An Overview of the CITIE Framework


Building on the research provided by Nesta's John Gibson and Accenture's Matthew Robinson in 2015, we have expanded the City Initiatives for Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to be an economic development strategy resource for city leadership.  The CITIE framework provides a resource for city policymakers who want to develop policy to support innovation and entrepreneurship.

It was developed by combining extensive consultation with city government leaders, policy experts, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs with detailed research into the state of the art in policy from cities around the world.  Further, we spoke with some of the leading site selectors for the Fortune 500.  We asked them what factors their client's executives valued beyond the traditional "realm of the deal."





On the basis of this research, we identified that the approach a city government takes to innovation and entrepreneurship can be characterized by the answers to the following three questions:

OPENNESS

a. How open is the city to new ideas and businesses?

High performing city governments support new innovative businesses by ensuring that regulations, procurement rules and advocacy efforts work in their favor.

INFRASTRUCTURE

b. How does the city optimize its infrastructure for high-growth businesses?

High-performing city governments invest in their transport and digital infrastructure, and support access to inputs such as talent and capital that high-growth businesses need to thrive.

LEADERSHIP

c. How does the city build innovation into its own activities?

High-performing city governments lead by example, by taking a clear view on how they want to support innovation, and then by using data and engaging with citizens to do so.