The Journey So Far
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were a catalyst for change and a platform to regenerate east London. Today, SHIFT represents the next generation of the London 2012 Olympic legacy.
Here’s a few milestones in the story so far.
2012 - A legacy set in motion
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place with the goal of being ‘the most accessible Games ever’, and a legacy mission to regenerate east London.
2013 - Open for business
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opens to the public; the quickest post-Games transformation in history.
2014 - Community leadership
Launch of the Legacy Youth Board, bringing together 18 – 24 year olds to give a youth perspective on key strategic priorities and design of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park legacy.
2015 - Framework for climate action
196 state parties, including the UK, negotiate on a new climate agreement to determine, plan and report on greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation, adoption and finance – with a goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
2016 - Innovators move in
Here East opens to tenants, populating the old press and broadcasting centres with an eclectic mix of large and small-scale organisations focused on innovation and making. The Global Disability Innovation Hub also launches at UCL’s new ECL East campus — a research centre dedicated to driving disability innovation.
2017 - Driverless buses
Autonomous shuttle buses and pods trial at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, paving the way for the use of connected and autonomous (CAV) transport services.
2018 - Bird scooter trial
Bird becomes the first electric scooter rental company to launch in the UK with a trial on private paths in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
2019 - Skills and training
Flipside, London’s most innovative skills and training programme provider, moves into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
2020 - London’s 2030 Challenge
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announces an ambitious target for London to be net zero by 2030.
2021 - Accelerating action
– COP26 takes place in Glasgow to accelerate actions towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention on Climate Change.
– Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park plays host to fringe events, opening the floor to community voices in relation to the climate emergency.
– Good Growth Hub opens, offering career opportunities, training and skills to 18- to 30-year-olds in our community.
– Build East opens — a purpose built green skills centre of excellence in collaboration with The Skills Centre and Transport for London.
2022 - SHIFT is born
On the 10-year anniversary of the Games, SHIFT was launched at the official closing ceremony of London Tech Week by a group of partners commit to turbocharge innovation on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park — a move driven by global events, local challenges and the Mayor’s 2030 target.
2023 - Future Industries Demonstrator
SHIFT launches new £1.5m innovation programme, issuing challenges to London startups and SMEs tackling the climate emergency.
Beyond - Are you part of the story?
We’re calling for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and community representatives to shape the next chapter in our story.
