The 8 principles that will mark the innovation of this decad
These are the principles that, according to the WEF, should guide any innovation ecosystem. At PQNO?, we reinterpreted them to make them practical:
1. Collaborative
If there are no real connections between university, business, administration, and community, there is no innovation.
2. Sustainable
Innovating without positive environmental impact is no longer an option. Circular design and clean energy will be basic standards.
3. Resilient
Ecosystems must withstand crises, technological changes, and economic shocks. The key lies in the diversity of actors and models.
4. People-Centric
Innovation serves to improve lives, not to increase metrics. Well-being, accessibility, and proximity matter.
5. Efficient
Agile processes, clear governance, and less bureaucracy. Efficiency is the foundation for the ecosystem to be able to scale.
6. Transparent
Open data, honest communication, and shared decisions. Without transparency, there is no trust.
7. Accessible
Innovation for all: emerging entrepreneurs, cooperatives, SMEs, rural communities, diverse talent.
8. Scalable
Pilots and ideas must be able to grow… and the impact must as well.
Key recommendations for designing an ecosystem that works (PQNO version?)
These are the points that, based on our experience in innovation and transfer, we consider essential to transform a territory or institution based on these principles:
1. Don’t copy external models. Adapt.
Every territory needs its own design: governance, culture, needs, and capabilities. Replicating Silicon Valley has never worked.
2. Identify where innovation is already happening (even if you don’t call it that).
Rural communities, agricultural cooperatives, technical universities, early-stage startups, traditional industries… Real innovation is not elitist, it is distributed.
3. Build collaborative, not hierarchical, governance.
Innovation emerges when:
- the university provides knowledge,
- the company applies it,
- the administration regulates and facilitates,
- the community gives legitimacy. If one is missing, the model weakens.
4. Invest in digital infrastructure and in human infrastructure.
5G, IoT, and open data are useless without connected people, activation programs, and spaces for interaction.
5. Design spaces that generate life, not just beautiful buildings.
Innovation districts work when:
- there is a mix of uses,
- extended-hour activity,
- affordable housing,
- culture,
- spaces for meeting. Innovation also happens over coffee.
6. Combine public and private funding without losing the purpose.
The key lies in hybrid models that allow for stability, social focus, and a long-term vision.
7. Measure the impact beyond the economic ROI.
Also evaluate:
- environmental impact,
- well-being,
- retained talent,
- connection with the territory,
- real knowledge transfer.
8. Ensure that innovation reduces inequalities, not increases them.
A successful ecosystem redistributes opportunities and strengthens local pride.
The idea that summarizes everything
Innovation districts are not spaces. They are communities capable of designing the future.
And every territory—from a large capital to an agricultural valley—can become an innovative ecosystem if it applies these principles with purpose and coherence.
