The Innovation Cities™ Gazette analyst update to your inbox was launched in 2022.

The Innovation Cities™ Index 2022-2023 city ranking was published after a delay.

Exciting new innovation areas to come. Including the correlation between higher innovation rank and higher GDP per capita.

Covid-19! After a start with a year of rapid growth, then everything changed. And not just for us. For most of you, too. An early start was emailling almost ever government a data analysis explaining that Covid-19 spread fastest in large households. (And not so much in inner-cities.)

We commenced our first virtual innovation project in Africa!

The Innovation Cities™ Index 2021 was published incorporating the latest Covid-19 data. With dramatic results!

After a transition to relocation, and a more virtual workforce, we commenced our research again. This time into economic development and recovery post covid-19. Thus, new things await in 2022 from new 'to be announced' city innovation areas.

In 2019, 2ThinkNow were super honored. We were invited to present our research & development results on cities innovation eco-systems. Both the OECD in Paris and United Nations in Geneva. We also provided analysis to two of the world's oldest and most respected top cities. And a massively successful Dubai training, with delegates over the moon.

Our Data Science research & development now complete (well for now!). Hypothesis proven (mostly) and brand new ways to use data to measure innovation now possible. We had Index publicity featuring press releases by the Victorian government, Governor of Tokyo, and mentions in many global newspapers of record.

In this year, 2ThinkNow had massive Index publicity with tweets by Mayor of Chicago (Rahm Emanuel) and other Mayors for cities like DFW, and major US media pickup.

At the invitation of the Australian government, 2ThinkNow did a last minute 3 month tour at Betahaus Berlin and speaking at Investors Day on Cities, attended Barcelona Smart Cities Congress  and connected at Germany Smart Country. All as a result of Australian Landing Pad in Berlin (Australian government incubator). We ALMOST made it into Techstars (but just missed out), and powered on!

Over 10,000 Media Articles reached (August 2017) in every major language. More major well known customers for data analytics and solved problems from locating stores, to selling soup to electric vehicles. We are well into the second heavy R&D phase here to establish the data science, heuristics, AI, machine learning and algorithms we need for future growth. Overcome some challenges.

Learning to be Data-Centric (& trying to convince others about cities)

Over 5000 media articles reached and clients including Samsung, Ogilvy, Ernst & Young, United Arab Emirates, BCG, city governments and global organization. 2ThinkNow pivoted to new data analytics products based on customer requests for difficult to finish data research to solve business problems. Included some amazing training trips to UAE, USA, Asia and Europe (our favourite - speaking about urban innovation capitalism in the Communist chamber of deputies!) Moved offices 3 times (although headcount stable) and proved aspects of business model. The Innovation Cities™ Indexes becomes largest city classification and global ranking with 500 benchmark cities classified, and all cities ranked.

Research applied as 2ThinkNow Innovation Cities™ Index expanded to 445 cities starting in in 2012 (289 in 2011). New quantitative data skills developed over this time. Index received more major media coverage. First large tech project for major corporation in 2012. First major success of our R&D. City Benchmarking Data™ now has first major export sales. Product offering for cities expanded with second version of city packages for data. The Innovation Course™ launched & delivered internationally starting with training in Malaysia & abroad.

The daunting task of starting data gathering (now the product City Benchmarking Data™) process for 256+ cities on 162 indicators was expanded into its 1st qualitative stage at this time. The first full Innovation Cities™ Analysis Report edition was published, and a 2008 Europe tour was completed for further testing of ideas. We pivoted from city surveys (too slow) to data analytical techniques. We complete the first major "hard work" R&D phase with data and programming tools on a shoestring, and with absolutely no budget. Starting regular major media coverage.

'Born Global' Launch (while foreseeing the GFC 2008 crisis)

2ThinkNow exited stealth and was spunoff with the first Innovation Cities™ Index launched in Boston, USA and then Vienna in April/May 2007. First major edition of the Global Innovation Review (now Innovation Cities™ Analysis Report) with analysis and accurate predictions, was published upon return to Melbourne.

As a prelude to building city data models, there were more 2006 tours of USA & Europe. Initial research results were tested on our groups’ Australian data clients. 2ThinkNow trademark & name were registered in August 2006 for R&D.

2ThinkNow - First research (oh and those juicy FF miles)

Our Director, Christopher Hire went on the first research tour of Europe in 2005. The aim was to compare 500 years of historical innovation in European cities (long clear history). This trip was after some personal life challenges and starting a MBA program (including a module in Micro-economics). The idea of city innovation originated in his micro-economics lectures and as reaction against the 'servant-slave' model of city gentrification (and service economy) then being promoted. The first test hypothesis for data models were scrawled on hotel note pads!

The establishment of 2thinknow’s predecessor Simple Group. A tech company in Sydney & Melbourne which sold and performed data analysis, programming and data visualization services solving problems for all major Australian corporations and government including IAG (NRMA), CommBank, ANZ, LendLease, Victorian Government, NSW Government and Australia Federal Government.