Innovating the city : challenges and opportunities in establishing incubators and districts in Paris and Boston

Abstract

All over the world, local leaders are leveraging high-tech industry in their economic development strategies. Cities are encouraging the clustering of industries in specific sectors such as manufacturing, innovation, technology, and advanced services. In this effort to leverage distinctive strengths there has been a movement in cities to seed entrepreneurship as part of broader innovation and industrial strategies. This thesis takes a qualitative approach to investigating the opportunities and challenges in creating and establishing innovation clusters in two cities: Paris and Boston. Key insights are drawn from interviews and site visits to startups, co-working spaces, incubators, accelerators and innovation districts. These cases offer insights on the unique political, economic and cultural systems that shape innovation strategies in two cities at drastically different stages of cluster development. The results highlight key institutional, policy and social barriers that have influenced how innovation places form. These insights are meant to provide policy makers and organizations a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face entrepreneurs and startup organizations. In conclusion, a proposal for improving innovation strategy in both cities is explored.