The new board was elected at the organisations General Assembly held in Bergamo, Italy, on 22 September.
 
The IASP International board of directors consists of the three members of the executive board, the presidents of its five regional divisions, and directors elected by the members present at the General Assembly.

Raivo Tamkivi from the Tallin Technology Park in Estonia is the new president; Chachanat Thebtaranonth, who heads the Asia-Pacific region, is the vice-president, and Pierre Belangér, head of the North American region, is the treasurer.

Other directors were drawn from various countries, including Spain, Sweden, France, Portugal, the UK, and of course, SA.
 
Commenting on the significance of being on the IASP board of directors, Dr Comins says: This gives Africa the opportunity to enhance its contribution to the global community of science parks. There is growing interest in science parks in many parts of our continent, so having a representative on the international board of directors augurs well for regional economic development.
 
The Innovation Hub states that the IASP provides a global network for science and technology parks and innovation-based business incubators, while driving growth, internationalisation and effectiveness for its members.

Additionally, it is said to offer its members a listing in the IASP directory, as well as permanent networking assistance.
 
The Innovation Hub, one of eleven projects of the Gauteng Provincial Governments Blue IQ initiative to invest in economic infrastructure development in the province, is reportedly the only full member of the IASP in Africa.

The Innovation Hub says its membership of the IASP has created linkages to science parks in more than 50 countries around the world.
 
According to the Innovation Hub, science parks worldwide are responsible for promoting economic development and increasing competitiveness of their regions and cities.

They aim to add value to business endeavours, create innovative new enterprises, foster entrepreneurship, and enhance the synergy between universities and companies.