This global gathering, one of the most influential events in smart city development, focuses on innovative, data-driven solutions to contemporary urban challenges. Bringing together over 25,000 attendees from across the globe, SCEWC serves as a nexus for city leaders, policymakers, and organisations aiming to shape future cities with ethical, sustainable solutions. Our presence there was an opportunity to emphasise QCAP’s commitment to inclusive innovation within Belfast and gather valuable insights for advancing our Education, Skills, and Inclusive Innovation programme.

 

Innovation City Belfast

As a key partner in Innovation City Belfast, Queen’s University works alongside organisations such as Belfast City Council, local industry, and other academic institutions. ICB aims to maximise the impact of the Belfast Region City Deal’s investments, which include five university-led innovation centres and the £120 million Innovation Challenge Fund, encouraging mission-driven collaboration across sectors. At the Congress, ICB, led by Belfast’s new Innovation Commissioner, focused on advancing inclusive innovation, alongside other priorities such as attracting investment, enhancing digital infrastructure, strengthening public-private collaboration, and aligning urban development with community needs, positioning Belfast as a leader in sustainable, inclusive growth.

ICB was positioned within the UK Pavilion, coordinated by Connected Places Catapult, alongside representatives from cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, and London. This setup facilitated valuable exchanges on inclusive approaches and practical challenges with integrating community voices into urban innovation. Insights from other cities reinforced that inclusive innovation is context-specific and not just about technology, but about ensuring that local communities have a voice in shaping their environments.

Why Inclusive Innovation Matters

For the past three years, QCAP has been developing an inclusive innovation model that positions communities at the heart of urban development in Belfast, giving residents a key role in shaping decisions. Unlike traditional, top-down models that often exclude community voices, QCAP’s approach prioritises resident agency, ensuring that local people influence the direction of urban innovation. As cities increasingly rely on data to understand and manage social and economic dynamics, data-driven solutions hold great potential but often overlook meaningful engagement with underserved communities. QCAP addresses this gap by developing counter-infrastructures like community research networks and supporting community science programmes that support residents with the data skills needed for advocacy and informed decision-making. These initiatives enable ethical data use and empower communities to draw on their own knowledge to shape their futures.

Attending the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) allowed QCAP and ICB to explore globally informed approaches to inclusive innovation that resonate within the Belfast context. For Belfast, this means building an innovation ecosystem where community voices are integral, combining local knowledge with the research and innovation sector to co-create sustainable, impactful solutions that drive societal change. By advancing this work, we aim to ensure that innovation in Belfast not only promotes economic growth but also addresses pressing social needs, improving quality of life and opportunities for all residents. We look forward to continuing our work with ICB and other partners to make this vision a reality.