14:30 - 14:50 - Opening Ceremony

Join us to officially open IASP Virtual, our first ever online World Conference!

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We will have a few words from IASP Chairman Paul Krutko and CEO Ebba Lund,  a greeting from our full international board of directors, and you can meet our MC.

14:50 - 15:20 - Keynote 

We are delighted to welcome Lee Newman, Dean, Professor and Edu-Entrepreneur at IE University (Spain) as our keynote speaker at IASP Virtual! 

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He'll be talking about "Behavior and innovation: why it’s not easy to stay ahead"

Innovation as a process can lead to competitive advantage for teams, companies and nations.  Yet it turns out that truly continuous innovation proves very difficult to sustain.  Why? In this session, Lee Newman will discuss some of the subtle psychological factors that are often obstacles to innovation and he will propose several behavioral mindsets that can be cultivated to help overcome these obstacles. 

15:30 - 16:15 - Community building in a changed world

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The success of innovation ecosystems doesn’t just depend on having large numbers of companies on site: they also need a supportive community of people to rely on, serve and work with. Community building has become too important not to be handled professionally, and we will explore some of the tools and techniques STPs and AOIs deploy to build and maintain a sense of community, as well as how they have adapted to life under the pandemic.

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Moderator: Lena Miranda (Linköping Science Park, Sweden)

With Jernej Pintar (Ljubljana Technology Park, Slovenia), Vaido Mikheim (Tartu Science Park, Estonia) and Mieke de Bruin (Utrecht Science Park, The Netherlands).

16:20 - 16:30 - Quickfire interview: innovation ecosystem managers

Who are the people running science parks and areas of innovation? As we focus on the human factor, let’s connect with the managers to hear what brought them to the industry, their profiles, what they love about it and more… In this double interview you will meet  Mia Rolf  (Ideon Science Park, Sweden) and  Hauwa Yabani (Abuja Technology Village Free Zone Company, Nigeria)

16:40 - 17:10 - Icebreaker

Missing human interaction and the chance to say hello to IASP colleagues from around the world in person? This is your moment to connect in a virtual space on Gatherly where you will be able to turn on your cam and join random smaller groups to say hi, take the elevator to another virtual floor to meet other peers and more. Our MC will be with us to get the ball rolling!

17:10 - 17:55 - Innovation communities: stories from London, Medellín and Toronto 

Some of the world's most emblematic innovation hubs from London (UK), Medellin (Colombia) and Toronto (Canada) will be in conversation on our virtual stage, sharing insights into what makes their urban innovation communities so effective. None of them are traditional STPs, and from their different local contexts they will reflect on our common mission to support innovation, attract talent, and foster sector convergence.

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Moderator: Paul Krutko (Ann Arbor SPARK, Michigan, USA)

Speakers: Gavin Poole (Here East, UK), Alex Ryan (MaRS, Canada) and Paulina Villa (Ruta N Medellin, Colombia)

18:00 - 18:30 -  Innovation in the city

How can cities build a culture of innovation to tackle big problems and deliver better results for residents? Moderator McLean Sibanda will be talking to speaker Stephanie Wade (Bloomberg Philanthropies, USA) about the most effective approaches to innovation, including design-based innovation, data analytics, and behavioural economics, and their impact on real social issues.

18:45 - 19:15 -  New forms of work: opportunities for people and organisations

What will work look like in the future? There are complex feedback loops between new technology, jobs and skills, and new technologies can drive business growth, job creation and demand for specialist skill. Explore how innovation ecosystems can help people and organisations make the most of these opportunities, and continue to keep pace with the changing world through lifelong learning and continuous improvement.

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Moderator: Filippo Addarii (PlusValue, UK)

Speakers: Jean-Sébastien Bouchard (SYNECDO, Canada), Balvinder Singh Powar (IE Business School, Spain), and Jordi Alba Canals (Lighthouse DIG, USA).

19:35 - 19:45 - Quickfire interview: innovation ecosystem managers

Who are the people running science parks and areas of innovation? As we focus on the human factor, let’s connect with the managers to hear what brought them to the industry, their profiles, what they love about it and more… In this double interview you will meet Kadi Villers (Tehnopol Tallinn Science Park, Estonia) and Rodrigo Mendes (Parque Tecnológico - São José dos Campos, Brazil).

19:45 - 19:55 - Networking time with our MC

Join our icebreaking activities to help you make new connections!

19:55 - 20:15 - AI update since #IASPnantes

Our 2019 World Conference IASP Nantes took an in-depth look at the fast-moving technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution: invited speaker Yves Lostanlen from Element AI in Canada returns to update us on all the latest developments in this key sector that is quietly revolutionising the way we work. Join him in conversation with Peter Kurzwelly from AI Sweden.

20:15 - 20:45 - City destinations and when we'll meet again

We used to travel the world and explore wonderful destinations together. What’s ahead and how are cities around the world preparing for us to get back to our in-person meetings? What about the venues and tech tours to innovation hotspots around the city? Join us for a conversation with BestCities Global Alliance and speakers from Copenhagen, Melbourne and Singapore.

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Moderator: Jane Cunningham (BestCities Global Alliance)

Speakers: Beverley Williamson (Melbourne Convention Bureau, Australia), Kit Lykketoft (Copenhagen Convention Bureau, Denmark), and Denitsa Arabadzhieva (Singapore Exhibition and Conventions Bureau, Singapore).  

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