Plymouth offers new model of how coastal settings can drive place innovation and regeneration, report finds

The report is part of a new national compendium showcasing how cities and universities are rethinking innovation ecosystems for inclusive growth

Aerial view of Plymouth Sound and The Hoe

Plymouth offers new model of how coastal settings can drive place innovation and regeneration, report finds

The report is part of a new national compendium showcasing how cities and universities are rethinking innovation ecosystems for inclusive growth

Mr Alan Williams

Media and Communications Manager

Corporate Communications (Marketing and Communications)

29 April 2026

Coastal cities can drive place-based innovation and regeneration by placing their natural environment at the heart of economic, social and civic development, according to new research.

Led by researchers from the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, the paper explores how the UK’s first National Marine Park is redefining the relationship between city and sea.

Against a backdrop of long-standing challenges facing coastal communities – including economic stagnation, health inequalities and environmental pressures – it proposes a new, integrated model of regeneration.

By connecting environmental restoration, education, cultural engagement and economic development, the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park positions the marine environment not as a backdrop, but as a driver of place-based innovation.

This approach, according to the study’s authors, demonstrates how coastal cities can build more resilient and inclusive economies by aligning natural assets with skills development, community participation and new forms of enterprise.

The study was written by Professor Chris Bennewith, Executive Dean of the University’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business, and Professor Katharine Willis, Director of the Centre for Place, alongside and Elaine Hayes, CEO of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.

Coastal communities have often been treated as peripheral to national growth, yet they face some of the most complex and interconnected challenges. Our work in Plymouth shows that by bringing together environmental, social and economic priorities – starting with the natural assets of the marine environment – we can create new models of innovation that are both locally grounded and nationally relevant.

Professor Chris Bennewith
Executive Dean

The paper – Plymouth Sound National Marine Park as a model for place-based innovation – is one of ten peer-reviewed contributions to Innovation Ecosystems, the first i-PLACE Compendium published by the Key Cities Innovation Network (KCIN).

KCIN brings together universities working with the UK’s Key Cities – a network of 22 urban areas – to develop scalable solutions to shared challenges, from inclusive growth to climate transition and skills development.

Researchers from Plymouth have previously contributed to reports for the KCIN calling for greater investment in coastal communities, and demonstrating how culture, creativity and place can benefit local communities and people.

This work is embedded within the newly established Centre for Place, that explores how place shapes people’s lives – not only through physical environments, but through cultural, historical, and emotional connections.

The ideas presented in this compendium are both important and exciting. They show how our cities, working with their universities and partners, can develop innovative approaches that are rooted in local experience but have national relevance.

Cllr John Merry CBE
Chair of Key Cities and Deputy City Mayor of Salford

What distinguishes these contributions is their grounding in place. Each reflects real partnerships, real challenges and real opportunities – demonstrating how innovation ecosystems can be developed in ways that are both locally meaningful and scalable across the UK.

Professor Nic Beech
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford and co-editor of the Compendium

Mr Alan Williams

Read more information related to this article