The objective of this meeting was to share points of view and experiences that contribute to make a change to the economic model to a sustainability-based one. The debate focused on which mid-term innovation-related measures must be taken to improve and make existing productive sectors in the Valencian Community more competitive, and to consolidate any emerging sectors, by analysing which role Universities and Science Parks, among other related agents, must play here.
Vicent Climent, Rector of the Universitat Jaume I, stressed the importance of jointly reflecting on the role of Universities and Science Parks, and of knowing international experiences through Luís Sanz’s participation in the encounter, General Director of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), who talked about the role of Science Parks in the present-day. Sanz highlighted the models of Parks and the innovation management trends that stand out globally, as well as the proposals of adapting to the Valencian ecosystem of the innovation and entrepreneurship initiative.
María José Mira stressed that at the Regional Valencian Government “we are working to achieve a productive model based on knowledge, research and innovative development, and the role of Valencian Universities is a determining factor in this task”. During her talk, Mira underlined the importance of “seeking synergies” among all the agents of the Valencian Innovation System “to end the fragmentation and dispersion of innovation policies, and to promote smart industrialisation”.
This event formed part of the actions undertaken in the Network of Valencian Science Parks rePCV, an association that represents the five Science and Technology Parks linked to Valencian public universities. This meeting served to renovate the network’s posts, which are transferred on an annual basis.
Paco Negre, General Director of espaitec, will be the rePCV Chair until July 2016. Antonia Salinas Miralles, Director of the Quorum Foundation, the Science and Business Park of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, is now the rePCV Vice-Chair, while Salvador Coll Arnau, Director of the Polytechnic City of Innovation, left the post of Chair to become Secretary. Joaquín Marhuenda Fructuoso, General Director of the Science Park Foundation of the University of Alicante, and Juan Antonio Raga Esteve, Director of the Science Park of the University of Valencia, are now members of the association.
