BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6af3bb3fcb61d DTSTART:20260326T130000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260326T143000Z LOCATION:Global\, SUMMARY:Launch of STI park policy toolkit\, expert network and e-learning c ourse CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:The UNCTAD project "\;Science\, Technology and Innovation Parks for sustainable development: building expertise in policy and practi ce in selected Asian and African countries"\;\, funded by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund under the UN Peace and Develo pment Fund\, aims to strengthen the policy and operational capacities for implementing STI parks in selected Asian and African countries. This proje ct enables policymakers and practitioners to learn from the successful exp eriences of other countries\, where STI parks have played a key role in te chnological and industrial advancements and development at regional and na tional levels.STI parks which include incubators and accelerators have bec ome important instruments for improving national innovation performance. H owever\, attempts to use STI parks to generate positive socio-economic out comes often fail to deliver optimal results due to insufficient local capa bilities for STI park design\, implementation and management. This project addresses these challenges by supporting beneficiary countries in buildin g capacity and sharing best practices\, with a focus on developing effecti ve policy frameworks and promoting inclusive approaches.A policy toolkit e ntitled “Policy and Institutional Frameworks for Science\, Technology an d Innovation Parks - Proposed Guidelines for Developing Countries” will be launched at the present event. The project also established an STI Park Expert Network in October 2025\, bringing together 17 experts in STI park development and innovation policy from Africa\, Asia and Europe\, as well as experts from the four beneficiary countries\, to provide a structured platform for peer learning and exchange of good practices across regions. Additionally\, UNCTAD has developed a capacity-building self-paced e-learn ing course on STI park policy and practice\, the pilot session of which wa s completed in February 2026 with 31 enrolled participants from the benefi ciary countries and countries that have officially requested UNCTAD techni cal assistance in this field.Target participantsOpen to professionals enga ged in STI park development or involved in related fields as part of their work. https://unctad.org/meeting/science-technology-and-innovation-sti-p arks-policies-and-practices-e-learning-course-pilot\n\nView meeting on unc tad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/launch-sti-park-policy-toolkit-expert- network-and-e-learning-course DTSTAMP:20261111T004759Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR