Science and Technology Parks
The Science and Technology Parks are areas of excellence on innovation and spaces for strategic relations between universities, research centers and companies. They act as elements of industrial and economic development of the territory for the exploitation of technology, and are created with the following objectives:
- Fostering the competitiveness of companies located or associated with them.
- Promoting entrepreneurial culture and innovation in companies and research groups.
- Generate highly qualified employment in their areas of influence.
- Increasing socio-economic development planning.
- Stimulate the transfer of knowledge and technology among universities, research organizations, companies and the society.
- Promote the creation of innovative companies through incubation and centrifugal generation: innovative, technology-based companies, spin-off, etc.
- Providing added value and made available to companies of high quality technical facilities.
The difference between science and technology parks lies on the focus of its activities. Science Parks are aimed at research and technology parks give greater importance to the production activity.
Main activities
The current challenge of Science and Technology Parks lies in incorporating companies, especially SMEs, in R&D regional system.
- Incorporation of R&D company units in the university and research environment.
- Establishment of Joint Research Units: Mixed Laboratories.
- Creation of joint ventures and spin-off companies.
- Development of new technology combined form a technological service: Technology Platforms.
- Advice and Training.
In addition, current trends and future development of Science and Technology Parks bet on:
- Greater involvement of these centers with the university as part of the new knowledge economy.
- Attracting new internationalization of R&D.
- Broadening the base of social projects as a way to value science and technology in society.
Networking and Coordination
Internationally, the development of Science and Technology Parks is coordinated by IASP , International Association of Science Parks, which since 1996 has its headquarters in Malaga. In Latin America we find RELAPI, the Latin American Network of Associations of Science Parks and Business Incubators, born as an initiative of the IASP-LA (incubators, technology parks, centers and technology centers) widely recognized for its importance in the development of new technologies and regional dynamism and growth in the global context.
In Spain, APTE was created in 1989, the Association of Science and Technology Parks, who works both for the dissemination of science and technology parks in Spanish system of R&D and their opportunities for productive and socio-economic development, and the improvement of their characteristics and performance.
