New campaign taking Cambridge to the world
The new Cambridge Innovation Story campaign is a call to action to attract companies, talent, business and investment to the city and is being told through major gateways in the region to capture the imagination of visitors arriving via London Stansted Airport and rail hubs.
Kathryn Chapman, Executive Director of Innovate Cambridge, said: “The story began with a simple premise: if you know what Cambridge can do and what it can enable, it’s amazing. But if you don’t, it can seem incredibly complicated.
“The innovation story is central to Innovate Cambridge’s strategy to realise our shared ambition for the future; to attract the eyes of the world we need a clear and unified message. What we have created is something that belongs to everyone and can be used by everyone. It’s about people, community and the benefits that a thriving innovation ecosystem can bring.”
The spotlight is already firmly on Cambridge from a UK-wide perspective. On Tuesday, WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2025 ranked Cambridge as the most intensive science and technological cluster in Europe, and second in the world.
This week has seen a large number of national and international visitors to Cambridge, with a host of conferences, activities and events taking place. Cambridge Tech Week is now in its third year. BioCentury Grand Rounds makes its European debut in Cambridge, a demonstration of confidence in the UK biotech sector. With over 1,800 attendees from over 30 countries between these conferences, it’s an ideal opportunity to showcase what Cambridge can do.
And, of course, Business Weekly celebrated its 35th Anniversary Awards this week with international visitors among a record corporate attendance, backed by the likes of Arm, AstraZeneca, the University's Judge Business School, PwC, Barclays and other significant players.
Now the new and wide-reaching campaign, the innovation story, is being shared across the city and major transport hubs including London rail terminals and Stansted Airport. Travellers and visitors are being welcomed with striking visuals of blue skies and bold messaging about the capabilities and strengths of the Cambridge ecosystem. It is the first time that a unified campaign of this scale has been launched to highlight Cambridge innovation.
Kathryn Chapman said: “The Cambridge Innovation Story is a testament to the city's commitment to innovation and its collaborative vision to make Cambridge the best place globally for groundbreaking discoveries and world-changing businesses. With this shared narrative, we can show and tell the world that Cambridge is one of the most fertile places on earth for scaling businesses.
“We are opening the door wide this week and beyond to international partnerships, talent, business and investment. This is a call to action to find out more about our brilliant ecosystem and find a ‘home’ in Cambridge. We’ve turned up the volume this week and will continue to tell the Cambridge story through companies, individuals, and research with global impact.”
The word about Cambridge is getting out. The 2025 Innovate Cambridge Summit on 23 October was fully booked in record time, with over 500 innovation leaders due to attend and hear about progress in the last year. Social media feeds are being lit up with photos of the Innovation Story campaign.
Chapman said: “The interest and energy in this campaign has been fantastic. We are grateful to have the support of a fantastic group of partners, sponsors and collaborators who have help to shape and amplify this story and help us to turn the eyes of the world to this remarkable ecosystem.”
For more visit www.innovatecambridge.com