# Innovation Intensity

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<summary>Definition</summary>

Innovation Intensity measures the proportion of innovative employment within a region’s total population. High levels of innovation intensity, typically 20-30%, indicate a strong focus on knowledge-driven industries, with innovation districts requiring 35-40% to unlock multiplying effects. This metric highlights the workforce’s engagement in activities such as R\&D, technology transfer, and advanced production, serving as a critical indicator of a region’s innovation capacity.&#x20;

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<summary>Navigation</summary>

Innovation Intensity is presented as a heatmap showing the share of innovative employment across neighborhoods:

* Blue areas represent high intensity, with a large proportion of the workforce in knowledge-intensive roles.
* Red areas indicate low innovation intensity and a weaker innovation-oriented labor base.
* Clicking on a location reveals its Innovation Intensity Score as a percentage.
* Sidebar visualizations show how each area’s intensity compares to others in the city.

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<summary>Methodology</summary>

This indicator is based on the share of employees working in businesses classified as innovation-intensive. These include firms engaged in research, technology transfer, and advanced production.

For each spatial unit (e.g. block or neighborhood):

* Identify all businesses located in the area
* Filter for knowledge-intensive businesses using Aretian’s innovation classification
* Sum the number of employees at these firms
* Divide by the total number of employees in the area to calculate the share of innovation employment

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<summary>Calculation</summary>

For each building group g:

$$\alpha\_{\text{int}}(g) = \frac{ \sum\_{i=1}^{n} (\beta\_i \cdot \kappa\_i) \cdot 100 }{ \sum\_{i=1}^{n} \beta\_i }$$<br>

Where:

* $$\alpha\_{int}(g)$$= Innovation Intensity
* $$i\in\[1,n]$$= domain of values describing each geo-located business in the U.S.
* $$\beta\_{i}$$= Number of employees working in the business location (i)
* $$g\in\[1,m]$$= domain of values describing each building group
* $$\delta\_g$$= Number of residents within a building group (g)

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<summary>Interpretation</summary>

* Higher Innovation Intensity scores indicate a strong innovation workforce and capacity for sustained knowledge-based development.
* Mid-range scores suggest potential for innovation growth, especially with targeted support.
* Low scores may reflect a dominance of traditional sectors or a lack of innovation infrastructure.

This KPI is especially useful when evaluating innovation districts or monitoring workforce development strategies.

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