New district poised to attract knowledge and talent

By 2025, Lyngby will have a well-developed innovation district. The vision is to develop Lyngby-Taarbæk into one of Europe’s leading knowledge and university cities – with fertile ground for education, research, business, and entrepreneurship

As Lyngby marches towards 2025, it will teem with new life thanks to its innovative landscape of entrepreneurs and trade. Existing and emerging business will benefit from its strengths and cohesiveness.

In an effort to marry the ambitions of Lyngby’s business community with concrete goals and milestones, the City of Knowledge has launched a new strategy. According to Marianna Lubanski, the administrative director of the City of Knowledge:

“When new companies move to Lyngby- Taarbæk, they should experience being absorbed in a network wherein relationships and a strong culture of collaboration make it easy to test, unfold, and develop technology and conduct business activities. Together, established companies and public actors must work to cultivate a cooperative environment that can attract new companies who will contribute new knowledge.

” Their strategy has been adopted by the City of Knowledge’s board, which includes representatives from international companies, educational institutions, and the municipality of Lyngby-Taarbæk, including Mayor Sofia Osmani. Lubanski describes it as “… a strong public-private partnership that stands together for this five-year strategy for Lyngby- Taarbæk, City of Knowledge.” Given that there are already collaborative dialogues established and high-level knowledge sharing taking place, Lubanski has her sights set on converting this knowledge base into concrete projects. More broadly, she recognizes that companies, educational and research institutions, and the environments they create have a cumulative effect. If companies from outside can see the companies in Lyngby thriving and working together, this can create a powerful appeal. Hence, the next step in the collaboration is to create an innovation district in Lyngby.

International potential

Far-sighted, Lubanski envisions Lyngby as “… an innovation district because it can then create an overall framework that supports research, innovation, education, and entrepreneurship. It will be a physicallydefined and compact framework where companies, the public, and educational institutions can stand shoulder-to-shoulder and create value through collaboration.” With this strategy, Lyngby is taking its first steps into a future where knowledge becomes even more important to the overall economy and where innovation, sustainability, partnerships, and quality of life become crucial for Lyngby’s ability to attract and retain businesses, talent, and citizens.

As Lubanski points out: “Many businesses and educational institutions in the City of Knowledge have a global outlook, are active in many parts of the world, or want to attract global business to Lyngby. To bolster the city’s continued development and business, a strong innovation district must help attract international talent as well as international businesses.”

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WHAT IS AN INNOVATION DISTRICT?
  • An “innovation district” is a geographically defined area where leading research-oriented anchor companies and institutions connect with startups, incubators, and accelerators. This type of district integrates the innovation and growth potential of businesses in a vibrant urban environment with business, housing, and commercial opportunities.
  • The district is physically compact, easily accessible, and has good infrastructure. Broadly, an innovation district builds on the core values of the city: proximity, density, authenticity, and a vibrant urban space.
    Source: Brookings Institution