Liverpool crowned global ‘City of Innovation’
The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has chosen Liverpool as a winner of its inaugural ‘City of Innovation’ award.
The city was selected from a shortlist of 15 finalists from around the world.
WIPO has named Liverpool as the first ever ‘City of Innovation’, alongside Shanghai (China) and Charleroi (Belgium), having impressed the 9-strong international, independent jury with its bold, inclusive vision of ‘innovating for tomorrow’.
Led by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, supported by Liverpool City Council and Sci-Tech Daresbury, Liverpool’s winning ‘City of Innovation’ bid pledged to scale up activities to unlock the creative and growth potential of its diverse communities and business base, to further transform the entire city region.
This unprecedented global award comes less than a year after Liverpool was named as European Capital of Innovation runner-up and builds on the City Region’s pioneering role at the forefront of UK place-based innovation policy and practice.
This in turn is based on a long track record of maximising world-leading capabilities and other distinctive science, technology, people, and place assets to solve societal challenges and drive economic growth.
As winners, Liverpool will receive enhanced worldwide recognition as an exceptionally collaborative, trailblazing, innovation-driven city region, alongside the opportunity to further expand its network with global innovation policymakers and the international intellectual property (IP) community.
The city will also be granted an official, commemorative WIPO ‘City of Innovation’ plaque and specially crafted trophy.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“I’ve long said that we’re the UK’s innovation capital, and now we’ve got a global award to back it up.
“This award genuinely puts us on the world stage. It recognises what many of us have known for a long time: there’s something special happening here, with world-class science, brilliant businesses and people who aren’t afraid to do things differently.
“But we’re not doing all this so we can pick up a trophy and put it on a shelf. It’s about what innovation can do for the lives of ordinary people, creating good, high-value jobs, bringing investment into our communities and finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face.
“We’ve got the talent in spades, and we’ve got the ideas and ambition to go even further. This award gives us a fantastic platform to build on that, and we’re determined to make the most of it.”
Liverpool’s impressive commitment to innovation was also recognised by the United Nations in 2024, when it was named the world’s first ‘Accelerator City’ for climate action, under the UN Climate Change’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action programme.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council and Cabinet Member for Public Service Innovation, added:
“Having been a finalist in the European Capital of Innovation awards last year, I am delighted that Liverpool has continued to strive for excellence winning this new, globally renowned City of Innovation title today.
“I look forward to working with city region stakeholders in the coming months to deliver the standout pledges included within our winning bid, which will set the tone for future Cities of Innovation to strive towards.”
The result was announced at an awards ceremony held today (12th October) at WIPO’s headquarters in Geneva, on the margins of the Sixth meeting of the UN Forum of Mayors.
Accepting the award on behalf of Liverpool was Cllr Graham Morgan, Deputy Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and Leader of Knowsley Council.
Alongside the UN Forum of Mayors, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the University of Liverpool also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of intellectual property education.
The MoU paves the way for a new and innovative LL.M. in IP, Innovation and Sustainable Creative Industries, the first joint master’s programme between WIPO and a UK university.
Colin Sinclair, Chair of Invest Liverpool City Region Partnership Taskforce and KQ Liverpool, said:
“Being named as the first WIPO City of Innovation is testament to the collaborative efforts of our quadruple helix partnerships across the Liverpool City Region, who are using inclusive innovation mechanisms to democratise R&D, and ensure genuine co-creation with direct, hyper-local benefits.
“Coupled with the new MOU, winning this award will now accelerate Liverpool’s actions, by galvanising investors, innovators, government, academia, health bodies and communities to focus concerted efforts on invention and commercialisation – improving lives and driving growth for local and global good.”
