Dr Neville Comins, Hub CEO, who recently presented the Hub's winning bid for the IASP 25th World Conference to be held in Gauteng in 2008. Delegates attending the World Conference in Beijing. Delegates attending the World Conference in Beijing.

Hub succeeds in bid to bring 2008 IASP World Conference to Gauteng

Certainly the most exciting part for Dr Neville Comins, Hub CEO, of attending the XXII World Conference of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) in Beijing in September this year, was the presentation of a bid for the 2008 IASP 25th World Conference to be held in Gauteng to the Annual General Meeting (AGM). This was preceded by a presentation and assessment of applications at the IASP International Board meeting and the Board's nomination of Gauteng as the location for the 2008 event. There was also unanimous support for the bid by The Innovation Hub at the AGM.

According to Dr Comins, succeeding in bringing the IASP World Conference to Gauteng, and to the African continent, for the very first time was a huge coup. "We now have the opportunity to begin to position Africa as a progressive continent that is moving forward into the knowledge economy", he said.

Also attending the conference with Dr Comins was Dr Hein Wiese, Strategic Executive of Economic Development in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, who, as the "home of The Innovation Hub" will be one of the major sponsors of the event. It provided an ideal opportunity for Dr Wiese to meet many people involved with Science Park developments in different regional economies.

The IASP World Conferences attracts delegates from more than 50 countries across the world, with delegates ranging from government officials to Science Park managers and research institutions involved with the growth of knowledge economy regions. The 2008 World Conference is set to expose a potentially significant global audience to the developments taking place both in this region and in Africa as a whole.

Dr Comins points to China, who is hosting the 2005 IASP World Conference, as an example of how the Science Park model can make substantial contributions to a country's economic development. "China boasts 53 national Science Parks and 108 regional parks, consisting of 38 000 businesses, employing 4,5 million people and contributing to almost five percent of the country's economy. This aggressive approach clearly indicates the potential of this model being used strategically for growing clusters and impacting the economies of developing countries", he said.

The benefits for The Innovation Hub itself will also be significant. Playing host to a conference of this magnitude affords the Hub an opportunity to influence the conference programme to better understand and learn from other parks how the system is working and how it can be improved and optimised with emphasis on developing countries and local business needs.

The visibility of the Science Park movement to large high-tech companies around the world also positions the Hub for enhanced discussions about investment potential for the country. Dr Comins adds that if viewed as a wider network, the Science Park community can be utilised "to become a global collaboration, marketing and business opportunity for Science Park residents".

At the IASP Annual World Conference in Beijing this year, strong emphasis was placed on the development of local and regional networks, based on the Science Parks themselves, such as the Hub's own INNOV8 community and its links will local research and educational institutions. Commenting on this, Dr Comins asserted that as a young park, the Hub may have much to learn, but it already has a lot to contribute as well. "Many of the ingredients that we have are correct. We now have to energise them and continue to learn from the experiences of others", he said.

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