Digital by Design: Unlocking Innovation in Place-Based Economies

Digital transformation is often talked about in terms of platforms, technologies, or unicorn valuations. But in my experience, its real power emerges when it’s rooted in place — in the culture, infrastructure, and ambition of a city or region. That’s when innovation stops being abstract and starts being lived.

Take Leeds. Ten years ago, the city’s tech scene was vibrant but fragmented. Startups were emerging, investors were curious, and big firms were experimenting. But what it lacked was a focal point — somewhere to bring the ecosystem together, showcase its talent, and project its identity to the world. That spark became the Leeds Digital Festival, which today is the UK’s largest open-platform tech event, with over 220 events and a global footprint.

Innovation with a Local Accent

The lesson from Leeds is that innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It needs context. A city’s economy, universities, civic leadership, and corporate base all shape how ideas take root. In Yorkshire, that meant working with financial services giants, health institutions, and creative industries to build cross-sector momentum. It also meant staying true to the city’s character: collaborative, no-nonsense, and proudly northern.

When we first pitched the Festival, we didn’t design it as a top-down showcase. We designed it as an open platform. Anyone could put on an event, from global brands to early-stage startups. That openness created credibility and energy, because it wasn’t curated by a select few — it was powered by the whole community.

And it worked. Today, Leeds isn’t just a regional hub. It’s part of the national and international conversation on digital innovation, attracting speakers, sponsors, and investors from across the globe.

From Festival to Framework

What’s interesting is how the same principles that made Leeds Digital Festival thrive also apply to other place-based economies. I’ve seen it advising councils, scaling ventures, and working with investors. Success always comes back to three factors:

1. Identity – What makes this place distinctive? What sectors, strengths, or stories set it apart?

2. Infrastructure – What foundations exist (or need to be built) to support innovation — from transport and connectivity to talent pipelines and finance?

3. Inclusion – Who gets to participate? Is innovation something that happens to the community, or with the community?

Ignore any of these, and progress falters. Get them right, and transformation becomes self-sustaining.

Why the MDIS Model Resonates

That’s why I find the MDIS approach so compelling. Clients don’t need another consultant with a slide deck. They need embedded expertise that can convene stakeholders, unblock barriers, and create traction. In practice, that means rolling up sleeves in council meetings, investor briefings, and founder workshops — and translating strategy into something that can be delivered on the ground.

As an MDIS Associate, I’m able to plug into projects at the point they most need momentum. That might mean helping a local authority turn its digital strategy into investable propositions, or supporting a startup ecosystem to scale beyond its home market. The interim model gives flexibility: clients get senior experience when they need it most, without overheads or delay.

Final Reflections

I believe the future of digital isn’t just about big tech firms or centralised hubs. It’s about distributed innovation, where places like Leeds, Manchester, or Newcastle can create their own digital identities and economies. That’s healthier for the UK and more resilient for the businesses within it.

When innovation is designed into a place — its policies, its partnerships, its events, its mindset — it sticks. It creates pride as well as productivity, culture as well as commerce. And that’s the kind of transformation that lasts.

About Stuart Clarke

Stuart Clarke MBE is the founder of Leeds Digital Festival, non-executive director, and advisor to scale-ups and civic bodies. With over 30 years’ experience spanning marketing, strategy, and ecosystem building, he has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading advocates for digital growth. Through MDIS, he helps organisations and regions unlock innovation by combining digital fluency with convening power and practical delivery.