IASP shares knowledge with the African Development Bank

IASP recently prepared a tailor-made training course for officials at the African Development Bank (AfDB), sharing expert knowledge on STP management and development from our network.

Taking place in online modules from 9-13 January, the training course was delivered by 5 experts from Brazil, Greece, Nigeria, South Africa and Spain, to provide a global perspective on technology park management, and in-depth knowledge of the African context.

The AfDB is a regional multilateral development finance institution, established to contribute to the economic development and social progress of African countries, and to reduce poverty across the continent. The bank is supporting the development of some technology parks across Africa, and this training course was specially devised to ensure bank officials had a solid overview of the industry and all the latest trends affecting STPs and AOIs.

The course began with a global overview of the science park industry from Luis Sanz, president of the IASP Advisory Council. He introduced some of the key strategic models and ownership and governance schemes, as well as exploring STPs and their local environment and potential success and failure factors. He was joined by McLean Sibanda (Biggen Group, South Africa) to go into more depth on STP management, in a session that looked at different management models and strategies; the profile of an STP CEO; management powers and decision-making capacity; and staffing.

The resident companies at an STP are its raison d’etre, and Claudio Marinho (Porto Digital, Brazil) guided officials through the different types of residents and clients; potential entry filters and requisites; strategies to attract resident companies including marketing and communication and a science park’s value proposition.

This value proposition is partly made up of the services a park offers to its residents, and Hauwa Yabani (ATVZ, Nigeria), explored STP services strategy, and how parks can configure a suite of different services and ensure effective delivery. Value-adding services are vital to attract and retain progressive tenants, and participants gained insights into fees matrices, potential operating structures, and the development of facilities. Completing the expert lineup was Paris Kokorotsikos (Euroconsultants, Greece) who presented a module on STP investment and financing, covering expense structures, business models and revenue models.

As a knowledge leader in the science park industry, IASP regularly collaborate with international development organisations, and it was a pleasure to build relationships with the African Development Bank and help them expand their expertise.

To find out more about IASP's knowledge and consultancy services, please visit https://www.iasp.ws/activities/services.