandemic, these districts have leveraged their academic research capabilities, innovation infrastructure (e.g., laboratories, advanced technologies, Big Data for modeling), and local and global peer networks to understand and contain the spread of the coronavirus. These efforts demonstrate the power of coordinated and concentrated efforts to address an unprecedented global challenge.

In the month since I first wrote about these efforts, the pandemic has intensified exponentially and now impacts at least 183 countries. As the urgency for solutions increases, 11 additional districts have come forward with innovative approaches to combatting the virus. The Global Institute on Innovation Districts has now collected detailed information from 18 total innovation districts in nine countries that are working to identify solutions to the pandemic—demonstrating how these places are essential in tackling highly complex and cross-sectoral challenges.

Read more at Brookings Institution.

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Kristen Fitch

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