Innovation is helping to:
Improve service delivery
Improve internal government operations
Anticipate and manage future challenges
Critical success factors:
Dedicated funding
Focus on measurement
Dedicated innovation team
Leadership from Mayor
London
United Kingdom
Mayor
Sadiq Khan
Population
9,000,000 (2019)
Lead Innovation Officers
Theo Blackwell, Michael Hurwitz
Spotlight on innovation in London
London is already a recognized leader in mobilizing open data for public benefit. Today, nearly half of all Londoners regularly use apps made publicly available through live data from Transport for London’s Unified API. In addition, the Greater London Authority plans to release a huge amount of data about the capital in the most user-friendly formats possible through its London Datastore. These data can be used to tackle some of London's most important challenges, such as road congestion and substandard air quality. The platform currently has 60,000 users each month and is home to 6,000 datasets.
Vision and approach to innovation capacity
Along with 50% of cities surveyed, London does not have an explicit innovation strategy. Similar to more than half of cities surveyed, London approaches innovation capacity both from a holistic/macro level, as well as in specific policy areas.
Policy areas that London is focused on
Transport: See example of open data made publicly available by Transport for London Unified API.
Digital Governance: In 2019, the city worked with London Councils, the representative body of London's 33 boroughs, to launch the new London Office of Technology & Innovation to enhance collaboration with 16 boroughs. It has provided the first ever audit of what technology powers local services in our city to improve buying and sharing.
Policy areas by number of cities
London utilizes 5 different innovation skills or roles
Innovation roles by number of cities
London’s innovation work is sprinkled throughout the municipal administration and is led by a Chief Digital Officer.
Terms London most associates with innovation
London's most common innovation activities
- 1
Taking risks or testing new ideas
- 2
Data-driven analytics/public data management
- 3
Engaging residents in new ways
- 4
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
- 5
Organizational change within the municipality
- 6
Human-centered design
- 7
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
How is innovation funded here?
Like 81% of cities surveyed, London has dedicated funding to support innovation capacity.
Top sources of funding
Activities being funded
47 cities
Launching or sustaining a project
79 cities
Idea generation & brainstorming
51 cities
Investing in digital systems
36 cities
Investing in physical infrastructure
30 cities
Paying for services
*"Training staff and building capacity" is not an option in the 2018 survey, while "Launching or sustaining a project" is not an option in the 2020 survey.
How is innovation measured?
London has developed partnerships to promote innovation capacity with other public agencies, private firms, not-for-profit organizations, and city residents/resident associations.
To improve data use, the city has also developed data partnerships with academia and think tanks to collect and analyze data, as well as with other cities.