Internationalisation

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Internationalisation
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OPENCities Internationalisation Key Questions

• What do we mean by city internationalisation? Why
  do cities seek to become more international?
• What is the role of population internationalisatio
  n in the process of becoming an international
  city?
• What are the promising practices that cities are
  developing, and how do they work?

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Drivers for Internationalisation Globalisation

• Intensifying globalisation interconnection
  new urban policy challenges
• Nearly all sectors heavily contested through
  international competition
• Improved human mobility - cities subject to
  dynamic population changes and immigration flows
• Increasing trends towards an inter-governmental
  approach to managing important policy issues
• Specialisation within sophisticated global value
  chains
• Seamless global connectivity
• Attractive business environment
• Internationally appealing quality of life
• Retention and expansion of internationally
  oriented traders/investors

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Internationalisation Target Groups

• INTERNATIONAL TALENT
• Corporate Employees
• Students
• Research and Development
• OECD Global War for Talent

All aspiring international cities must now see
talent retention and attraction as vital to their
internationalisation efforts, whether through
direct incentives, immigration assistance, social
and cultural support, or public-private
investment in research
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How do cities look to internationalise?

• Large cities - highly active and engaged, aim to
  host a critical mass of activity, and make
  international-facing orientation intrinsic to
  policy-making mosaic. (e.g. Sao Paulo, Mumbai and
  Istanbul)
• Smaller cities look for distinctive cultural
  niche or economic specialisation based on
  established reputations with inherent
  international implications. (e.g. Zurich,
  Edinburgh and Boston)
• Secondary cities aim to escape constraints of
  national urban system by attracting investment,
  events and people internationally. (e.g.
  Manchester, Barcelona, Cape Town and Toronto)
• Historical cities look to re-configure
  international positioning, based on an indelible
  legacy of seeking an international role (e.g.
  Amsterdam, Venice)

Requirements for Internationalisation

• Organisational and fiscal capabilities
• Identifiable match between economic/social assets
  and international demand
• Strong, historically well-developed fields that
  can generate the critical mass in other milieus
  (economic, social and cultural)
• Can have EXPLICIT (Madrid Global) and IMPLICIT
  strategies (Vienna, cross-cutting approach)

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Internationalisation strategies

• Connectivity
• Develop competent infrastructural and logistics
  platform for international trading activity.
• Expansion of port provision
• Airport connectivity to meet projected demand
• Optimise inter-regional rail/road connectivity

• Cultural amenity
• Attract international-calibre cultural amenities
  to serve local and international residents
• Preferential access for artists and arts and
  culture organisations
• Cultivate a tangible international milieu

• Infrastructure and Land Use
• Improved physical built environment in central
  cities, suburbs and Research Development parks
• Stock of high-quality accommodation to host
  international knowledge workers,
• Comprehensive public transport to improve
  commuting reliability
• Creation of international zones with clusters
  calibrated towards international sectors.

• Identity, Values, Character
• Explicit international branding orientation
• Create set of messages that re-adjust image among
  international target groups
• Aimed at investors, tourists, professional
  foreign talent, international students or
  sector-specific corporations
• Galvanise citizens behind a common vision of
  building a world class city.

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The role of Population Internationalisation

• Formation of international human capital in a
  city is both a cause and effect of the location
  of strong scientific, cultural and quality of
  life amenities.
• International migrants transmit their skillsets
  and knowledge, driving up standards and enabling
  local clusterings
• Integration and co-existence of diverse
  international populations can be a key shaper of
  urban competitive advantage

Diverse, well-educated international population
Emergence of high-quality scientific, cultural
and quality of life provision
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What initiatives can cities take to support
internationalisation ?

• Zoning to encourage the construction high quality
  inner-city housing (Dubai)
• Personal tax incentives - public realm
  improvements coupled with business benefits
  (Zurich)
• Facilitate an international student community -
  promote higher education as a critical asset and
  export. (Melbourne)
• Introduce a team of international branders and
  networkers to create an image of a compelling
  business and Meetings Incentives Conventions
  Exhibitions (MICE) destination. (Miami)
• Explicit global branding strategies (Madrid and
  Amsterdam)

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Madrid

• One of the worlds most comprehensive
  internationalisation strategies, orienting its
  entire economic development strategy around
  global forces.
• Madrids updated 2008-2011 strategy - aims to
  emerge as key gateway city to rapidly developing
  (Spanish Speaking) Latin American markets, become
  the third city in Europe (behind London and
  Paris), and a leading partner with emerging Asian
  cities.

Madrid Global - Strategy and International
Action Office

• An internationalisation bureau, formed in 2007,
  which coordinates municipal diplomacy,
  international projects, and leverages of
  international activities of Madrid-based
  institutions and firms
• Collaborates with key public and private bodies
  to carry out strategic projects to improve
  international perceptions of Madrids competitive
  advantage and real strengths
• Broader objectives to unite all stakeholders
  around international vision, attract global
  events, international institutions and
  international mass media exposure
• EUR 8.5 million budget for 2009
• Example projects
• Houses such as Asian House, Arab House and
  Israel House to spur cultural co-existence
• Madrid Global City 2010 Foundation to prepare and
  manage the citys participation in the 2010
  Shanghai Expo

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Vienna

• Since 1989 and EU enlargement, new geo-political
  and spatio-economic motivations to
  internationalise its business and population
  base.
• Aims to compete with rival cities for gateway
  status - Prague, Berlin and Bratislava high
  availability of well-qualified knowledge workers,
  excellent infrastructure, outstanding quality of
  life, and favourable tax framework.
• Strategy builds upon image as a meeting point of
  East and West promoted through global liaison
  offices.

• Vienna Business Agency (VBA) - drives innovation,
  provides professional consulting and global city
  marketing.

• Examples of internationalisation policies
• Leading integration of Danube economic zone
  institutionalised co-operation of 22 cities in
  areas of tourism marketing strategy, culture and
  infrastructure.
• New Vienna Immigration Commission
  consensus-built organisation arguing in favour of
  soft mechanisms to attract and retain highly
  qualified immigrants.
• Enhanced links with Bratislava - externalised
  several cross-border projects focused on
  sustainable industrial development and transport
  infrastructure

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Campaign for Migrant Entrepreneurs Vienna's
economy speaks all languages (2009)

• Campaign looks to drive a new generation of
  entrepreneurs that are proactive traders,
  internationally minded and multi-lingual. Vienna
  is an incubator of good practical initiatives in
  this area.
• Run by Vienna Chamber of Commerce and the VBA
  280,000 - part-funded by EU

• Exhibition in 10 languages of Success knows no
  boundaries - conveyed through street ads,
  building projections and transport posters.
• Multi-lingual campaign website www.VorteilVielfalt
  .at (advantage diversity)
• Establishment of a dedicated advice and service
  point within VBA, MINGO Migrant Enterprise
  (MINGO Move in and grow)

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Amsterdam

• Looks to preserve its regional strength in
  business services, insurance, advertising, law
  and management consultancy, and fully regain its
  international functions. 2006 strategy
  prioritises (re)placing Amsterdam among the top
  five most popular cities in Europe by 2030.
• Reasserting liberal and cosmopolitan credentials,
  new policies to improve openness to wider range
  of populations and business. Focus on utilising
  untapped potential of emerging markets (esp.
  Indian and Chinese firms)

• 2008 opening of Expat Centre in the citys World
  Trade Centre to provide a one-stop shop for
  arriving high-skilled migrants full support on
  taxes, healthcare, education
• New fund created to support nine large scale
  events such as the Amsterdam India Festival -
  that will raise international profile as a
  creative, innovative trading city

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Lessons for InternationalisationWhat are the
benefits of an explicit internationalisation
strategy?

• Creates a single, coherent framework within which
  all other development policy can be set
• Sends a clear message to all stakeholders about
  the underlying philosophy of the city
  administration in relation to the mega-trends
  associated with globalisation
• Creates an environment of confidence and
  stability whereby stakeholders can act according
  to well-defined long-term goals and pathways.
• Ensures that all aspects of the city
  administration are working towards the same
  long-term targets.
• Helps the city to achieve its full potential and
  enjoy the maximum benefits from a globalising
  world.

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• 10 Most Important Points for Internationalisation
• Base strategy on thorough, all-encompassing prior
  research
• Identify and foster niche specialisations
• Build a strong, stable business environment
• Ensure the plan covers all themes - events,
  firms, institutions and populations
• Engage local stakeholders and formalise
  relationships
• Use mechanisms that ensure mutually beneficial
  interaction with international actors
• Communicate - promote the benefits to the citys
  people and continue to upskill domestically
• Consolidate the city administration to avoid
  duplication and gain visibility
• Plan for the long term - internationalisation
  takes decades
• Monitor, evaluate and improve the plan at regular
  intervals as part of an iterative process

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