Democracy as a Foundation for Inclusive Innovation Growth

Kandis Henry from Hammersmith & Fulham Council, together with Kunnskapsbyen's Even Sand and Inger-Lise M. Nøstvik, in front of the model of the Earls Court development area, in the heart of the White City Innovation District. Photo: Jon Eriksen

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Kunnskapsbyen was strongly represented at the Upstream-London Summit 2026, which gathered leading innovation districts and research parks from democratic countries.

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The conference participants had one common goal in mind: to develop an international "blueprint for inclusive innovative growth".

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Managing Director Inger-Lise M. Nøstvik and project managers Even Sand and Jon Eriksen represented Kunnskapsbyen. The White City Innovation District in London was the host. Other key players included Melbourne Innovation District, Buenos Aires Innovation Park, Oslo Science Park, MIND Milano, Barnsley Tech City, 22@network, and Rzeszów City.

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"The invitation to London is a clear recognition of more than 25 years of systematic innovation work in Romerike," says Inger-Lise M. Nøstvik.

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Strong partnership

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The summit, which was held in the White City Innovation District affiliated with Imperial College London, gathered leading players such as Google, Meta, and NHS (the UK's public health service, National Health Service).

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The discussions highlighted common challenges such as long-term financing, complex interactions between public and private actors, and the need for better coordination in innovation systems.

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A central theme was how innovation actually arises – not through buildings and infrastructure alone, but through trust-based relationships, connections, and active facilitation. At the same time, friction within the systems was cited as one of the biggest obstacles to growth.

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Boosting the NODE60 initiative

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Work on the common "blueprint" will continue leading up to an international conference this autumn, where principles such as stronger links between education and business, active facilitation, and the reduction of systemic friction will be further developed.

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For Kunnskapsbyen and NODE60, this signifies both a confirmation and a reinforcement of the path already chosen: to be the active connector between stakeholders, education, and business.

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Participation in London brings new connections, fresh insights – and a clear step towards more inclusive innovation growth in Romerike.