First of several ecosystem forums held for new Nashville Innovation Alliance
Inaugural event featured representatives from leading ecosystems like Barcelona, Berlin, and New York City.
“The cities that thrive in this century are those that offer a home and opportunities to researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Our next step must be to cultivate our home-grown innovation technology.”
With those words, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier set the vision for the Nashville Innovation Alliance Ecosystem Forum, the first of several gatherings bringing together leaders from Nashville’s corporate, civic, community and education institutions and organizations to explore how to make Nashville one of America’s centers of innovation. It occurred at the end of July.
Established by Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Chancellor Diermeier, the Nashville Innovation Alliance aims to grow Nashville’s innovation capacity to create economic expansion and inclusive prosperity. The partnership is designed to help Nashville create an environment that fosters innovation and the translation of new technology solutions into commercial applications.
At the outset, Chancellor Diermeier outlined three major factors shared by the most dynamic global centers:
- They leverage what is unique about the local lifestyle;
- There is a partnership with elected officials; and
- Universities play a key role in fostering the innovation and research and development that create the innovation ecosystem.
Throughout the forum, these themes were a consistent thread that connected the success stories shared by innovation hub leaders from Barcelona (22@Network), Berlin (Silicon Allee), and New York City (Tech:NYC).
Click here to learn more about the inaugural forum and here to read our first article about the initiative.
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