When size does not matter: Innovation attractiveness factors of medium-sized cities

Abstract

This paper investigates the key features of modern innovative medium-sized cities. The study sample consists of 23 cities with the highest concentration of global high tech corporations, unicorn companies, leading universities, and highly cited researchers among all OECD countries. The distinctive features of cities were identified by comparing the average values of their indicators of well-being, openness to talent, transport accessibility, education coverage, knowledge and technology development, digital infrastructure and ecology with similar indicators of the countries where they are located. It has been revealed that cities with the greatest concentration of science and technology leaders are characterized by a high level of well-being; openness to talent and significant concentration of students, including international ones; preferential location near large agglomerations; developed digital infrastructure providing high Internet speed. This study offers new insight on possible trajectories for further development of Russian science cities and other territories with high scientific and technological potential in the context of foreign experience. Unlike foreign ones, Russian science cities concentrate a small proportion of local and foreign students, and their digital infrastructure is much less developed.