Knowledge-based innovation and the city: The case of Belgrade

Abstract

The critical role of research in overall progress generates a pressing need to study the relationship between a city and knowledge-based innovation. A number of socio-economic and political processes influence the development of contemporary cities by defining the beneficial balance between financial ambitions, environmental awareness and sustainability. Consequently, the role of innovation and knowledge has been emphasized as one of the crucial generators of urban success. The most recent initiatives originating from universities and research establishments stimulate the emergence of new spatial formations and digital upgrading, thus setting up a fertile environment for intellectual exchange and the production and diffusion of knowledge and innovations. This article questions the historical, social and technological implications of research on urban space. The focus is set on the case of Belgrade and the newly proposed project of a university campus with its evaluation based on the latest concepts related to the economy of knowledge. This new type of knowledge-based innovation node is intended to serve as a driver of Belgrade’s inclusion into the global network of innovative cities. However, this initiative is still in the domain of paper-architecture due to financial limitations and a change in development priorities by the new government.