The Association of University Research Parks (AURP), a global nonprofit membership organization serving the university and institutional research parks community, has announced the University of Utah Research Park will host the AURP 2020 International Conference in November 2020.
The AURP International Conference brings together more than 200 research park and innovation district leaders from around the world for high-impact knowledge exchange and networking with the industry’s premier experts and leaders.
The U and the state of Utah continue to stand as leaders nationally and globally in driving research-based innovation and high-growth entrepreneurship. In 2017, the Milken Institute’s Best Universities for Technology Transfer report ranked the U as the number one research university in the U.S. for commercializing technology.
In addition, the Milken Institute’s 2018 State Technology and Science Index ranked the state of Utah fifth in the U.S. for its “capabilities and broader commercialization ecosystems that contribute to firm expansion, high-skills job creation and broad economic growth.”
“It is great to see Salt Lake City and the University of Utah selected to host the 2020 AURP International Conference,” said Andrew Weyrich, vice president for Research and professor of internal medicine at the U. “We are honored to be recognized for the innovation and growth being fostered here and we look forward to engaging, learning and sharing knowledge with our colleagues from around the globe at this exciting event.”
The AURP Annual International Conference is hosted by a university or institution-based research park, giving conference attendees dynamic opportunities to learn about and see first-hand how other research parks operate and chart their growth paths.
“All of us at AURP are excited to collaborate and partner with the team at the University of Utah Research Park in hosting our 2020 conference,” said Brian Darmody, CEO of AURP. “Utah and the University of Utah together are true research and entrepreneurial powerhouses. We know the energy Salt Lake brings to tech events such as Silicon Slopes and can’t wait to bring our international membership and community to Salt Lake City to meet and network with the extraordinary people at the University of Utah Research Park.”
“I’m delighted AURP and the University of Utah Research Park are teaming up to hold our 2020 International Conference,” said Dan Duncan, AURP president, and executive director of Nebraska Innovation Campus. “Western states like Utah and Nebraska are building and growing university research parks because they bring important research and economic development benefits to our regions, the U.S. and globally. I look forward to being a part of seeing the University of Utah Research Park firsthand and celebrating its achievements at our 2020 International Conference.”
The AURP International Conference host committee is chaired by the U’s Jonathon Bates, executive director for Real Estate Administration at the University of Utah Research Park. Additional representatives will be added from the Salt Lake technology community, AURP Board of Directors and membership to support the initiatives and planning of the conference. Registration for the conference will open in June 2020.
About AURP
The Association of University Research Parks, a not-for-profit international organization, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Tucson, Arizona, focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for university research parks both operating and planned, plus innovation districts, incubators, accelerators and the businesses that support the research park industry. AURP and its global membership promote research institute-industry relations and innovation districts, to foster innovation and to facilitate the transfer of technology from such institutions to the private sector. Learn more here.