What is a Research Park / Innovation District?
University research parks are physical environments that can generate, attract and retain science and technology companies and talent in alignment with sponsoring research institutions that include, universities, as well as public, private and federal research laboratories.
Research parks enable the flow of ideas between innovation generators such as, universities, federal labs, and non-profit R&D institutions and companies located in both the research park and the surrounding region. These environments are complex ecosystems of businesses, support assets and physical assets that link together. The exact linkages vary from park to park, making each environment distinct.
Today there is an estimated 1,000 research parks across the globe making impacts in their local, region, national economies while advancing research for us all.
2025 Economic Impact Report: The Power of North American Research Parks
AURP’s 2025 Economic Impact Survey Results, prepared in partnership with Stiletto: Make a Point, highlight the critical role of communities of innovation in powering workforce solutions, advancing research commercialization and driving regional and national economic impact.
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Additional Resources:
For more information on university research, science and technology parks, visit the Publications page where you’ll find
the AURP-Battelle Report, The Power of Place and other resources.
What Others Are Saying
Research parks are seen increasingly around the world as a means to create dynamic clusters that accelerate economic growth and international competitiveness. They are widely considered to be a proven tool to encourage the formation of innovative high technology companies. They are also seen as an effective means to generate employment and to make existing companies more competitive.