The Work Foundation identifies best UK cities in which to live, work and invest

The UK is on the way to developing a collection of vibrant, sustainable knowledge cities that are driving economic development in their regions, research from The Work Foundation has found.

London and Edinburgh have been identified as Ideopolises ñ cities that have adapted most rapidly to the demands of the knowledge economy ñ with Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Newcastle fast catching up.

Ideopolis ñ Knowledge City-regions is the culmination of a year-long research project involving in depth studies of ten UK and four international cities. It has drawn on existing and original data to identify the nine drivers of economic success at the city-region level.

Key to the success of an Ideopolis is ìknowledge intensityî ñ the number of knowledge industries and knowledge workers within a city and its surrounding region. There is a huge boost to both economic growth and prosperity if 25% of organisations in a city are ìknowledge businessesî.

Alexandra Jones, Ideopolis Project Director at The Work Foundation said:

A small number of cities are at the cutting edge of the knowledge economy and are hugely attractive as places to do business, live and work. Other cities must learn from their success.

The Work Foundationís research gives a framework for cities, businesses, universities and other stakeholders in a region to work together to increase knowledge intensity. It can help cities evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and assess how close they are to becoming an Ideopolis.

A city that is unlikely to be the main driver of economic growth in a region can use the Ideopolis framework to become a Secondary Ideopolis or Knowledge City, working closely with the regionís Ideopolis. Examples of Secondary Ideopolises are Brighton and Cambridge.

Cities that want to become an Ideopolis should use the nine Ideopolis drivers and:

- Focus on their strengths.

- Recognise the need for ìdiverse specialisationî ñ strength in more than one industrial sector while retaining a reputation for excellence in a small number of sectors.

- Concentrate on what makes the city distinctive as a way of attracting knowledge intensive businesses and investment.

- Ensure that social justice objectives are integral to strategies to increase knowledge intensity.

Ideopolis ñ Knowledge City-regions has been sponsored by BT, Manchester City Council, Scottish Enterprise, One NorthEast, the University of Bristol, Arts Council England and Transport for London.

Eamonn Boylan, Deputy Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, said:

Manchester is determined to be at the forefront of the knowledge economy and we welcome this reportís recognition of our success so far. We want to ensure that the cityís residents are well placed to benefit from the many jobs that are created and this research will help inform our continuing efforts to achieve this

Charlie Woods, Senior Director of Strategy at Scottish Enterprise said:

It is encouraging to see Glasgow and Edinburgh clearly established as leading locations for knowledge intensive industries within the UK. This study will prove invaluable in helping us to further understand what the real drivers of growth are within city regions to cement their position further.

Professor Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol said:

The study lends weight to the view that universities are critical to the success of cities and their regions. They are powerful drivers of knowledge-based economic growth - especially when they enjoy strong links with public authorities and private businesses. Bolstering their local economies may not be most universitiesí principal raison díetre, but it is a very significant role that warrants the recognition this study brings.

Chris Pywell, Head of Innovation, Industry and Science at One NorthEast said:

This research has revealed important findings and recommended key policy measures. We are committed to building our Cities to drive our Knowledge Economy agenda, and this report will help us to do so.

Dorothy Smith, Director of Public Policy at BT said:

BT has welcomed the opportunity to engage in such an important research project which has identified that a key characteristic of an Ideopolis is a strong communications infrastructure. With BT investing up to 10bn between now and 2010 to deliver the next generation of communications networks that will allow BT and its customers to make new services available faster than has ever been possible, this will further foster knowledge, innovation and competitiveness within all UK cities.

Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of Arts Council England said:

Our future prosperity will depend on innovation and knowledge - on ideas and creativity. Already, the creative industries are the fastest growing part of our economy, generating more jobs and wealth than ever before. This report is a timely reminder of the challenges we face and will help to point the way to the kind of knowledge rich and creative economy of the future we need.