City Award Certificate Sample 2011 (click to enlarge)

Certificates are available for any city listed on the annual Innovation Cities™ Index. Award certificates display:

• 2thinknow logo and program branding
• Name of the City & country
• Year of Index
• City Classification in the year

Where applicable, the certificates include the global or regional ranking.

Availability

Certificates are available for 331 cities in the 2011 Index. Past years, are also available,  since 2007 (see below).

Formats

• Print certificates
• PDF certificates

Order Print Certificates

Print certificates are issued by 2thinknow on heavy paper suitable for framing & wall display.

All Program Subscribers automatically receive all certificates for their city in the Index.

Or, print certificate packs for all years can be ordered for all years of the Index since 2007.  > Trophy & Certificates Order form

Free PDF

Free PDF certificates are available for current year, showing basic information.  These can be printed on any colour laser printer, for framing. These are issued via email.

Email our analysts or contact us here for your certificate.

Index Basis

The Innovation Cities Index methodology is outlined in detail each year, in the Innovation Cities Analysis Report and discussed in the FAQ for each year. The 5 City Classifications are listed under each year’s Index.

City Award Certificate 2007/2008 Sample

Past year Certificates.

2011 is the current year. Print certificates are available to order from 2thinknow to showcase your city’s achievement in past years indexes.

2010. All 289 cities listed are eligible for a certificate. Top 100 cities ranked.

2009. The 256 cities listed are eligible for a certificate based on their placement in these Award Categories. All top 75 cities are both ranked & classified.

2008. Certificates are available for 95 cities published in the 2008 Innovation Cities Index. Top 10 have a rank displayed.

2007. Certificates also available for the 22 listed cities in 2thinknow Innovation City Rankings 2007. Top 8 have a rank displayed.

This is based on the Innovation Cities Ranking 2007, with the methodology outlined in the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual.

City Award Certificate 2007/2008 Sample

In 2007, 22 Cities were recognized and listed in the inaugural Innovation Cities Rankings 2007, by 2thinknow.

For all 22 cities, ready-to-frame city award certificates are available for the 2007 Innovation Cities Rankings, now for free in PDF form. Suitable for laser printing and framing.

CITIES: The following cities are eligible for 2007 certificates: Vienna, Boston, Paris, New York, Rome, Leipzig, Prague, Melbourne, San Francisco, Berlin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Washington DC, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Sydney, Perth, Verona, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Toronto.

CERTIFICATES: Certificates are 210 X 297 mm. [A4, or approx 8.25" x 11.75"] and  are:

• Designed for laser self-printing
• Name your city and its achievement
• High-quality design with full-colour
• Designed for your framing & wall display
• Ship as PDF electronically worldwide.

ORDERING: Simply contact us at 2thinknow and request a certificate. It should arrive via email within 2-3 days.

For administrative reasons we have decided to no longer offer cloth-weave paper certificates. Many customers have indicated they would prefer downloads.

MORE INFORMATION: For more information on Innovation City Award Certificates for 2007 & other years for your city – see City Award Certificates

In April 2007, 2thinknow released the first Innovation Cities™ Rankings in Boston, MA. The rankings are now named the Innovation Cities™ Index, and are currently in their 2009 version with 256 cities scored.

The analysis and methodology of ranking Innovation Cities™ in 2007; as well as the criteria & city innovation models are outlined in the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual. Available in reprint, the book explains the selection criteria for 2007; and discusses each city ranking in some detail.

City Award Certificates for display are also available for a nominal fee for cities, for all years from 2007. > Award Certificates

1. Vienna. Austria.

“European Capital of Culture.”

Ranked #1, Globally. Ranked #1, Europe Region. Scored 28/ 30.

2. Boston. MA. USA.

“America’s Europe. Intellectual power-house.”

Ranked #2, Globally. Ranked #1, Americas Region. Scored 27/30.

3. Paris. France.

“Cultural Leader & alternate pole of economic thought.”

Ranked #3, Globally. Ranked #2, Europe Region. Scored 26/ 30.

4. New York City. NY. USA.

“Financial & Implementation Capital. Global Nexus.”

Ranked #4, Globally. Ranked #2, Americas Region. Scored 25/30.

5*. Leipzig. Germany.

“Musical & Cultural European City, Eastern costs & German implementation.”

2007 Most Improved Innovator. Ranked #5, Globally. Ranked #3, Europe Region. Scored 24/30.

5*. Prague. Czech Republic.

“East-European Cultural Capital & pro-Business Implementation destination.”

Ranked #5, Globally. Ranked #3, Europe Region. Scored 24/30.

5*. Rome. Italy.

“Cultural product exporter & head of oft-overlooked economy.”

Ranked #5, Globally. Ranked #3, Europe Region. Scored 24/30.

8. Melbourne. Australia.

“Asian Centre of Literature, Music, Food, Art & Culture.”

Ranked #8, Globally. Ranked #1, Asia Region. Scored 23/30.

Cities To Watch.

> San Francisco & Silicon Valley. California. USA. Scored 23/30.

> Berlin, Germany. Scored 23/30.

> Edinburgh. Scotland. UK. Scored 22/30.

> Glasgow. Scotland. UK. Scored 22/30.

> London. England. UK. Scored 21/30.

> Washington DC. USA. Scored 21/30.

> Perth. WA. Australia. Scored 19/30.

> Sydney. NSW. Australia. Scored 19/30.

> Frankfurt. Germany. Score not published until 2008.

> Strasbourg. France. Score not published until 2008.

> Verona. Italy. Score not published until 2008.

3 Other Cities. Amsterdam, Hong Kong & Toronto were strongly considered for publication.

USE: These rankings may be reproduced or quoted for any commercial, media or personal purpose, provided: a) they are not modified and b) they are identified as ’2thinknow Innovation Cities Rankings 2007′ and c)include a link to this website.

Basis.

The basis for these rankings is outlined in the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual.

The Innovation Cities Program developed based on 2005-06 analysis into economics, cities & innovation literature.

In April 2007, Innovation Cities Rankings were released in Boston, MA with Vienna, Austria ranked #1. See > 2007 Rankings

This was the first rankings based on the insight that “Innovation drives successful economic & social development of cities” (a position arrived at by the OECD in 2009). In 2007 cities rankings, the underlying trends were expressed as a re-balancing of arts & culture, and infrastructure in a Bubble economy.

2thinknow Innovation Cities™ Rankings also preceded Monocle magazine’s version, and the Fast Cities 2007 relaunched concept — we like to think we have had some influence on both.

First Global Innovation Review Book.

Supporting the analysis, the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual book was released and sold in small quantities  to cities, business, libraries, Government & individuals published in Melbourne, Australia; sold directly, via wholesalers & via Amazon. Otherwise, the research was entirely funded by other consulting operations and out of the founders (limited) pocket in 2007.

The basis of the Innovation Models, including the 3 segment unique Hire Innovation Loop (also named the HI Loop later) was introduced in print in this publication. 2thinknow’s 21 cities was based on consideration of 180 cities selected for the analysis, a sub-set of 95 which were published with some minor modifications in 2008.

Starting Innovation Cities Version 2.0

Throughout 2007, further visits to key global cities and online research developed performance indicators further in time for the 2009 Index and later meetings with City Governments. Further some media approached 2thinknow during this time, and this along with various stakeholders globally such as PhDs, public servants and consultants provided feedback to refine the model.

The 44 Innovation Indicators were ongoingly reviewed and split into more indicators, to allow greater cross-cultural comparisons between vastly different cities in areas such as culture, food, language. The result of this would be the 2009 Index.

As a result of this development, the program received some press publicity in Italy, Austria and USA including newspaper features.

Foreseeing the Global Financial Crisis.

During this time in the  Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual and the Global Innovation Conversation Journal, 2thinknow was presciently scathing of global attitudes to city economics, that led to the Global Financial Crisis and called in-turn for the resurgence of Keynesian Mixed Economy and application of regulation. In conjunction, 2thinknow used our Trend Analysis techniques to make some specific predictions.

Specific predictions in October 2007 included “a September 2008 shock event” which was the Global Financial Crisis, the peak of the Australian stock market & subsequent fall below 4500 points. In December 2007, we called the US Recession specifically, and a possible Depression. See also > Trend Results

It’s worth contrasting our broadly accurate analysis using non-linear trend analysis; with the failure of many prominent voices using linear analysis in investment banking, finance & policy at that time. Our Trend Analysis tools were further integrated into Innovation Cities, and are more prominent in our 2009 Index.

But first the > 2008 Index Updates

The Innovation Cities concept was originated by Christopher Hire in 2005 in Melbourne, Australia. It commenced with initial visits to European cities starting from Vienna after his research notes.

In 2006, after the establishment of the 2thinknow brand, this was expanded to include North America & other cities.

The City Climate in Boom Times.

After a review of Cities and Innovation literature, in conjunction with tools from previous analysis projects for corporate clients 2thinknow modeled the innovation process.

At the time of this development, the closest competing thinking on cities was Richard Florida’s Creative Class – the competition for global talent being his key theme. Much of the public conversation was ‘boom time’ – focused on ‘transitory, cool & hip’ rather than balanced performance. Relatedly, popular author Daniel Pink also made some key points on business creativity.

There were also numerous more academic theoretical texts & cultural development thinking, notably from leaders like Landry, Carrillo and Komninos.

At the time, which was pre-GFC, and most City Rankings were livability-based (most popularly by Mercer or EIU).

The focus of existing thinking was however largely on creativity or economics, and 2thinknow felt a 3rd stage was needed to be added to all the academic ‘Cities Knowledge’ complete a useful, replicable innovation model. And also that a new ranking that took a broader view less tied to a specific time-period.

A Broader Economic, Technological & Social View.

In 2006 it became apparent through Nascent Trends, the limitations of conventional rational economic analysis (how we should behave), and cost-benefit-thinking ; at the same time as Behavioral Economics (how we do behave) was growing in popularity.

Books like ‘Freakonomics’ popularized thoughts and memes, found in the works of authors like Ackermann & Heinzerling, Krugmann, Stiglitz, de Botton & Bosshart about limitation of the practical economic paradigm – as well as numerous models of networked societies. Our uniqueness was applying this to cities to build a model as an answer to future challenges.

In 2006, City Planning & economic development was broadly ignoring these trends.

Innovation Cities – built-in Markets & Networks

Resulting models developed included the all 3 elements in the Hire Innovation Loop based on the Innovation Pockets Insight. 44 Key City Innovation Indicators (then called ‘Flags) were developed during this period.

The crucial Hire Innovation Loop Model is explained in detail in the printed reports. More on this development is included in the Global Innovation Review 2007 Annual book, available in reprint.

This stage was sustained & funded through the operations of technology & management consulting.

Next > 2007 Rankings & Books