Coimbra iParque

Coimbra iParque science park site in January 2011.

The Coimbra Innovation Park (iParque) is a science and technology park located in Coimbra (Portugal) – a city that has one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems in Portugal and is well-known, especially in the Portuguese-speaking world, for its scientific and cultural excellence. The park comprises 150.000 square meters of industrial sites and 700 square meters of office space. Additional facilities such as a data center, several conference halls and meeting rooms of different sizes, a restaurant and a green park are also available. The park also offers a range of specialized services to support business development, internationalization and establishment of foreign companies.

History and mission

Outdoor in the Coimbra iParque showing the planned project.

Coimbra has world-class educational, scientific and technological facilities, most prominently its ancient university - the University of Coimbra. Within Portugal, the Coimbra region has great incubation initiatives that serve both companies and ideas, excellent R&D groups and centres. Successful and innovative companies that are leaders, in Portugal and internationally. Coimbra iParque intends to connect these initiatives and work with them, establishing cooperation networks, creating synergies and competitive advantages.[1]

Coimbra iParque mission is to develop and modernize Coimbra as well as the region's economical activity by promoting, creating and settling companies with a high technological content and by aiming towards innovation, experimental development and the use of new technologies in advising or training actions. It intends to create a new concept of competition based on the collective efforts of a number of institutional initiatives that are credible and that show how successful the attraction of excellent qualified human resources can be, turning Coimbra into a definite reference among the European cities of knowledge.[2]

The construction of the park was concluded in 2010 and the location of companies started immediately. The park is currently the headquarters of companies and applied research centers with expertise in the fields of ICT, Health, Nanotech, Cleantech and Green building.

A second development phase – consisting of an additional 200.000 square meters of industrial sites and 3.500 square meters of office space – has already been approved, so there is plenty of space for expansion. This phase also includes dedicated areas for housing, shopping, green parks and sports facilities.

Coimbra Innovation Park Official Logo

References

  1. ↑ EU Report on Entrepreneurship in Higher Education specially in non-business studies (refers to iParque as an example in Portugal)
  2. ↑ (Portuguese) MCS, Coimbra iParque: Empresas que vão inaugurar o espaço serão conhecidas em breve - presidente, Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, retrieved on 24 January 2008

External links

Other related sites:


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