Breakout session 8: The evolving nature of our industry – Global perspectives
October 28th, 2026 — 17:00 - 18:00
Description
Science parks and areas of innovation are changing in different ways as their ecosystems, organisations and surrounding environments evolve, taking on broader roles as knowledge and ecosystem orchestrators. This session brings together research and case studies from innovation spaces across the globe, exploring some of these developments through different perspectives, including firm behaviour, governance models, spatial configuration, and the ways innovation spaces measure and create value.
A longitudinal study of Dutch science parks examines how companies’ relocation choices differ by maturity stage, with start-ups more likely to move into non-park office markets while scale-ups and mature companies remain connected to the park ecosystem. Porto Digital in Recife provides a different perspective, showing how urban placemaking, walkability and historic preservation can create a stronger sense of place and encourage knowledge exchange. The Innovation District of São Paulo explores open strategy and the “curation paradox” in a flat, mission-oriented governance model, while a decade of IASP Global Survey data traces the sector’s shift “from bricks to brains” towards ESG and more multidimensional measures of performance.
Speakers
