The new wave in research parks

UMass Boston’s Venture Development Center represents the new model of research parks integrated into the fabric of the university, according to a report, "Characteristics and Trends in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions", prepared by Battelle's Technology Partnership Practice (TPP) in partnership with the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).

Today’s research parks differ substantially from the model that emerged in the 1970’s. Most early research parks were first and foremost real-estate development projects. The companies that located in the parks usually had few, if any, actual ties to the university. In the 1990s, research parks began to place greater emphasis on supporting incubation and entrepreneurship. Like the Venture Development Center, the newest versions create an innovative environment with free and frequent exchange of information between academic researchers and their industry counterparts, the report says.

"A new model is emerging," said Walter H. Plosila, Vice-President, Battelle TPP, when the report was released at the AURP Annual Conference. "What we're seeing are strategically planned, mixed-use campuses designed to create an environment that fosters collaboration and innovation and promotes the development, transfer and commercialization of technology."

Challenges facing the integrated research park include bridging cultural barriers between the academic and business communities and facilitating a true partnership. Parks must continue to serve as an intermediary that understands both cultures and creatively fosters integrated, collaborative efforts, the report says.

Most research parks have very few resources in their early stages and do not generate sufficient revenue to be self-supporting. “Parks need diversified funding sources, and investments in research parks need to be considered as investments in a region’s economic development infrastructure,” the report states.

The TTP survey of 174 university research parks in the United States and Canada revealed that:

* More than 300,000 workers in North America work in a located in a university research park.
* Every job in a research park generates an average of 2.57 jobs in the economy resulting in a total employment impact of more than 750,000 jobs.

Important success factors for technology-led economic development include the commitment of university leadership and the local economic development community. This report quantifies actual results of science parks as an important economic development tool.

A full copy of "Trends and Characteristics in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions" can be found at http://www.aurp.net/more/pr102607.cfm.