The director of Espaitec, Juan Antonio Bertolín, participates in the round table “Impact of Science and Technology Parks on the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology”

The Alicante Science Park will host the XXII International Conference of the Association of Scientific and Technological Parks of Spain (APTE) on November 21. The event will bring together more than 100 members of the association, European professionals in research, transfer and development and representatives of regional development agencies linked to EURADA.

The conference is expected to be a unique opportunity to strengthen connections in the valorisation of knowledge and regional development, as well as to promote the transfer of technology and innovation.

The event will start with an opening ceremony that will feature the participation of the Vice-Rector for Transfer, Innovation and Scientific Dissemination of the University of Alicante, María Jesús Pastor, the Councilor for Employment and Development of the Alicante City Council, Maria del Carmen from Spain and a representative of the Innovation Department of the Generalitat Valenciana and President of APTE, Felipe Romera.

Program XXII International APTE Conference

The program will include two key round tables for the sector. The first entitled “Impact of Science and Technology Parks on the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology”, where the relevance of these spaces in promoting innovation will be discussed. This panel will be moderated by Soledad Díaz, managing director of APTE, and will feature:

  • Alice Shelley, Director of Operations and Partnerships of the International Association of Innovation Parks and Areas (IASP).
  • Jose Izquierdo, advisor to the Business Development department of the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
  • Olga French, member of the OTRI of the University of Alicante.
  • Juan Antonio Bertolin, director of ESPAITEC, Scientific and Technological Park of the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón.
  • Roberta Dall'Olio, Director of the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA).
  • Pedro Navalon, general manager of Labaqua (company of the Alicante Science Park).

The second table, under the title ““New Open and Participatory Forms for the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology”, will explore more collaborative approaches to fostering co-creation. This panel will be moderated by Marzia Mazzonetto, founder of Stickydotm, and will feature:

  • Iphigenia Pottaki, Head of the Knowledge Valorisation and Intellectual Property Rights Unit, DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission.
  • Mireia Manent, co-founder and senior project manager at WeDo.
  • Esteban Pelayo, manager of the Alicante Science Park.
  • Elzbieta J. Ksiazek, Advice and Technology Transfer of the Poznan Science and Technology Park.
  • Xiaoni Li, member of the Business Management Department of the Rovira i Virgili University.
  • Juan Carlos Trujillo, co-founder and scientific director of Lucentia Lab (a company in the Alicante Science Park).

The XXII APTE International Conference will culminate with the APTE Awards Ceremony where the following will be recognized: la Best Practice in Science and Technology Parks by APTE 2024and the Most active parks in the Network of Technicians during 2023. In addition, the following will be delivered: 7th Awards for the dissemination of Science and Technology Parks in the Spanish press which recognise the media most involved in disseminating the activities carried out by science and technology parks throughout Spain.

Later the flag transfer to the next host park of the conference in 2025, in an event that will be headed by Felipe Romera, president of APTE, and Rafael Escamilla, director of External Relations of IVACE+i. Finally, the Park will offer the possibility of holding a technical visit to the Alicante II desalination plant (Agua Amarga).

3rd APTE General Assembly

In parallel, on November 20, APTE will gather its Technicians Network and will celebrate its III General Assembly of 2024 and will recognize parks celebrating their 20th anniversary. In addition, networking activities will be held, offering participants the opportunity to strengthen ties and explore future collaborations.

For more information, please visit the conference website at: http://uaparc.es/apte-2024/