Surrey Research Park to coordinate international science park collaboration

Published by

Sam Pither

Surrey Research Park’s CEO, Grant Bourhill, has been proposed as the coordinator of the International Association of Science Parks' (IASP) planned global Sustainability Subnetwork.

The network would be set up with the goal of sharing best practice in energy and environmental sustainability, accelerating the effectiveness of individual local activities.

By working together in areas including regulatory change; the reduction of carbon emissions and mitigation against climate impacts; and strategies to combat changes in environmental and social wellbeing the IASP hopes to pool ideas and experience to advance progress across science and technology parks in all its member regions.

Collaboration of science and technology parks is also hoped to support the parks in working with their tenants on energy and wider environmental sustainability activities in areas such as water, food, soil, waste and biodiversity.

The subnetwork would aim to maintain the place of Science and Technology Parks at the forefront of their country’s efforts to slow climate change. In 2021, all 191 members of the United Nations reaffirmed the Paris Agreement’s pledge to hold the increase in the average global temperature well below 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.