The best: Melbourne, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Cape Town, Vancouver, Berlin, Singapore, Houston, Chicago, Dubai

Proving that innovation knows no boundaries, six BestCities partners feature on Business Insider’s 2014 list of the ‘18 Most Innovative Cities in the World’ and all eleven partners are represented in the 2014 ‘Innovation Cities Index’ released by 2thinknow in Melbourne, Australia.

“Innovation can be defined as ‘finding a better way of doing something’ which as the world’s first convention bureau alliance, BestCities Global Alliance has been doing for more than a decade, delivering the best professional practices and service to the meetings industry,” said Karen Bolinger, BestCities Board Chair and CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau.

“Each BestCities destination demonstrates high standards of creativity and innovation across a broad range of traits and industries making them all worthy beneficiaries of the recognition bestowed by both organisations,” Ms Bolinger said.

Using a range of metrics from patents per capita to skyscraper height, Business Insider has captured how modern metropolises are pushing the limits of industry, design, and urban planning, while rethinking the way people live and work. Amongst their list of 18, the following six BestCities partners were featured:

“Singapore has the best infrastructure in the world, including an airport complete with a butterfly garden, rooftop pool, movie theatres, hotels, spas, showers, and even a four-story slide. Copenhagen, boasts some of the most efficient nationalized healthcare on Earth, with both maternity and paternity leave. Cape Town makes it easy to get off fossil fuels, by making solar water heaters available to citizens. Vancouver has set a mission to become the greenest city in the world by 2020, which has already led to a 20% decrease in water consumption. Plus, 41% of people walk or bike to get around. Dubai features strikingly innovative architecture, like the 160-story-tall Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on earth.”

Regional Affiliate Member Tokyo also made it onto the list for launching the world’s first cap and trade system in 2010 which now has 1,100 participating facilities.

2thinknow’s 8th Annual Innovation Cities Index (released May 2014)
In the 8th annual Innovation Cities Index released by 2thinknow, all BestCities partners were ranked as innovation economies in what is the world’s largest city classification and global ranking with 445 benchmark cities classified.

Copenhagen (9) was the highest ranked of all BestCities partners with Berlin (13) and Tokyo (15) also placed in the top 20. Chicago (21) and Houston (42) have both climbed in the rankings this year and are considered “cities on the rise.” Vancouver (39) is the third highest placed Canadian city and Dubai (28) remains the “innovative capital of the Gulf.” In Asia and Oceania, both Melbourne (23) and Singapore (27) maintain the strong positions that have seen then both as regional winners. Edinburgh (66) is the highest Scottish city in the index and third in the United Kingdom. Cape Town (128) is the highest placed African city.

2thinknow is the world’s first innovation agency established in Melbourne in 2006. The Innovation Cities Program by 2thinknow commenced in 2007 from 2005 research and their analysts publish the Index every year to measure the potential for innovation in cities, on the economic basis that cities with more innovation will have higher economic output.
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