FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

University of Delaware and STAR Campus to Host AURP 2023 International Conference

AURP’s Annual International Conference, Oct. 16-19, to spotlight the unique partnerships and collaborative infrastructure that define Delaware’s innovation and entrepreneurial success

Tucson, AZ, and College Park, MD, March 1, 2023 – The Association of University Research Parks (AURP), a global nonprofit membership association serving university and institutional research park communities and innovation districts, has announced the University of Delaware (UD) and its Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus as host of AURP’s 2023 International Conference, Oct. 16-19. The landmark Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington, Delaware, will serve as conference headquarters. Registration is now open with Early Bird rates extending through August 25th.

AURP’s International Conference brings together 300+ research park and innovation district leaders from around the world for high-impact knowledge exchange and networking with the industry’s premier experts and innovation professionals. This annual conference is hosted by member institutions, giving conference attendees robust opportunities to learn about and see first-hand how their peers operate and chart their growth paths.

UD’s 272-acre STAR Campus, originally the location of a Chrysler automobile assembly plant, now comprises roughly one million square feet of real estate, including multiple buildings, wet labs and more than 30 high-growth companies in fields ranging from health care to biotechnology, financial technology, agricultural science, advanced materials and more. In recent years, STAR Campus has received more than $500 million in investments.

“Our global AURP community is truly energized to bring our network community to the University of Delaware and its STAR Campus for our 2023 International Conference,” said Erin Koshut, AURP president and Executive Director of Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama. “The dynamism and collaborative spirit of the people in Delaware represent whole new ways to create and grow entrepreneurial-focused innovation districts and research parks. We look forward to learning from and interacting with each of Delaware’s innovation communities while in Wilmington and Newark.”

“AURP is looking forward to bringing innovation experts from around the world to the STAR Campus,” said Vickie Palmer, AURP Chief Executive Officer. “Our members will experience in-person this powerful regional and collaborative park system developed through its hugely successful university partnership with investment from private industry and government to create an education and research campus with global impact. The renaissance of this region and story of its rebirth, from its historic manufacturing background to research and education giant, are inspiring and a worthy choice for our 2023 International Conference,” Palmer said.

“The University of Delaware is proud and excited to welcome AURP’s International Conference to the STAR Campus this fall,” said UD President Dennis Assanis, a member of President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

“As a Research-1 and Community Engaged institution, UD is committed to addressing the critical needs of our state, nation and global community through deep learning, cutting-edge discovery and bold innovation,” Assanis said. “Partnerships are crucial to our success – and STAR Campus is a shining example of the power of partnerships at the intersection of academics and research with industry and community.”

Overall, UD’s growing innovation community, including its STAR Campus, is driving significant economic growth for the state, including more than $13 million in venture capital funding for UD startups; 32 startups resulting from licensing of UD technology; and more than 100 patents by UD researchers resulting from more than 450 inventions in the past decade.

About UD STAR Campus:
The STAR Campus is a burgeoning community of innovators driven by cutting-edge discovery. It is integral to the University of Delaware’s mission as a 21st-century research university, a place that is both intellectual intersection and economic engine fueled by an urgent commitment to advance knowledge in service to others. At the STAR Campus – as throughout the University of Delaware – we are dedicated to providing our students with a top-notch education that enables their success. This means providing hands-on learning experiences in interdisciplinary labs, in our community health clinics, and in internships and research projects with our public and private partners. Learn more: www.udel.edu/research-innovation/star

About AURP:
AURP, a non-profit international organization with offices in the Washington, D.C. area at the University of Maryland Discovery District and in Tucson, Arizona, at the University of Arizona Tech Park, focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for research parks, both operating and planned, plus innovation districts, incubators, accelerators and the businesses that support the research park industry. AURP and its global membership promote research, institute-industry relations and innovation districts to foster innovation and to facilitate the transfer of technology from such institutions to the private sector. Learn more: www.aurp.net

Media Contact:
Ken Berlack
AURP
[email protected]
 

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