IASP leadership presents white paper highlighting importance of AOIs/IDs/STPs in European innovation

Yesterday, IASP Vice President Salvatore Majorana presented a comprehensive white paper to the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola during her visit to Bergamo, Italy on Thursday, May 29th 2025. The presentation took place at Kilometro Rosso in Bergamo, marking a significant milestone in the dialogue between European innovation stakeholders and EU leadership. 

The EP President's Italian tour started on Monday, before travelling to Bergamo on Thursday for the visit. The inclusion of Kilometro Rosso in the President's carefully curated itinerary underscores the growing recognition of the vital role that areas of innovation, innovation districts, and science and technology parks play in Europe's innovation ecosystem. 

The white paper stems from discussions held during the recent IASP European Division event in Bolzano, hosted by NOI Techpark, who played a key role in preparing the document along with other IASP European members. It presents a unified perspective on how Areas of Innovation (AOIs) and Science and Technology Parks (STPs) contribute to achieving the ambitious goals outlined in the European Innovation Agenda. The document also addresses the forthcoming European Innovation Act, positioning AOIs and STPs as critical enablers of European innovation policy objectives. 

Through this coordinated message to the European Commission, IASP aims to demonstrate the strategic importance of innovation districts and technology parks in encouraging entrepreneurship, supporting research and development, and driving economic growth across Europe. The paper articulates how these specialised environments serve as catalysts for collaboration between academia, industry, and government, creating the conditions necessary for breakthrough innovations to flourish. 

The presentation represents a pivotal moment in strengthening the relationship between European innovation infrastructure providers and EU policymakers. IASP International President Lena Miranda commented “Science Parks, AOIs, and Innovation Districts are all key players in the European innovation landscape and enablers of the European Commission’s ambitions and agendas. This is the message of the white paper we have put together, based on input from European members during a workshop held a few weeks ago.” She added, “With this position paper, we want to urge the EU to make greater use of our strengths as Europe raises its level of ambition regarding increased competitiveness and growth.” 

This engagement reinforces IASP and its European members’ commitment to supporting European innovation objectives and demonstrates the organisation's proactive approach to policy dialogue. The successful presentation of the white paper establishes a foundation for continued collaboration between IASP and European institutions in advancing innovation across the continent. 

Read the white paper here.

Photo credits: Kilometro Rosso