BIRMINGHAM’S
INNOVATION DESTINATION
INNOVATION DESTINATION
The Switch is an innovation district with no hard lines, a district centered at Innovation Depot with more innovation and opportunity rippling out from there. It’s our destination to continue fueling a vibrant innovation-based ecosystem. A place designed for start-ups and small businesses to thrive in the Magic City. A place to showcase success and become a source of pride. And, a place that supports and inspires entrepreneurs of all types from all backgrounds.
Where trains once drove,
The 14th Street Switchyard used to anchor the area around Innovation Depot.
Tracks in the area were so predominant as recently as the 1980s that structures still in use today curve to frame where rails once were.
Innovation now flows.
The switches of yesterday have transformed into the switches of today. Switches transmitting information, data, energy and ideas are moving Birmingham forward.
Our city’s innovation ecosystem is anchored by Innovation Depot, one of the largest technology incubators in the Southeast. It is from there the resources, support and expertise for our city’s entrepreneurs and innovators ripple into the community.
Where is The Switch?
The Switch is based in the blocks around Innovation Depot.
As one of the largest technology incubators in the Southeast, Innovation Depot has already established itself as Birmingham’s community for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Switch draws on this energy and creates a path to expand the economic opportunity and growth beyond the walls of Innovation Depot.
Innovation can and should happen all over the region. The Switch is a locus for innovation, a critical mass of entrepreneurs, ideas, and start-up activity. Birmingham’s innovation scene is densest around Innovation Depot and flows into the surrounding community.
What is The Switch?
The Switch is Birmingham’s Innovation District.
By way of its name, it links our city’s past with its future, but that’s where the similarities end. This vibrant, exciting area within the city center is where creative thinkers, entrepreneurs, students and tech-savvy innovators are already coming together to conceive and launch new ideas. The Switch accelerates existing momentum by defining a destination for innovation.
Why Here? Why Now?
The Switch will galvanize and energize Birmingham’s innovation economy.
Because of the success found at Innovation Depot and the entrepreneur culture found there and increasingly in the community outside, the time has never been better to designate a place in the downtown core where businesses focused on technology and innovation can cluster, support one another and accelerate business growth.
Find the support you need.
The Switch is made possible through the collaboration of many area partners focused on building a better Birmingham. Each partner is an expert in their respective areas and on the team to help entrepreneurs and innovators launch businesses and accelerate economic growth and opportunity for the region.