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PT Asturias: the Nano-materials and Nano-technology Innovation
Created on 2012/2/18 | Update 2012/8/15 | 606 reads
The Technology Park of Asturias (PT Asturias), inaugurated in June 1991, was an initiative of the Government of the Principality of Asturias to boost innovative business in the region. The Park is set in an impressive 48ha (approx.) of urban and natural surroundings and offers high quality, specific services to set up innovative, technology-based companies and projects.
PT Asturias houses the Non-Metallic Materials Technological Centre (ITMA Foundation), which now includes the Centre for Nano-materials and Nano-technology Research; the European Business and Innovation Centre (BIC Asturias), which manages the Incubator and future Bio-Incubator for the Park; and a Centre for Advanced Technology Services. Furthermore, the Park is the headquarters for regional public business promotion entities (IDEPA, ASTURGAR, ASTUREX, SRP, SRT). Businesses and investors can benefit from all these services aimed at improving their competitiveness.
At present, the PT Asturias has a hundred per cent level of occupancy. To respond to the growing demand of innovative technology companies, planning for an extension to the Park has begun in adjacent land, in approximately 74,000 m².
Location
Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés are the principal cities of Asturias where the majority of the population live; they form an area where the municipality of Llanera lies and where the location of the Technology Park of Asturias is found. PT Asturias lies in privileged natural surroundings and is close to residential zones, sports complexes and services. The sports complex of La Morgal includes, amongst other facilities, a golf course, an aerodrome and a 1,000m runway, which was once the airport of Asturias.
Innovation Network
The Technology Park of Asturias has close ties with the University of Oviedo and with regional technology and research centres. The University of Oviedo, its research institutions and departments play an important role in research and development projects carried out in Asturias. The university was founded in 1608. Today it has approximately 30,000 students and offers a good selection of degrees covering a range of fields.
The Principality of Asturias Technology and Research Centres network is comprised of the following entities:
- Centro Tecnológico de la Información y la Comunicación (CTIC)
- Centro Tecnológico para el Diseño y la Producción Industrial de Asturias (PRODINTEC)
- Centro Tecnológico de Materiales no Metálicos
- Centro Tecnológico del Acero y Materiales Metálicos (CEAMET)
- European Center for Soft Computing
- Centro Tecnológico de Experimentación Subterránea
- Centro de Investigación de Fuegos y Ventilaciones en Túneles (CIFVT)
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario de Asturias (SERIDA)
- Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía - Centro Oceanográfico
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos (IPLA)
The new Centre for Nano-materials and Nano-technology Research (CINN), the Technology Centre for Wood, the Experimental Station for Natural Resources and Biodiversity of the Cantabrian coast and the Milk and Derivatives Competence Centre will shortly join this network. Apart from these entities, there are other organisms in Asturias which provide technology services to companies, such as the Asturian Energy Foundation (FAEN) and the Fisheries Experimental Centre
The Technology Park of Asturias also has strong collaborative ties with other similar sites both nationally and internationally. On a national level, PT Asturias is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE) , a corner-stone in the Spanish Science-Technology trinomial, comprised of 25 science and technology parks located in 17 autonomous regions, making APTE a strong ally for innovation.
PT Asturias is also a member of the International Association of Science Parks, IASP, which includes Science Parks from all over the world as well as innovative company incubators and universities, regional and local development agencies, consultants and experts in technology and knowledge transfer and in general, all institutions, organisations or individuals whose activities or interests are involved with one of these activities.
Parque Tecnológico de Asturias
Unidad de Gestión del Parque Tecnológico de Asturias.
JETRO, or the Japan External Trade Organization, is an independent agency of the Japanese Government created to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world.
