Investments | international distinction for Lakeside Park
10/25/2018
The Lakeside Science & Technology Park is known beyond Austria for inspiring innovations with a focus on ICT and education. As a member of IASP, the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation, the science park in Klagenfurt has been in exchange with technology parks worldwide since its foundation. At its annual World Conference, IASP presents awards to the three best projects; this year, third place went to Lakeside Park for its "NAWImix" module at the Educational Lab. This was the first place ever for Lakeside Park on the winners’ rostrum. The prize was awarded at this year's IASP World Conference in Isfahan, Iran, that was attended by 500 international delegates.
The Lakeside Park submission already made it on the shortlist of the TOP 10 technology parks in the world in August. The project is part of the "Inspiring Solutions" ideas competition for developments in technology parks organised by IASP. The members of IASP – almost 350 technology parks from around the world – were able to choose the most innovative developments from the 10 finalists.
"Lakeside Science & Technology Park specialises in the networking of companies, research and educational institutions. We take this award for the 'NAWImix' as a confirmation of our efforts; our developments in the field of education have established a veritable lighthouse project here", says CEO Mag. Hans Schönegger who is delighted by the award. "With the Educational Lab together with other educational institutions, we have set ourselves the task of getting young people interested in natural sciences and introducing them to this subject. We wanted to develop an exemplary educational format for Europe; meanwhile we receive cooperation offers and inquiries from interested delegations not only from other European countries, but also China, South Korea and Iran."
"NAWImix" is an extracurricular place of learning for the promotion of scientific classes at the Teacher Training College of Carinthia, Viktor Frankl Hochschule; it was the first module to settle at the Educational Lab in the summer of 2016. The President of the Teacher Training College, Mag. Dr. Prof. Marlies Krainz-Dürr appreciates "the vicinity to other educational institutions and the possibilities of exchange with them" at this third location of the Teacher Training College that contributed research activities for the evaluation of the "BIKO mach MINT" module, for example. "We find excellent conditions here to develop and establish ourselves as a place of education, continuous training, research and teaching in natural sciences. Every year we train some 150 teachers in natural sciences plus 800 pupils."
Facts about the project "NAWImix":
- First module at the Educational Lab; since summer 2016
- Extramural place of studying natural sciences
- Education and training of future science teachers (150 teachers, 800 pupils in the year 2017)
- Courses offered to school classes
- Continuous training: motivates teachers to incorporate more scientific work, experiments and research-based learning in their classes
- Promotion of talented pupils in the MINT area through programmes including: talent camps, training for international science competitions, "Biologie im Team" biology contests, SEMI High Tech University
- Cooperations with companies such as priorIT (children's book app "dooda" as a teaching tool)
- Management: Mag. Dr. Bernhard Schmölzer and team
IASP – International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation:
- 347 members worldwide
- 7 regional divisions (Europe, Asia, etc.)
- 35th World Conference in Isfahan, Iran, Sept. 2018
- European Division Workshop April 2018 in Heidelberg, Germany (LSTP participated)
- Lakeside Park = member since 2005
- "Inspiring Solutions" competition organised for the first time in 2014
- 2015 Lakeside Park among the TOP 10 with "Lakeside Recruiting"
- 2017 Lakeside Park among the TOP 10 with "Educational Lab"
- 2018 Lakeside Park 3rd place with "NAWImix",
- after Shanghai Hi-Tech Park (China) "Thinkubation Accelerating Program" 2 and Kaunas Science and Technology Park (Lithuania) "Entrepreneurship and New Product Development Program EVOLUT 4.0"
10/25/2018