Limerick selected to join new International City Innovation Training Program Cohort

Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation – Mayor of Limerick Daniel Butler meeting with Bloomberg Representatives in New York. (L-R) Pat Fitzgerald, Limerick City and County Council; Roland Persaud, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mayor Daniel Butler and Victoria Cerullo, Chief of Staff, Government Innovations, Bloomberg.

New Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation programme to support innovation in 13 cities in five countries across the globe

Limerick City and County Council has been selected as one of 13 international cities to participate on the prestigious Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University’s 2022 Innovation Training program.

The program will provide consulting, training, and networking to address a key issue facing its residents.

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

The training, delivered in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact, is entering its fourth year of programming and has helped bring to life solutions such as an on-demand bus system in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and a Renter’s Bill of Rights in Albany, New York.

The core team of staff comprising of architects, engineers, planners and experts in Business Improvement from across the Council will focus on how innovation can tackle vacancy in Limerick city centre.

The no-cost, year-long programme will aid the innovation team at work in addressing the vacancy issue through:

• Innovation Curriculum Instruction: The city will enroll in a state-of-the-art innovation curriculum that teaches the public innovation approach through case studies, lectures, and hands-on experience and sharing.
• Dedicated Design Coaching: A core team of up to 12 city employees will work with a coach to apply the innovation approach to their chosen problem.
• Relationship Building: City staff will connect with a deep network of support made up of cities with successful innovation programs across the globe.

Welcoming the announcement, Mayor of Limerick City and County Council Daniel Butler said, “It is a great honour for Limerick Council to be selected by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation to be part of this year’s cohort.”

“It is an important opportunity for our staff to learn from some of the world’s greatest innovators and leaders so they can come up with real-world solutions and actions to tackle the issue of vacancy.”

“This issue is a priority for the Council on both the business and residential front and is one that is being faced by cities across the world, as the idea of what a city centre should be is being redefined.”

Amanda Dalfos, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University said: “From combating COVID-19 to increasing affordable housing, we know that innovation methods make an enormous difference in the ability of mayors, city leaders, and their staff to better serve residents,”

“We are so excited to launch this next round of Innovation Training in key, diverse cities and at a time when there’s a clear opportunity to develop and share solutions to help others across the globe.”

Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council said: “Innovation is a key component of how we do business in Limerick. We want to be at the leading edge when it comes to providing services to the citizens and businesses across Limerick and to provide practical solutions to issues that we are encountering daily.”

“The team assembled in Limerick for the 2022 Innovation Training program are being given a huge opportunity to learn from others so that issues can be addressed at home.”

“We are delighted to be part of the cohort selected by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. Limerick can only benefit from this association.”

Paige Cadigan, Director at the Centre for Public Impact added: “Innovation and creativity in local government has never been more critical than right now, as we enter the third year of a global pandemic. Innovation Training is a unique opportunity to convene a cohort of cities dedicated to learning to innovate differently by listening to and collaborating directly with their communities. At CPI, we are thrilled to welcome Limerick to the 2022 cohort.”

The 13 cities selected that will receive comprehensive support are:

·         Birmingham, Alabama, USA

·         Bloomington, Indiana, USA

·         Calgary, Canada

·         Charleston, South Carolina, USA

·         Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

·         Dublin, Ireland

·         Fortaleza, Brazil

·         Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

·         Limerick, Ireland

·         Maceió, Brazil

·         Orlando, Florida, USA

·         Pueblo, Colorado, USA

·         Warsaw, Poland

The 2022 Innovation Training will help the 13 cities adopt design-based innovation techniques that engage residents in testing, adapting, and scaling creative ideas with lasting impact. The training is presented by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, delivered in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact.

Limerick City and County Council has put together a cross-directorate team comprising architects, planners, business improvement innovators and engineers to focus to how to use innovation to tackle the issue of vacancy in Limerick city centre.

The hope is that the real-world applications in Limerick can benefit other cities around the world who are facing the same or similar issues.

About Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins

The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University works to advance public sector innovation across the globe by marrying cutting-edge practice with world-class research to transform the culture of government, deliver exceptional results for residents, and inspire trust in public service. Launched in 2021, the Center is home to programs like the Innovation Teams, Bloomberg Cities Network and Cities of Service that help advance the public sector globally.

To learn more about Bloomberg Center, go HERE

For more business stories, go HERE