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Check out recent Listserv posts including Keisha Demps' Centennial Campus @NCSU, asking about accelerators on university campuses.

For this week's "One Text With . . . ", Vickie Palmer, AURP CEO, reconnects with Mason Ailstock, AURP Past President and CEO of the Rowen Foundation, the steward of the 2,000-acre global district connecting higher education (Emory, Georgia Tech, Spelman, University of Georgia, USG, TCSG) and industry.

Vickie: "Hi Mason, what's a new project or development you're involved with at Rowen?"

Mason: “Thank you Vickie – Rowen has invested $400K+ in Living Lab projects with Georgia universities, technical colleges, and HBCUs, leveraging our 2,000 acres in Metro Atlanta to equip the future workforce. With $30M in infrastructure complete, we’re preparing to launch the Convergence Center, tenant campuses, and a mixed-use village in 2026.”

Vickie: "What a terrific report – thank you Mason – keep us in the loop on next year's Convergence Center launch!"

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Community Pulse webinar series

Missed a session? Or want to rewatch your favorites? No problem.

All past Community Pulse webinars are available on demand.

Log-in on Member Portal to view the "Community Pulse Webinar Recordings" to catch up anytime!

🚨 AURP IC2025

Here's a taste of what’s waiting for you...

This is the moment where ideas collide, partnerships ignite, and you might just find the collaboration that shifts your trajectory.

The AURP 2025 International Conference lands at UNLV and the Harry Reid Research & Technology Park—your chance to connect with global leaders in university research parks and innovation districts.

🌟 AURP 2025 IS ALMOST HERE!

• High-Impact Agenda: Dive into sessions led by industry visionaries on emerging technologies, economic development strategies, and global collaboration opportunities.
• Exclusive Networking: Build powerful alliances with CEOs, researchers, policymakers, and investors—all in one place.
• Cutting-Edge Insights: Discover how leading innovation hubs are driving breakthroughs in AI, biotech, clean energy, and more.
• Inspiring Tours: Experience UNLV’s innovation ecosystem firsthand and see the future of research parks in action.

⏳ Seats are limited

Don’t miss out on this once-a-year opportunity.

🔗 Register Now to join the global conversation shaping the future of innovation.

🔗 REGISTER TODAY

🔍 AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS YOU CAN'T MISS

These aren’t filler sessions — they’re curated for impact. Here's a taste of what’s waiting for you:

• Meet the Leaders -- Communities of Innovation 101 | Your exclusive opportunity to connect with AURP’s thought leaders. (Tue PM)
• Leadership Roundtable: Navigating the Tides of Change | Closed-door, high-level discussions on how innovation leaders adapt in volatile times. (Wed AM)
• Clean Tech Caucus | Dive into energy, water, data challenges for innovation districts (Fri AM)
• Future of Innovation Districts | How UNLV, Clark County, and North Las Vegas are aligning regional economic growth with research-led projects.
• The New Frontier – Leveraging Texas HB112 | Real-world case study of how science parks are being framed as engines of transformation via legislation.
• Rapid Fire: Scaling University-Industry Partnerships | Learn strategies from a national NSF-backed project to enhance collaboration at scale.
• Quantum Computing + Bridging the Valley of Death | Cutting-edge talks on quantum’s future, plus pathways to commercialize early-stage science.
• AURP 29th Annual Awards of Excellence in Innovation | Celebrate the boldest ideas, the biggest breakthroughs, and the risk-takers who pushed boundaries.

Resources & Announcements

NSF Names 15 Finalists in Regional Innovation Engines Competition, Winners Expected in 2026

The NSF has selected 15 finalist teams to advance in the second round of its Regional Innovation Engines (“NSF Engines”) competition. These teams —led by universities, nonprofits and industry partners from around the U.S. —are developing regional innovation clusters focused on critical technologies including energy grid security, critical minerals extraction, quantum computing, among others. Many of the finalists were recipients of planning grants in 2023–24, and they have spent the past year building coalitions and refining their technology and economic visions. NSF will now conduct in-depth interviews and due diligence, with the ultimate award winners expected to be announced in early 2026. Read more.

AURP Members

Weekly Updates

AURP and Stiletto Release 2025 Economic Impact Report: The Power of North American Research Parks

AURP, in partnership with Stiletto: Make a Point, has unveiled its groundbreaking 2025 Economic Impact Report — a must-read for anyone invested in the future of innovation.

This powerful report reveals how research parks, innovation districts, tech hubs, and other communities of innovation are not just supporting progress — they’re powering workforce solutions, accelerating research commercialization, and fueling regional and national economic growth.

The results are clear: these communities deliver an extraordinary return on investment and are driving measurable impact across North America.

📢 Don’t miss the insights shaping the future of innovation.

➡️ Read our press release now and see the numbers for yourself!

The Economist: China’s State-Driven Model Propels It Into Global Innovation Leadership

China’s rise as a global innovation leader is largely attributed to its state-directed “innovation chain,” according to a recent article in The Economist. Their system centers on ideas being cultivated in state labs and universities and then are systematically converted into commercial breakthroughs, particularly in electric vehicles, batteries, AI, robotics and green technologies. Policy overhauls have strengthened the linkages between government, academia and industry, while local government investment zones and national programs are pushing commercialization and scaling of cutting-edge research. But this model comes with growing risks: inefficiencies, distorted incentives, overcapacity and concerns that resource misallocations could ultimately undercut long-term productivity and economic growth. Read more (free article available behind paywall).

OSU-Cascades Seeks Developer for New Innovation District

Oregon State University–Cascades has launched a nationwide search for a lead developer to build the first phase of its future 24-acre Innovation District in Bend, OR. Designed to foster research, commercial innovation and student experiential learning, the district will feature labs, classrooms, retail, housing and outdoor gathering spaces. The selected partner will lease land from OSU and oversee the design, construction and management of up to five buildings, with the first two slated to begin construction in 2028. The district will target industries like outdoor products, energy systems, and biotech, aligning with regional economic priorities and OSU’s academic strengths. Read more.

Geotab, connected-vehicle and fleet telematics company, is investing $223,000 to fund a doctoral research project at Georgia Tech aimed at improving traffic, road safety and urban mobility through data analytics and AI. The projec will focus on analyzing traffic dynamics in the Atlanta area while testing how Geotab’s Altitude dataset can validate or enhance existing congestion models. As part of the initiative, PhD students have been embedded within Geotab’s teams to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the application of research findings to real-world challenges. The partnership underscores Geotab’s broader strategy of combining academic research with industry data to advance AI-driven mobility solutions. Read more.

The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Research & Technology Park in Fargo has rebranded as NDeavor Barry D. Batcheller Tech Park, launching a renewed mission to accelerate dual-use technologies that advance U.S. national security and transform commercial markets such as precision agriculture. Honoring entrepreneur and regional tech leader Barry Batcheller, the park will build on its legacy of startup incubation, university-industry collaboration and workforce development while focusing on two pillars: autonomous systems for defense and intelligent mobile technologies for agriculture. With its incubator, advanced prototyping labs, and strong ties to NDSU, military partners, and industry, NDeavor aims to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world deployment, driving economic growth, national resilience and global competitiveness from North Dakota. Read more.

The University of Vermont (hope to UVM Innovations) has partnered with BioLabs to open the BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM’s Colchester facility, aimed at supporting entrepreneur-led startups in life sciences R&D. The facility — about 7,000 sq. ft. of combined wet labs, flexible office space, and shared common areas— will house 10-20 early-stage companies, offering a competitive admission process, access to UVM’s research enterprise including more than 200 research and 700 clinical faculty and close proximity to core campus facilities and transit. UVM is the first rural university in the BioLabs network. Read more.

Rick Muma, President of Wichita State University, writes in a new NACRO blog piece (“Evolving Partnerships for the Future of Higher Education") that universities must shift from transactional relationships with industry toward deeper, mission-driven partnerships. He points to Wichita State’s 120-acre Innovation Campus — home to organizations like Deloitte, Boeing, NetApp and federal agencies — as a model in which students and faculty co-innovate with industry partners. The campus has delivered nearly 9,000 paid applied learning opportunities last year, generating $36 million in wages for students, and illustrates Muma’s vision of strategic, ecosystem-based engagement that aligns higher education, regional economies and workforce needs. Read more.

IonQ (winner of AURP's 2021 Innovation Impact Award and located at UMD's Discovery District) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vector Atomic, a California-based company specializing in quantum sensors for positioning, navigation, and timing applications. Under the all-stock deal, Vector Atomic’s portfolio of rackmount atomic clocks, gravimeters, synchronization hardware, inertial sensors and related intellectual property will become part of IonQ, accelerating its push into the quantum sensing space while complementing its existing computing and networking platforms. The acquisition aligns with IonQ’s strategy to create a full-stack quantum technology offering that integrates computing, networking, and sensing — especially for defense and national security use cases. Read more.

Science and tech parks are navigating challenges such as tighter federal funding, policy uncertainty and rising costs, yet remain resilient thanks to strong university partnerships, sustainability initiatives and specialized incubators and accelerators, according to Carol Stewart, Vice President of Tech Parks Arizona. In an interview with Expansion Solutions Magazine, Stewart noted that global survey data show 93.7% of parks host incubators, 80.2% collaborate with universities and 81.7% operate accelerators, underscoring their evolution into full innovation ecosystems. She added that while demand for space — especially in biotech, deep tech and research infrastructure — remains strong, financing hurdles will persist until federal budget policies, tariffs and overhead rates are clarified. Read more.

Merck has broken ground on a $1 billion Biologics Center of Excellence at the Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP) in Wilmington, DE, marking one of the company’s largest life-science investments in the region. The new facility will expand Merck’s research, development and manufacturing capacity for biologic therapeutics, create hundreds of high-skilled jobs, and strengthen the company’s global leadership in biologics while enhancing the state’s growing innovation and science ecosystem. With proximity to Delaware and Pennsylvania universities, Merck Wilmington Biotech will also attract talented students and professionals, supporting community growth and development. Read more.

New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center and the City of Santa Fe have launched the Santa Fe Small Business Navigator program — one of the state’s most comprehensive support networks for entrepreneurs — providing Santa Fe–based business owners access to free, confidential services including one‑on‑one advising, mentoring, training, microgrant programs and help with licensing, business planning and marketing. The program is designed to strengthen the local economy by helping small businesses overcome common barriers to growth and sustainability, with additional support focused on underrepresented entrepreneurs. Read more.

Florida State University (FSU) has established the Magnetic Capital Research Advisory Council to bolster regional economic development by leveraging the capabilities of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab) - Florida's lone national laboratory. The council aims to position Tallahassee and Florida as leaders in advanced magnetic technologies, energy solutions, and materials science, thereby attracting talent and fostering job creation. Chaired by FSU Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson, the council comprises industry, finance and scientific leaders. The National MagLab, headquartered at FSU, currently generates a $709 million economic impact nationally, with $221 million attributed to the Tallahassee region. Read more.

#AURPinAction

Economic Impact Reports

Research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs are strong economic, job-creating engines and contribute to economic development in local communities, regions, states and nations.

Our AURP website features current impact studies that illustrate the dynamic impact of university research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs.

Check out Morgan State University's 2024 Economic Impact Report!

Share your impact report on our website! Learn more.

AURP CAREER CENTER

Check out the AURP Career Center to discover your

next career opportunity, including:



• Associate Provost for Research and Innovation, and Director of Atwood Innovation Plaza – Utah Tech University
• Chief Operating Officer, Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology – University of Virginia
• Director of Research Park Operations – University of Tennessee Research Park
• University Director of Technology Ventures – The City University of New York