Oxford was among the 9 finalists in the The European Commission competition, launched to find the next European Capital of Innovation for 2016. The “city of spires” was shortlisted for its vision to openly share the wealth of knowledge within its world-class innovation ecosystem.
On 8 April 2016, the European Commission awarded the title of European Capital of Innovation (“iCapital”) 2016 to Amsterdam for its holistic vision of innovation related to four areas of urban life: governance, economics, social inclusion, and quality of life.
Amsterdam was chosen by a panel of independent experts in a close competition with eight more finalists. Amsterdam’s € 950 000 first prize will be used to scale up and expand the city’s efforts on innovation. Turin and Paris were selected as runners-up, winning second and third prizes of €100,000 and €50,000 respectively.
Think Oxford’s just dreaming spires and tradition? Think again!