The International Association of Science Parks’ (IASP) 25th World Conference on Science and Technology Parks this year runs concurrently with Insite 2008.
Hosted by The Innovation Hub in Pretoria, Africa’s first official science park, the IASP World Conference theme, The Role of Science and Technology Parks in accelerating knowledge economy growth — contrasts between emerging and more developed economies, is well aligned with Insite 2008, where the role of science, technology and innovation as key drivers of economic growth and development, will be highlighted.
Three of the Department of Science and Technology interrelated thematic focal areas: youth and the imperative to address the critical skills shortages in science, mathematics and engineering, strategic economic interventions and sustainable development — will come under the spotlight at Insite 2008.
The rapidly developing role of science parks as a critical ingredient of cities and city regions’ competitiveness in the knowledge economy, dovetails with the department’s view that “South Africa can market itself globally and seek science and technology guidelines to its economic challenges” through these events.
According to Tsietsi Maleho, acting chief executive of The Innovation Hub, this role has even more potential for impact within developing economies. “Building a culture of technology and entrepreneurship appears to be one of the challenges facing many developing economies. Science parks can make a meaningful contribution to addressing this. They stimulate and manage the flow of knowledge and technology among universities, research and development institutions, companies and markets.”
Maleho says that the conference will provide the ideal platform for learning and sharing knowledge within Africa and with its global IASP co-members, while the establishment of the IASP Africa Division — which will take place during the conference — will also contribute greatly to this agenda.
So, what exactly is a science park? More than anything it is an organisation managed by specialised professionals, the main aim of which is to increase the wealth of its community by promoting a culture of innovation and the competitiveness of its associated businesses and knowledge-based institutions.
According to Maleho, to enable these goals to be met, a science park facilitates the creation and growth of innovation-based companies through incubation and spin-off processes and provides other value-added services together with high-quality space and facilities.
“Science parks can make a meaningful contribution to the rapid development of the knowledge economy, especially for their cities and city regions,” he says.
The IASP is a worldwide network. Its definition embraces the different models that exist all over the world. According to the IASP, an effort has been made to identify the main common denominators of the different science parks across the world, as well as to set the minimum standards and requirements that any project must have in order to be acknowledged as an official science park.
In order to do this, the IASP has cross-examined and compared the models and experiences of science parks in the 72 countries throughout which its members are located to ensure the truly global character of its definition.
IASP members enhance the competitiveness of companies and entrepreneurs of their cities and regions, and contribute to global economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship and the transfer of knowledge and technology.
The IASP enjoys Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a founding member of the World Alliance for Innovation.