TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Monday, February 27

3:30 - 4:00 PM

SPRING TRAINING WELCOME

Speakers:

ACCELERATING RESEARCH TRANSLATION WITH THE NSF

Speaker:

Moderator:

AURP Board of Directors' Sponsor Appreciation Dinner
Location: Arizona Science Center in Phoenix
Casual attire appropriate – meet in the hotel lobby at 5:30PM to depart for the Arizona Science Center.

Welcome Remarks from AURP President:

All attendees are welcome to attend this valuable networking dinner as we toast our sponsors of AURP Spring Training 2023.

Sponsor:

Tuesday, February 28

Journey Up 'A' Mountain
Huddle up in the courtyard with your AURP f riends before the journey of a lifetime up A Mountain. Whether meditating, engaging with your colleagues, or walking up A Mountain, being mindful of your body and surroundings, is important at every level of engagement each day and every moment. (Sunrise 6:57 am)

Continental Breakfast
Not up for the Mindfulness Walk on the trail up A Mountain? Studies continue to prove mindfulness matters no matter your surroundings. Take in a relaxing continental breakfast al fresco under that flowering orange trees in the Tempe Mission Palms courtyard.
Note: Full breakfast or buffet is available in The Cloister Restaurant at individual expense.

9:00 - 9:15 AM

SPRING TRAINING WELCOME REMARKS

Spring Training Co-Chairs:

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

University of Louisiana - Monroe
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Research Park at Florida Atlantic University
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MODULE 1 - PART 1
ASSESSING INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS
In many communities, universities and their associated research parks and innovation districts, serve as the linchpin to that region's innovation ecosystem. These communities require significant investments (and patience) to achieve their potential. These long-term and consistent efforts from the university anchors and associated partners ultimately lead investors to consider how best to evaluate and assess the impact from their commitments. This interactive session will feature several academic leaders with experience with these efforts and how they assess these communities of innovation. Attendees will also be asked to discuss and consider metrics that can be used for assessing these ecosystems.

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Moderators:

Networking Break

MODULE 1 - PART 2
ENERGIZING PLACES TO ACTIVATE PEOPLE
This session – Energizing Places to Activate People – walks participants through place-based paradigm shifts and the research that encourages us all to take them seriously. It introduces new approaches that we use with Spark-Town communities working to improve their local innovation and creativity. We have these conversations all through the lens of your specific place and the people who make up your ecosystem, sending you home with actionable strategies to make your ecosystem thrive. 

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Group Luncheon
Enjoy the extensive luncheon buffet with carved meats, pastas, prepared entrees, salads, ice cream sundae bar and more, then pick a seat with your colleagues on the patio or shaded indoors. Bring your sunglasses and soak up some sun while diving deeper into the morning’s conversation.

Sponsor:

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

Rice University
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Tech Parks Arizona
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MODULE 2 - PART 1
INNOVATION IN REAL PLACES
The unique ecosystem of every research park and innovation district calls for a renewed focus on resource-allocation and equity. A departure from the often over-hyped Silicon Valley model toward strategies that allow for greater complexity will result in prosperity for parks and districts with unique circumstances across the world. This engaging session will allow audience members to interact with Dan Breznitz, the author of Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World, as he unpacks what it means to support the agents of innovation. Participants will leave with an understanding of available options a community can explore to reach prosperity, along with a greater sense of clarity on the difference between invention and innovation.

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Moderator:

Networking Break

MODULE 2 - PART 2
TALENT, INNOVATION, PLACE: BUSH INSTITUTE PERSPECTIVES
Bush Institute research on the innovation impact of universities, including novel rankings of institutions for overall innovation impact and for productivity in turning research dollars into innovation impact, sheds fresh light on factors promoting impact in university organization and technology commercialization programs. Research in progress also provides new insights into local talent development strategies and university-linked innovation districts, including growing emphasis on inclusive housing and economic development.

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Moderator:

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: IN OUR WORLD AND IN THEIRS
Really, why does Government Relations matter for your Park or District, and why does it matter that it’s YOU who does it? What are you doing right or wrong for your Park/District, and how does our political landscape impact what and how we do GR?  With their collective leader and practitioner experience at the federal, state, local and corporate levels, Mike and Aaron will be guided on a candid and authentic journey of the Government Relations landscape that will leave you with real and inspired takeaways. What away to end a day at AURP’s Spring Training!  

Speakers:

Moderator:
 

Informal Group Dinners
Groups will depart the reception for 6:00 pm reservations.
All fees and expenses are at individual expense.
Tonight is the first night of our peer group dinners. Sign up for a group reservation and make new friends, learn and exchange ideas. Attendees are encouraged to create new groups and choose a new restaurant of your own.
Sign-up sheets are available at registration desk until 1:00 pm.
Each group will walk/Uber/Lyft/taxi to their restaurant of choice.

Wednesday, March 1

Hike Up 'A' Mountain
Ready for round 2? Your AURP friends are there to support you as you clear out the cobwebs and set out for Day 2 up A Mountain. The beautiful Arizona sunrise will refresh your heart, mind and body for another day of deep thought and learning. (Sunrise 6:56 am)

TOUR - PHOENIX BIOSCIENCE CORE
Meet in the Tempe Mission Palms Courtyard to proceed on the tour. The bus to Phoenix Bioscience Core will leave promptly at 8:30am. Grab some snack and water at the Snack Shack before we depart the Tempe Mission Palms

Host:

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INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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Research Triangle Park
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Group Luncheon
Same great extensive luncheon buffet but with varied menu of carved meats, pastas, prepared entrees, salads, ice cream sundae bar and more. Grab a seat on the patio next to someone you haven’t met before. Mix it up!

AURP EVENT PROMOTIONS
BIO Health Caucus: June 4-5 in Boston, MA. Held in conjunction with BIO International Convention | June 5-8.
International Conference 2023: October 16-19 in Newark, DE Hosted by STAR Campus at University of Delaware
I2RP Fall 2023: Aggie Square, University of CA, Davis, Health
Spring Training 2024: March 3-March 7 in Tempe, AZ

MODULE 3
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PARTNERSHIPS
Programs, research, and initiatives based on community demands and inclusive practices can lead to growth and success for research parks nationwide. Whether it be to meet diverse workforce demands, accelerate commercialization, support inclusive programs, or plan a district from the ground up, leaders can benefit from intentional partnerships that are designed with their community in mind. During this session, you will learn best practices and lessons learned from four diverse programs and districts, including:

• Research Triangle Park’s DEI Collective, a 40+ company and partner effort aimed at connecting regional DEI efforts, growing a network of community members, integrating DEI actions throughout the park, and scaling events and programs for broader impact
• Rowen Foundation’s inclusive planning strategy of its 2,000-acre site in Gwinnett County, Georgia, which involves continued inputs from university, government, and corporate partners to design a district committed to environmental sustainability, transit connectivity, and the creation of a future-focused workforce
• University City Science Center’s Building an Understanding of Lab Basics (BULB) program, a workforce development initiative that provides the Philadelphia community with the training and skills they need to take on in-demand life science careers
• George Mason University’s Institute for Biohealth Innovation, which leverages statewide collaborations to increase access to clinical research, accelerate commercialization, and develop and attract a diverse workforce

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Moderator:

Coffee Break

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

McMaster Innovation Park
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San Diego State University
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NETWORKING HAPPY HOUR
Sponsor:

Informal Group Dinners
Group to meet in hotel front lobby at 5:45 pm to depart for 6:00 pm reservations.
All fees and expenses are at individual expense.
In our final night of our informal group dinners, connect with your comrades and collaborate on the discussions from the day. 
Sign-up sheets are available at registration desk until 1:00 pm.
Each group will walk/Uber/Lyft/taxi to their restaurant of choice.

Thursday, March 2

Hike Up 'A' Mountain
Your AURP friends are there to support you as you clear out the cobwebs and set out for your last day up 'A' Mountain. The beautiful Arizona sunrise will refresh your heart, mind and body for another day of deep thought and learning. (Sunrise 6:55 am)

Continental Breakfast
Here’s your chance to meet someone new, wrap up that session discussion, or schedule a future call with someone you met this week at Spring Training! Kick back and enjoy that Arizona sunshine prior to the tour.

MODULE 4
ENTREPRENEUR DRIVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
When startups are successful, they infuse their local economy with new opportunity. Successful startups hire employees, purchase infrastructure and attract capital to their regions. This session will explore how startups attempt to achieve such success in their regions and how entrepreneurial support organizations assist in those efforts.

Speakers:

Moderator:

Startup #1:

Startup #2:

Startup #3:

Networking Break

MODULE 5 - PART 1
CUSTOM COMMUNITY FOCUSED CAPITAL MARKETPLACES: 
Help early stage companies in our research parks, access capital, find and grow early adopter by building custom community focused marketplaces
Creating, attracting, and growing startups and other early-stage high growth firms are an important part of a research park’s growth strategy and its contribution to innovation led regional economic development efforts. Access to capital is the number one barrier reported by entrepreneurs driving these growth companies. 
This session will build on the previous capital overview, by discussing Capital2Market’s equity crowd funding platform which connects investors in your local community to the innovations coming f rom your research parks. Thus, making it easier for startups to raise the capital they critically need, while providing a wider range of investors an opportunity to participate in previously exclusive investments. 
This is a session you won’t want to miss!

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Moderator:

MODULE 5 - PART 2
ANGELS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Angel Investing groups are a key course of early-stage capital for scalable startups. Learn how Angels operate, what they look for when evaluating investments and how best to engage with your local Angel groups.

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Moderator:

Group Luncheon
Grab a bite as we conclude Spring Training 2023! Enjoy the sunshine and mingling before we depart after a successful event.

BASEBALL!
Cubs vs Athletics @ Sloan Park (SOLD OUT)
Group to depart hotel lobby at 12:15 PM.Game time: 1:05 pm MST