Kyoto Research Park marks 35th anniversary and signs MOU with Malaga TechPark

IASP member Kyoto Research Park (KRP) commemorated its 35th anniversary in July marking over three decades of innovation since its establishment in 1989. The celebration, held at the park, welcomed more than 160 attendees, including representatives from fellow IASP members Malaga TechPark and Hsinchu Science Park. 

Kyoto Research Park was established in 1989 as a first private science park in Japan and now has 510 companies and startups with 6,000 people in 18 building at the site of ex-gas factory of Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. 

The ceremony on 31st July began with opening remarks from Mitsuo Asano, President of Kyoto Research Park, who cited “the concentration of support organisations from Kyoto Prefecture and the city of Kyoto, which allows us to provide one-stop services”, as a strength. The keynote address was delivered by Atsushi Horiba, chairman and group CEO of Horiba Seisakusho. 

As part of the anniversary celebrations, KRP and Malaga TechPark signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen their collaboration. The agreement was signed by Mitsuo Asano (president of KRP) and Carolina España (Minister for Economy, Finance and European Funds), in presence of Juan Manuel Moreno (president of the regional government of Andalucia), and Iñigo de Palacio (ambassador of Spain in Japan). 

The two parks have maintained a collaborative relationship since 2015, beginning with Malaga TechPark’s participation in the Smart City Expo held in Kyoto Science City. Their ties have been further strengthened through regular encounters at IASP leadership meetings, as well as at IASP World Conferences. The objective of this MOU is to promote ongoing cooperation in research and development, knowledge transfer, human resource development and business exchanges. They expect to support startups that hope to go into European markets from Kyoto and invite startups and companies from Malaga to go to Japan.