European Commission and Science&Technology Parks
2016-01-26
Science parks and areas of innovation play an important role in translating and implementing European policies and ideas in our different cities and regions. As intermediary organisations, science and technology parks (STPs) network and interact with clusters and business incubators to multiply the efficiency of these policies on a local and national level.
These were some of the crucial issues addressed at the European Innovation Ecosystems conference on ‘Good governance and effective support for smart specialisation’ organised by the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission, which took place in Brussels on January 26. The International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), of which Poznan Science and Technology Park is a member, was an official collaborator.
The event saw participants exchange knowledge on the effectiveness of support to innovative entrepreneurship at a territorial level, in the context of implementation of smart specialisation strategies. This included an exploration of intra-regional governance of successful European innovation ecosystems, as well as the quality and effectiveness of business support service providers.
Collaboration between science parks and clusters
IASP International President Jean-François Balducchi (Atlanpole, France) joined an interactive panel discussion on regional governance models in changing economic conditions, while IASP led a special session focusing on the benefits of interaction between science & technology parks and clusters.
Panellists discussed how interaction between clusters and STPs stimulates growth, encourages the flow of knowledge between universities and companies, and enhances a culture of creativity and innovation. Participants highlighted how this interaction can improve competitiveness and facilitate the internationalisation of SMEs by providing access to global networks.
With IASP Director General Luis Sanz and Marc Pattinson of the European Cluster Collaboration Observatory setting the scene, IASP members from across Europe shared best practices on the panel alongside representatives from several clusters. The important role of STPs and their capacity to improve cluster efficiency and orient their strategies was broadly recognised and highlighted.
IASP speakers included Catherine Johns, (NETPark, UK), Josep Piqué, (La Salle Technova, Spain), and Jari Lauronen, (Joensuu Science Park, Finland).
Other official participants in the event included the European Business Network (EBN), the European Cluster Collaboration Observatory and the European Association of Research and Technology Associations (EARTO).
The conference heard from several high-level EU representatives, including the Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas; the President of the European Committee of the Regions Markku Markkula; the Chair of the European Committee of the Regions Yoomi Renström; the Vice-President of the European Parliament Ramón Luis Valcarcel Siso; and the Head of the Cabinet of the Commissioner for Regional and Urban Development Nicola De Michelis.
