Belfast Urban Innovation Framework

The Council has a statutory duty to screen. This includes our strategies, plans, policies, legislative developments; and new ways of working such as the introduction, change or end of an existing service, grant funding arrangement or facility. This screening template is designed to help departments consider the likely equality impacts of their proposed decisions on different groups of customers, service users, staff and visitors.

Before carrying out an equality screening exercise it is important that you have received the necessary training first. To find out about the training needed or any other queries on screening, contact the Equality and Diversity Officers (job-share) Stella Gilmartin or Lorraine Dennis on extension 6026/6027or by email [email protected]

The accompanying Screening Guidance note provides straightforward advice on how to carry out equality screening exercises.  Detailed information about the Section 75 equality duties and what they mean in practice is available on the Equality Commission’s website. 

The screening template has 4 sections to complete. These are:

• Section A - provides details about the policy / decision that is being screened
• Section B - gives information on the consultation process, supporting evidence gathered and has 4 key questions outlining the likely impacts on all equality groups.
• Section C - has 4 key questions in relation to obligations under the Disability Discrimination Order
• Section D - is the formal record of the screening decision.

Section A

Details about the policy / decision to be screened

1. Title of policy / decision to be screened:-

Smart Belfast Urban Innovation Framework 2022-2026

2. Brief description of policy / decision to be screened:-

(Explain - Is this a new, revised or existing policy?  Are there financial / legislative / procurement implications?)

In 2017, Belfast City Council published its first Smart Belfast Urban Innovation Framework. It set out the guiding principles and foundations needed to harness innovation, technology and data science to contribute to the success of the Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan.

The council has refreshed the Belfast Urban Innovation Framework for 2022-2026 to reflect the challenges and opportunities of the next three to five years and to incorporate the practice and learning from the outcomes of the 2017-2021 framework.

The new framework outlines the supporting pillars needed to maximise urban innovation in Belfast and strengthen the city’s urban innovation ecosystem. It also outlines the council’s key urban innovation initiatives and plan for a Belfast ‘Smart District’ which will enable new technologies to be developed, tested and deployed to help address city challenges.

3. Aims and objectives of the policy / decision to be screened:-

(What is the policy trying to achieve?)

The Smart Belfast Urban Innovation Framework aims to support innovators from across local industry, our universities and the public sector to work better together in addressing Belfast’s major urban challenges in areas such as sustainable mobility, urban healthy living, energy, tourism, re-imagining the high street and digitalising city services.

It also considers how digital innovation can best contribute to the council’s priorities for city growth, economic recovery and our response to climate change, and the growing impact of new technologies on urban policy and planning.

It outlines how the Belfast Smart District and urban innovation initiatives will help to address Belfast’s major challenges and support the council’s ambitions for the city; and the seven key enablers needed to make the Smart District a success.

The framework also outlines the key drivers of urban innovation; the eight underlying supporting ‘pillars’ needed to maximise urban innovation in Belfast; and the key tasks that partners need to complete to strengthen these pillars.

4. On whom will the policy / decision impact?

Consider the internal and external impacts (both actual or potential) and explain:-

Staff: YES

Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office will deliver the Belfast Smart District and associated projects and programmes, and support the wider urban innovation ecosystem in Belfast. The team will collaborate with departments across the council on the delivery of urban innovation projects.

Service users: YES

It is envisaged that the framework will impact on businesses, researchers, universities, innovators and government working within the urban innovation ecosystem in Belfast. 

Other public sector organisations: YES

The NI Government Departments, specifically Department for the Economy and Department for Infrastructure, and Invest NI all have a role to play in Belfast’s urban innovation ecosystem, with responsibility for relevant policy, legislation, business support, and funding and investment. The Belfast Region City Deal Executive Board (including NI Executive, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council) are working together to deliver the digital strand of the City Deal which is funding some of the Belfast digital projects outlined in the framework.

Voluntary / community groups / trade unions: YES

Community and voluntary groups may be involved in various urban innovation projects, such as the proposed Citizen Office of Digital Innovation.

Others, specify: YES

The council is working with Innovation City Belfast, the city’s innovation leadership partnership to support the city’s wider innovation ambitions and urban innovation ecosystem. The partnership includes Belfast Harbour, Belfast Met, Catalyst, Ulster University, Queen’s University and Invest NI.        

The outworkings of the framework may impact on all those who live in, work in, study in, invest in or visit Belfast.

5. Are there linkages to other Agencies/ Departments?

The delivery of a vibrant urban innovation ecosystem and tackling urban challenges will require collaborative working and partnership across several organisations in the public, private and academic sectors. Key organisations include:

Government and other public bodies

Belfast Region City Deal Executive Board

• Invest NI
• NI Government Departments (Department for the Economy, Department for Infrastructure, Department for Communities, Department of Health, Department of Finance)
• Translink
• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
• UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
• UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Connected Places Catapult
• Digital Catapult NI
• UKRI and Innovate UK
• All Ireland Smart Cities Forum

Institutions

• Innovation City Belfast
• Queen’s University
• Ulster University
• Belfast Met College
• Global Institute on Innovation Districts
• European Network of Living Labs
• Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose
• Nesta

Private sector

• Belfast Harbour
• Catalyst
• Innovators and businesses
• Property developers
• Innovation hubs and co-working spaces

The public consultation on the framework builds on extensive engagement activities with local businesses, government bodies, academic institutions, charities and other city stakeholders carried out by the council in 2019-2020, supported by German Smart Cities consultants, BABLE, Fraunhofer IAO, Fraunhofer FOKUS, and Eindhoven Brainport.

This engagement activity included five workshops with a total of 176 participants and interviews with 120 stakeholders to help inform the development of the Belfast Smart District and the city’s urban innovation ecosystem.

7. Available evidence. What evidence / information (both qualitative and quantitative) have you gathered to inform this policy?  Set out all evidence to help inform your screening assessment.

It is important to record information gathered from a variety of sources such as: monitoring information; complaints; research surveys; consultation exercises from other public authorities.

Policy Context

UK policy and strategy

Build Back Better: Our Plan for Growth (2021)

This framework sets out the UK Government’s plans to support growth through significant investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation, and to pursue growth that levels up every part of the UK.

Innovation drives economic growth and creates jobs. The UK has a world-leading research base, which will be boosted by the government’s significant uplift in R&D investment to fund high-risk, high-reward research. However, too few businesses are able to access the tools they need to translate new ideas into new products and services and to challenge established businesses. The Government aims to make the UK the best ecosystem in the world for starting and growing a business. That means having the best access to capital, skills and ideas, as well as a smart and stable regulatory framework.

UK Digital Strategy (2022)

This strategy outlines the UK government's vision for harnessing digital transformation and building a more inclusive, competitive and innovative digital economy.

Next Generation Mobile Technologies: A 5G Strategy for the UK (2017)

This strategy sets out the UK Government’s ambition that the UK should be a global leader in 5G so that it can take early advantage of its potential and help to create a world-leading digital economy that works for everyone. The 5G Strategy identifies the actions that the UK government will take to realise their aim for the UK to be a world leader in 5G. 

UK National Data Strategy (2020)

The UK Government’s National Data Strategy is an ambitious, pro-growth strategy that aims to drive the UK in building a world-leading data economy while ensuring public trust in data use. Data is now the driving force of the world’s modern economies. It fuels innovation in organisations large and small, across the private, public and third sectors.

UK AI Strategy (2021)

The UK Government’s National AI Strategy builds on the UK’s strengths but also represents the start of a step-change for Artificial Intelligence in the UK, recognising the power of AI to increase resilience, productivity, growth and innovation across the private and public sectors.

Northern Ireland policy and strategy

10X Economy – an economic vision (2021)

The Department for the Economy has outlined its economic vision for the next 10 years in its ‘10X Economy – an economic vision for a decade of innovation’. The concept embraces innovation to deliver a ten times (10X) better economy with benefits for all the people of Northern Ireland. It focuses on key sectors including digital and ICT, creative industries, fintech, life and health sciences, advanced manufacturing and Agri-tech.

NI Innovation Strategy (2014)

Innovation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2014 – 2025, launched by the Department for the Economy, aims to deliver a vision that:

Northern Ireland, by 2025, will be recognised as an innovation hub and will be one of the UK’s leading high-growth, knowledge-based regions which embraces creativity and innovation at levels of society.

Belfast policy and strategy

The Belfast Agenda (2017)

The vision for Belfast in 2035 set out in the Belfast Agenda is:

“Belfast will be a city re-imagined and resurgent. A great place to live and work for everyone. Beautiful, well connected and culturally vibrant, it will be a sustainable city shared and loved by all its citizens, free from the legacy of conflict. A compassionate city offering opportunities for everyone. A confident and successful city energising a dynamic and prosperous city region. A magnet for talent and business and admired around the world. A city people dream to visit.”

The Belfast Agenda has ambitious targets of:

• 46,000 additional jobs
• 66,000 additional residents
• Attract over £1 billion in private sector investment
• Create 4,000 Business Start-Ups
• Grow the City’s Rate Base by 5 per cent through an increased number of residential and commercial developments
• Increase the percentage of residents satisfied with the city living experience.

Belfast Resilience Strategy (2020)

Belfast City Council’s elected members declared a climate emergency in October 2019. The Belfast Resilience Strategy – the city’s first climate plan - aims to:

• reduce the council’s carbon footprint
• reduce the city’s pollution and noise
• reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings 
• promote cycling, walking and public transport
• promote a green economy
• build resilience to flooding and other climate risks 
• promote and support clean transport technology and infrastructure
• help our residents to reduce their carbon footprints.

Bolder Vision for Belfast (2022

A Bolder Vision s an ambitious blueprint to explore a shared approach to creating a more attractive, accessible, safe and vibrant city. Developed jointly by Belfast City Council, Department for Communities and Department for Infrastructure, the vision is built on the principles of:

• promoting wellbeing for all
• prioritising walking, cycling and public transport
• creating lively, safe and green streets
• removing barriers to movement between the city centre and surrounding communities

Section 75 category	Details of evidence/information and engagement
Religious belief	On Census day 2011, 48.8 per cent of the population of Belfast identified as Catholic and 42.5 per cent identified as Protestant. Belfast had a slightly higher percentage of people identifying as “Other” or “None” religion than the NI average. The table shows religious belief percentages. Religion or religion brought up in: Catholic  Religion or religion brought up in: Catholic Religion or religion brought up in: Protestant Religion or religion brought up in: Protestant Religion or religion brought up in: Other religions Religion or religion brought up in: Other religions Religion or religion brought up in: None Religion or religion brought up in: None Belfast Northern Ireland Belfast Northern Ireland Belfast Northern Ireland Belfast  Northern Ireland 48.8 per cent 45.1 per cent 42.5 per cent 48.4 per cent 1.6 per cent 0.9 per cent 7.1 per cent 5.6 per cent A study conducted by Queen’s University, 2010, identified Belfast city as a space where people could mingle and feel safe. This study also recognised Belfast as having the potential to be an important area for social change in everyday life. More up-to-date statistics will be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in autumn 2022.
Political opinion	The results of the May 2019 Belfast City Council elections are shown in the table. Party Total elected candidates Sinn Féin 18 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 15 Alliance Party 10 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) 6 Green Party Northern Ireland 4 People Before Profit Alliance 3 Progressive Unionist Party of Northern Ireland 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 2 The city centre is a place where people from a variety of political backgrounds live, work, visit and study.
Racial group	According to the 2011 Census, 96.7 per cent of the population of Belfast are White. The main minority ethnic groups were Chinese, Indian and Mixed ethnic group. Information Per cent (Belfast) Per cent (NI) White 96.7 98.2 Irish Traveller 0.1 0.1 Mixed 0.5 0.3 Indian 0.7 0.3 Pakistani 0.1 0.1 Bangladeshi 0.1 0.03 Other Asian 0.6 0.3 Black Caribbean 0.03 0.02 Black African 0.3 0.1 Other Black 0.1 0.1 Chinese 0.7 0.4 Other ethnic group 0.2 0.1 In addition, migrant workers from the A2 and A8 European Union (EU) Accession countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) represented 1.9 per cent of population, with a further 0.7 per cent from other EU countries. The Census also identified that 4.3 per cent of the Belfast population aged 3 and over did not have English as their main language, which was higher than the NI average of 3.1 per cent. In 2018, the Department for Education identified 3,510 “newcomer” pupils (a newcomer pupil is one who has enrolled in a school but who does not have the satisfactory language skills to participate fully in the school curriculum, and the wider environment, and does not have a language in common with the teacher, whether that is English or Irish) across NI. While the Census data is the most accurate dataset available on ethnic minorities in NI, in 2022 it is likely to be an underestimation of the ethnic minority population. More up-to-date statistics will be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in autumn 2022.
Age	According to NISRA 2018 mid-year population estimates, Belfast has a relatively young population with 55.7 per cent of the population aged under 40 compared to 51.6 per cent of the NI population. Male or female Per cent of population   All ages 0 to 15 years 16 to 39 years 40 - 64 years  65+ years Male 48.5 10.2 17.7 14.3 6.3 Female 51.5 9.7 18.1 15.3 8.4 NISRA projects that by 2041, people under 40 will make up 51.3 per cent of the population, but that the 65+ age bracket will be the fastest growing, comprising 72,245 people or 20.4 per cent of the Belfast population. Belfast has a growing student population with a number of new purpose-built student accommodation blocks in the city centre and the new Ulster University city centre campus that will see some 15,000 students use the facilities daily. In 2014, Belfast was the first city in Northern Ireland to join the World Health Organisation’s Global Network of Age Friendly Cities. An age-friendly city is one in which organisations work together to make sure the quality of life for people is enhanced as they age. Belfast City Council is part of the Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership (HSAP) working with older people to ensure that Belfast is changing to meet the needs and desires of older people. People from a variety of ages live, work, study and visit the city centre. More up-to-date statistics will be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in 2022-23.
Marital status	On Census day 2011, a higher proportion of Belfast residents aged 16 and over were single, separated, divorced or widowed than the NI resident population. 22.2 per cent of people also lived alone, which was the highest rate across NI where the average was 16.8 per cent. 0.1 per cent or 353 residents were in civil partnerships, almost a third of all such partnerships in NI at that time. This is likely to be higher in 2022. Information Per cent of population Marital status Belfast NI Single 45.3 36.1 Married 35.6 47.6 Civil partnership 0.13 0.09 Separated 5.4 4.0 Divorced/civil partnership dissolved 6.2 5.5 Widowed/Surviving civil partner 7.5 6.8
Sexual orientation	There are currently limited statistics that monitor the sexual orientation of the population in NI. The 2018 NI Life and Times found that 94 per cent of respondents identified as heterosexual or straight; 1 per cent as gay or lesbian (homosexual); 1 per cent as bisexual and 1 per cent as Other (3 per cent declined to answer). A commonly used estimate of LGBTQ+ people in the UK, accepted by Stonewall UK, is 5 to 7 per cent of the population. More up-to-date statistics should be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in autumn 2022.
Men and women generally	According to NISRA 2018 mid-year population estimates, the population of Belfast by gender is broadly even, although there is a higher proportion of older females (59.3 per cent of the over 65 population are female).   All ages 0 to 15 years 16 to 39 years 40 to 64 years 65+ years Male or female Per cent of population Male 48.5 10.2 17.7 14.3 6.3 Female 51.5 9.7 18.1 15.3 8.4
Disability	The 2011 Census asked people to what extent a long-term health problem or disability (that is, which has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months) limits their day-to-day activities. At 25.9 per cent, Belfast has a higher proportion of people with a limiting health condition or disability than the general NI population (20.7 per cent).  Table with percentages of people in Belfast and Northern Ireland with a disability or long-term health condition on Census Day in 2011. Day-to-day activities limited a lot Day-to-day activities limited a little Day-to-day activities not limited Belfast  population NI  population Belfast  population NI  population Belfast  population NI population 11.4 per cent 11.9 per cent 11.5 per cent 8.8 per cent 76.5 per cent 79.3 per cent According to the 2011 Census, 18,261 (5.47 per cent) of Belfast residence population has a hearing loss.  There are approximately 3,500 BSL users and 1,500 ISL users living in Northern Ireland according to the Department for Communities (Sign Language Framework). Census 2011 does not provide statistics including Sign Language users living in Belfast. On sight loss, the 2011 Census indicates this impacts 6,729 (2.02 per cent) of Belfast residence population.  A further 6,460 (1.93 per cent) of Belfast resident population has a communication difficulty. More up-to-date statistics will be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in 2022-23.
Dependants	The 2011 Census defines a “dependent child” as a person aged under 16 or young person aged 16 to 18 who is a full-time student and living in a family with a parent or grandparent. The 2011 Census showed that 28.6 per cent of households in Belfast included a dependent child compared to 33.9 per cent of households across NI. Historical Census data shows that the proportion of households with dependent children in both NI and Belfast has been in decline since 1981. The Belfast City Council 2014 Residents Survey reported that 32.3 per cent of the population have dependents or caring responsibilities. In Belfast in 2018, 15,550 people or 4.5 per cent of the population claimed Carer’s Allowance. (Carer’s Allowance is a non-contributory benefit for people who look after a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week.) This was higher than the NI average of 3.9 per cent. Most claimants were female: 62.9 per cent compared to 37.9 per cent male. More up-to-date statistics will be available when the results of the 2021 Census are published in 2022-23.

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Save the final version of the completed screening form and forward to the Equality and Diversity Officer – [email protected].  The screening form will be placed on the BCC website and a link provided to the Council’s Section 75 consultees.