Innovation District
The Oklahoma City Innovation District, founded in 2019, emerged from a Brookings Institution and Project for Public Spaces report highlighting its potential as a hub for innovation and economic growth. It aims to drive collaboration among industries like healthcare, aerospace, and biomanufacturing, fostering new technologies and global competitiveness. Centered around the Oklahoma Health Center and Automobile Alley, the district emphasizes placemaking, partnerships, and inclusive development to address local disparities and attract talent, investment, and national recognition.
In October 2024, local economic developer Jeff Seymour was named as the organization’s new president and CEO. The Innovation District is at a critical juncture, with the MAPS 4-funded Innovation Hall and the related Convergence Development set to open early next year. The organization is also actively supporting a $35 million Build Back Better grant along with state-awarded ARPA funds, all designed to catalyze the region’s innovation assets.
Innovation District founders include:
- Oklahoma City Redevelopment Authority
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
- Presbyterian Health Foundation
- The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
