How emerging cities are taking on global innovation hubs

Besides strong government policy, the “emerging innovators” also have the advantage of availability and affordability of office space.

According to JLL, the nine cities have the largest office development pipeline this year and next, exceeding development plans in other, more established innovation hubs. Office rents are also significantly lower in cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad, as compared to Tokyo, London, or Hong Kong.

“The emerging innovators have plenty of potential to take on established cities with their favorable conditions for business leaders concerned with affordability, but they are still at a nascent stage in terms of building up a substantial talent pool, which is crucial for attracting companies and investors,” says Hodgson.