This year, the theme was "Science Parks are shaping new cities", and special attention was paid to the new more active, enterprising role played by cities. It was coordinated by combining projects that intend to boost an economy based on knowledge and innovation.
Science Parks and areas of innovation are increasingly integrating in cities. Indeed, more than 90% of these parks around the world are urban projects, with which an interesting series of new opportunities is seen in this evolutionary process that parks are undergoing, which are extending their area of influence.
Along these lines, Juan A. Bertolin, espaitec’s Director of Innovation and Projects, presented the “Penyagolosa Territori Intel·ligent" Project in a speech entitled "STP reshaping the territories of the future by means of Smart Lands: Urban-rural cohesion". He stressed the impact of citizen-based co-creation by LivingLabs led by Science and Technology Parks on the local development of a Smart Land as an ethical place that involves tangible and intangible assets in interterritorial supramunicipal aggregation in order to allow productive economy, social cohesion and environmental balance to develop in relation to surroundings.
