Thanks for 40 years – IASP’s history supporting innovation ecosystems worldwide

IASP is very proud to highlight this year 2024 as a milestone, celebrating the association’s 40th anniversary.

The IASP network was created in 1984 when a dozen of STPs from different countries felt the need to foster collaboration between the various organisations, enhancing resource sharing, and building connections to enable them to achieve common goals and unlock new opportunities.

From the very beginning, the founding members had the ambition for IASP to be a global association, reaching the milestone of 100 members from around the world by 1988.

From these early years, growth happened quickly, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas, strategies, and solutions in the science park industry, helping support and create innovation ecosystems where knowledge could flourish. As it grew, the association itself required more structure, and regional divisions were implemented, solidifying IASP's position as a key player in the innovation landscape internationally.

The informal administrative set up became formalised in 1996 with the physical IASP Headquarters being established at Malaga Techpark (then known as Parque Tecnológico de Andalucia) in Spain, and with Luis Sanz selected by members as Director General, coming from his role as Director at Valencia Technology Park, creating a new association culture and developing member services.

A hallmark of IASP’s activities became its annual World Conferences (including the inaugural conference, to date we have held 41 in 27 countries) - which drew professionals and experts from around the globe. These gatherings served as vibrant forums for discussing emerging trends, addressing challenges in science park management, and showcasing groundbreaking developments in technology and innovation. Alongside these conferences, IASP also built a reputation for its thought leadership, publishing insightful research, case studies, and reports that highlighted best practices and successful models within the science park community.

Over time, IASP has evolved to reflect the shifting dynamics of innovation ecosystems. Recognising that innovation extends beyond the more familiar models of science and technology parks, back in 2012 the association opened up to other organisations with similar outlooks and ambitions, coining the term Areas of Innovation, also incorporating Innovation Districts and other hybrid models into its scope.

This journey has been an adventure. We are immensely proud of what has been achieved and the network of friends and colleagues that has been created over time, which continues to flourish. Those of us in the network today can enjoy it for what it is, standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. We celebrate the past[FI1] , and what we have jointly created, and with this post we wish to recognise the role that the people and organisations have had in this process over the years. Some key actors in our association’s history are sadly no longer with us, but we know they would have enjoyed seeing the association’s trajectory and where the industry is today.

It is a privilege and a pleasure to hold the role of IASP CEO and have experienced first-hand the association’s growth and evolution since 2002 when I first joined the team. Personal and professional growth have gone hand-in hand with building an effective network, which is truly rewarding. We are an association of innovation spaces and their wider ecosystems, but we are people behind these organisations and the takeaway from our events and activities often comes back to the real connections between individuals, creating a supportive innovation family.

We are excited about what the future holds. Today, IASP connects 330 members across 77 countries, representing thousands of companies, startups, and institutions. We aim to continue evolving with the times and addressing the changing needs of you, our members, and we’d like to thank the entire community for your support, participation and encouragement over the years – you make the association what it is.

To celebrate this significant anniversary we have created an interactive guestbook. Take a look at some of the pictures and comments shared by members, past and present, and feel free to add your own memories!

A global thanks to all and everyone – here’s to ongoing collaboration and activities for the next 40 years!

See the IASP kudoboard here.