Luis Sanz, Director General of IASP, said, “We are proud to have the leadership of Rick Weddle, someone who is so highly regarded in the international science and technology community.”
Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 20, 2012
Rick L. Weddle, President and CEO of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission in Orlando, Fla., U.S., was named the first American President of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) Executive Board today in Tallinn, Estonia.
Weddle takes the helm of the worldwide network of Science and Technology Parks from Mauricio Guedes of Parque Tecnológico do Rio in Brazil for a two-year term expiring in 2014. Weddle represents Lake Nona Medical City and the Central Florida Research Park on the IASP Board.
Luis Sanz, Director General of IASP, said, “We are proud to have the leadership of Rick Weddle, someone who is so highly regarded in the international science and technology community.”
Rick Weddle stated, “I am honored to be the first American President of IASP and I look forward to serving the association and its members who are critically important to the global economy.”
Weddle was named President during the 29th IASP World Conference themed “Science and Technology Parks: Serving the Companies and the Innovation Community”. Weddle presented a paper during the final conference session “Drawing the Global Picture” following Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia.
The paper titled, “Mapping Knowledge Ecosystems”, builds upon existing research, including the paper “Future Knowledge Ecosystems, The Next 20 Years of Technology-Led Economic Development” authored by Anthony Townsend, Rick Weddle and Alex Soojung-Kim Pang and presented at the 2009 IASP World Conference. The paper uses the concept of regional knowledge ecosystems as a model for future regional competitiveness and advances the concept of knowledge ecosystems.
This paper also attempts to glean key lessons to be learned by looking, more in depth, at the success of vibrant centers or knowledge ecosystem assets through the various stages of their development and growth, either purposely designed developments or as organically evolving concentrations of innovation assets within the region of Orlando, Fla., U.S. The report and presentation can be found here: http://www.orlandoedc.com/knowledgeecosystem/.
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About the International Association of Science Parks (IASP)
Headquartered in Malaga, Spain, the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) is the worldwide network of Science and Technology Parks. Created in 1984, IASP has 379 members representing 125,000 companies from 70 countries across the world.
IASP aims to connect Science Park professionals from across the globe and provide services that drive growth and effectiveness for its members who enhance the competitiveness of companies and entrepreneurs of their cities and regions and contribute to global economic development through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transfer of knowledge and technology. For more information, visit http://www.iasp.ws/.
About the Metro Orlando EDC
The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) is a not-for-profit, private/public partnership. The EDC serves Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties and the City of Orlando in Florida, U.S.A. Since its start in 1977, the EDC, with the support of its community partners, has assisted thousands of companies relocate, expand and grow in the four-county Metro Orlando (Florida) region. This has led to the creation of more than 169,000 jobs; $9.2 billion in capital investment; and 77 million square feet of office and industrial space leased or constructed. For more information, visit http://www.OrlandoEDC.com.
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