Source: Jon Talton, Seattle Times, October 19, 2011.
Seattle is the fourth most innovative city in America, according to a new report from the research firm 2ThinkNow. The group looked at patent filings, cultural assets such as “music, sports, languages, and includes practical measurement of sports stadiums, art galleries, museums, walkability, and bicycle friendly neighborhoods,” as well as universities and R&D that promote human infrastructure. The study examined 331 cities worldwide.
Seattle comes in 25th globally.
Boston ranks No. 1 in the United States and world, followed by the Bay Area. Summarizing, 24/7 Wall Street writes:
Size is often a determining factor for a major city to become a nexus of innovation. Cities with the largest populations have an easier time creating new ideas simply because they have more people. However, some cities, including Seattle, manage to overcome their smaller size by having a high level of innovation-generating infrastructure. The Seattle metropolitan area is just the 13th largest in the U.S., yet it is the fourth most innovative in the country. More than 4,000 patents originated in Seattle last year — 6th most in the country — thanks to the presence of major tech-heavy companies like Microsoft, Boeing, and Amazon.com.
Lists are popular but can be misleading, but this hits it right: Seattle punches above its weight in the global economy, including all-important innovation. It’s nothing to take for granted. Other places want our assets. In this time of disruption, we’ll have to work even harder to keep the region competitive.