The new president of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), which held its annual conference in Moscow this week, praised the Russian capital’s technoparks and said the city could become a gold standard of innovation for other capitals around the world.
Josep Miquel Piqué was elected president of IASP during its four-day conference this week, which was being held in Russia for the first time. The event was jointly organised by the Skolkovo Foundation, the science park of Moscow State University and the Strogino technopark.
Josep Miquel Pique was elected as the new president of IASP at its annual conference this week in Moscow. Photo: Sk.ru.
“The development of technoparks in Moscow made a great impression on all of us, along with the unique and critical contribution that Moscow made in the successful organization of the 33rd IASP world conference,” Piqué, a Spaniard who was previously first vice president of the association, told Sk.ru this week.
The Russian capital is home to 26 technoparks, of which 14 are already members of IASP. The others are expected to join the international association, which brings together more than 400 technoparks in more than 70 countries, in the near future. About 36,000 people work in the city’s technoparks, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin told the IASP conference this week, “showing that they are not just a trendy amusement.” IASP delegates had the chance to visit the city’s technoparks during the conference, including Skolkovo’s giant technopark – the biggest in Europe – that is due to open next month.
Moscow “has the ability to react sensibly to the most serious challenges” faced by megalopolises in their quest to be innovative, said Piqué, who replaces France’s Jean-Francois Baldducchi in the post of IASP president.
“As far as the organization of the technoparks and introduction of innovations is concerned, Moscow could become a gold standard and showroom for other capitals,” said Piqué, a telecoms engineer by training who was previously head of La Salle, a tech startup incubator in Barcelona.
Skolkovo vice president for communications and advertising Alexander Chernov was elected to the board of directors of IASP this week at a general assembly meeting held within the four-day conference. This year’s IASP conference attracted a record-breaking 1,500 attendees from about 70 countries, the association said.