Is Raleigh doing enough to support innovation? City managers want to know

RALEIGH – As the City of Raleigh gets ready to launch its new Office of Strategy and Innovation, it wants to know if it’s doing enough to support innovation in the region.

And it’s partnered with Innovate Raleigh to find out.

This Friday, as part of Innovate Raleigh’s 10-year anniversary celebrations, city officials will hold a “roundtable-style” discussion inside the Raleigh Convention Center.

The agenda: what the community feels about past initiatives, and what they envision going forward.

“We want to take an intentional and inclusive approach,” assistant city manager Evan Raleigh told TechWire. “The roundtable will provide a collaborative space for participants to ideate and discuss their big ideas and visions for Raleigh’s future in this space.”

The City launched an online Innovation survey in September – the same month it announced plans for its new Office of Strategy and Innovation that is expected to launch early next year.

It’s currently hiring a leader for that office, one of two hires anticipated to occur during the fiscal year, according to the approved budget.

“The survey and the roundtable are the just the first steps in gaining input from the community on how they would define innovation, and how they feel the City can best support and encourage innovation in the region,” Raleigh said. “The new office will be encouraged to learn from the input received and continue conversations with the broader community as we develop a vision for the Office of Strategy and Innovation.”

The online survey closed on Oct. 22, but Raleigh said the City is still accepting responses.

“Overall, survey results indicate there is optimism and excitement around innovation, mixed with a strong appetite for the City to do more intentional and inclusive work in this space,” Raleigh said. “These ideas will be explored further.”

The Summit will also feature remarks from Innovate Raleigh founders, City of Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and Dr. Terri Lomax, former Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development at NC State University.

Upcoming Innovate Raleigh Summit focuses on ‘Then, Now, Next’