There are more than 400 research parks worldwide and approximately 170 in North America.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gregory Deason, director of the Purdue Research Park, was elected president of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).
The election took place prior to the organization's annual conference, which concludes today in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Deason said the organization will focus on education and government in the coming year.
"Our key mission is to foster collaborations among universities, industry and government. AURP seeks to increase economic competitiveness through innovation and commercialization," he said. "AURP recently published policy recommendations for the new administration entitled 'The Power of Place' that outlines a federal strategy for high-technology economic development."
"The Power of Place" calls for American Innovation Zones, areas designated to encourage the use of combined resources of research parks, technology incubators, universities, federal laboratories and other similar facilities that support American competitiveness and economic development.
There are more than 400 research parks worldwide and approximately 170 in North America. More than 300,000 people are employed in North American research parks, and each core job in a research park generates about 2.5 jobs in the respective communities, according to the 2007 Battelle report "Characteristics and Trends in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions." Metropolitan areas with research parks include Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Kansas City, Mo.; New York; Phoenix; San Diego; San Francisco; and Washington D.C.
Other officers in the AURP include past president J. Michael Bowman, Delaware Technology Park Inc.; first vice president Brian Darmody, University of Maryland College Park; second vice president Kevin Byrne, University Financing Foundation; Harold E. Strong Jr., Texas A&M University Research Park; and Greg Hyer, University of Wisconsin Research Park. Other board members include Jim Currie of the BioHio Research Park at Ohio State University, Michael J. Donovan of Boston University, Dale Gann of Vancouver Island Technology Park, Robert T. Geolas of Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, Scott Levitan of the Forest City New East Baltimore Partnership, Teresa W. McKnight of the South Dakota State University Growth Partnership, Jane Shaab of the UMB Health Sciences Research Park Corp. and Rick L. Weddle of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina.
The Association of University Research Parks was established in 1986 with a mission to promote the development and operations of research parks through collaboration among universities, industry and government.
