For the very first time Iran will host the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) World Conference from 2-5 Sept. in the city of Isfahan.

Hassan Khakbaz, a support assistant at Isfahan Science and Technology Town (lSTT), told Mehr News correspondent on Saturday that Isfahan will play host for the very first time to the 35th World Conference on Science Parks and Areas of Innovation from 2nd to 5th of September.

According to him, 158 papers have been submitted to the secretariat of this year’s conference, which is a record high in the previous ten editions of the event.

The papers have been sent from twenty IASP Member States, four of which are from Iran, he added.

Speakers from Germany, Turkey and South Korea will deliver speeches on urban sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovative urban planning, he said.

The theme of the 35th IASP World Conference is “Towards sustainable cities and communities: fostering innovation ecosystems.”

According IASP President Josep Pique, the theme is “closely connected to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which are an important tool for tackling the problems resulting from urban development, and cities can play an important role in their implementation.”

Isfahan Science and Technology Town (lSTT) has been a member of IASP for more than l5 years, having organized many regional conferences including a couple of joint IASP and ASPA (Asian Science Park Association) conferences ever since.

ISTT has assumed a leadership position in West Asia and North Africa region and held the presidency of this division for three times since its establishment.

/SR