This Beautiful City ... Confidence, Support, Resilience, Money and Balance

Some cities in the UK took a major knock with the result of the EU referendum (and are still feeling it), and it tended to be the ones who were thriving with innovation and enterprise. They were the ones who had seen the full benefits of operating within an international market, and who had attracted some of the smartest people from around the world.

Within #Cambridge, we have an ecosystem which gears its universities with industry, and where the two work together to drive forward innovation. It has a ready supply of graduates and ideas, and which are fundamental parts of a modern tech-driven economy. And, in #London, we have seen innovation thrive, and a place which has few rivals in its approach to supporting new businesses. My respect in London has increased over the years, and in the way it supports new ideas and has a supportive infrastructure to make sure they happen. There's a gutsiness about London that seems to favour up-and-coming companies and new ideas over larger ones and for existing ways of thinking.

And so I see my own city of #Edinburgh as a place which aims to take its place as providing one of the best environments for start-up companies on a world-stage, especially in technology. It has the great advantage of having four universities on its doorstep, and has an eager supply of graduates who have loved their time here and who want to stay and make the city their home. It is a place where you ask someone if they want to get a taxi to the station, and they often say, "No. I'll just walk."

And so, in research by iZettle, a fintech company, overall, Scotland has been ranked as the best place in the UK to create a start-up business. Overall they define five key factors (and I can only really comment on living and working in Edinburgh, but most of these comments relate to other places in Scotland, too):

• Confidence. The report outlines that a “warrior spirit” is a key trait to thrive as a small business. For this Edinburgh continues to showcase that it has the right approach to supporting innovation, and was recently awarded the best city in the UK to launch a start-up. There are homes being built all over Edinburgh, and "Sold" stickers appear on house sales within days of them going on the market. This is a gutsy little city, which just wants to get on with things and push to the side the difficult hand that it is being dealt by others.
• Support. You name it, and, if you're a start-up, there are people here to support it. The innovation centres are built around pushing forward collaborations between SMEs and academia, and also in bridging the gap into other sectors. It's also a support pipeline that can take companies through the main stages of their growth, from innovation vouchers from Interface Online, to large-scale funding for innovation from Scottish Enterprise. Over the years the silo'ed approach to innovation has been broken down, with innovation centres working together on collaborative work.
• Resilience. With a backbone in Edinburgh built around life sciences, the finance sector and education, there's a core infrastructure which can see itself through difficult times. Smart people are also resilient and can find ways to do things that cope with difficulties. While the EU vote has not given cities such as Edinburgh, Cambridge and London a good deal, there's a feeling that these cities are resilient enough to cope with changes, and it is these cities which will continue to drive innovation and enterprise forward. The places which are resilient will cope best with future disruption.
• Money. A bright star in the sky is Codebase. Under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, we had three spin-out companies there, but one (Zonefox) has now outgrown it, and now places itself in some of the nicest office space in Edinburgh. This shows an ecosystem where companies can grow within a supportive environment, and, when ready, move onto the next level. One of the best quotes I've ever seen about the tech ecosystem in Edinburgh was ... "Rich people, geeks and a city they both want to live in" [here]. I smile every time I read that quote, and as a "geek", I appreciate the opportunities that the city provides in funding innovation and enterprise.
• Balance. For a work-life balance, there are few better cities in the world than Edinburgh. With most things that your family would ever want, often within walking distance, it is a great place to bring up your kids - and a vibrant city needs to attract families for its future. It's tolerant, cultured, safe, beautiful ... and welcomes those from around the world with open-arms. In fact, to showcase its desire to create good work/life balances, our of 73 green flag parks in Scotland, 30 of them are in Edinburgh. If you have ever walked through the Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh on a beautiful day, you will respect the importance of having green spaces to contemplate your next great idea. In fact, the Gardens are just a stones throw from Dell SecureWorks, who have grown a key international base from a Security Operation Centre on Princess Street.

I receive job offers from universities around the world, but there's nothing really that can beat Edinburgh. It has provided me with everything I could ever want in my academic career, and I see it growing in spirit and confidence - built on its ability to attract and keep smart people. It has supported our successful spin-out companies without ever blinking an eye, and we hope to have several more along the way.

Just now it's a place where collaborations thrive, and there's a steely determination to succeed on a world-stage. As with any city, there are issues it must address, but these can only happen through economic development, and in overcoming the risks that the UK currently faces.

Virtually everywhere you look in the city there are new homes being built, and it is this confidence in itself and its citizens, and not necessarily national governments, that will see the city through, and pay back those whose drive within social change and fairness, alongside science and commerce, built this great city - my home!