Italian Association of Science and Technology Parks

APSTI - Associazione Parchi Scientifici e Tecnologici Italiani - is the national network of scientific and technological parks. The majority of PSTs are members (30 members) accounting for virtually all of the Italian regions, with the aim of supporting economic development through innovation. The objective of the Association is to work in such a way that these infrastructures are increasingly characterised as INTEGRATORS between the companies' need for innovative growth, especially small- and very small-sized businesses, and the wealth of knowledge embodied by the Centres of Technological and Scientific Excellence, Universities and Research Centres. This can be done by creating systems to network the functions of the many subjects who interact in the field of innovation and the transfer of technology.

APSTI is committed to promoting the substantial wealth of scientific, technological and organisational expertise embodied by the parks, so that its content can be shared and used by the network in order to raise the level of competitiveness of business systems and local communities. The network is strengthened and qualified by the work of Commissions, composed of experts from the Parks, who deal with the various sectors and general issues in order to:

- Systematically promote instruments and policies in support and for the qualification of projects for the development of high-tech business systems;

- Boost and support the innovative evolution of the productive sectors that have a strategic value, which together can give new competitiveness to the national economic system.

- Ease the birth and development of new high-tech companies through an integrated incubator system.

APSTI is engaged in networking the functions of the many subjects that interact in the area of innovation and technology transfer by developing coordinated, complementary actions, a key feature to boost the development of the Innovation chain.

The value of the NETWORK:

• BUILDING A NETWORK OF CONTENTS AND ACTIVITIES as a tool for cooperation between the PSTs.
• SHARING THE TECHNOLOGICAL AND ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE embodied by the PSTs to increase the competitiveness of business systems and local communities.
• PROMOTING THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT of new high-tech companies through an integrated incubation system.
• COORDINATING METHODS FOR COOPERATION between Universities-Parks-Businesses.
• UPGRADING POLICIES AND LEGISLATIONS for the innovative development of the business systems.
• EXTENDING COOPERATION with European and international PST systems.