Arizona Tribune - AURP 28th Annual Awards of Excellence Honor R&D Institutions, Companies and Individuals

AURP's 2024 Awards of Excellence in Innovation held at its International Conference (Nov. 11-14) at the University of Arkansas

Tech Port San Antonio - an innovation and technology campus and dynamic hub for aerospace, manufacturing, cybersecurity and robotics - has been named the 2024 "Outstanding Innovation District" at the AURP 2024 International Conference (Nov. 11-14) at the University of Arkansas.

Harry Brislin IV, AURP Awards Committee Chair, AURP Board Secretary and Executive Director of the USA Technology & Research Park, served as emcee of the evening's award festivities.

AURP, the leading nonprofit association representing research parks, innovation districts, tech hubs and all communities of innovation, hosts its annual International Conference to bring together 200+ research park and innovation district leaders globally.

Each year, the AURP network endeavors to elevate distinctive research parks and innovation districts, the executives supporting the advancement of these R&D communities, plus the unique and impactful companies and their tech-based products and solutions. Through the annual AURP Awards of Excellence in Innovation, member communities, their leaders and their residing companies gather to celebrate and recognize individual achievements in building communities of innovation, training the workforce of tomorrow, solving world challenges.

AURP's 2024 Honorees are:

• Outstanding Innovation District: Tech Port San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

• Innovation: BlueHalo's LOCUST Laser Weapon System (Sandia Science & Technology Park, Albuquerque, NM, and Cummings Research Park, Huntsville, AL)

• Innovation: Dreamscape Learn, Los Angeles, CA

• Career Achievement: Dan Berglund, President & CEO, SSTI, Columbus, OH

• Leadership: The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, Bentonville, AR

"Congratulations to all the honorees of our 2024 Awards of Excellence in Innovation," said Vickie Palmer, CEO of AURP. "Our 2024 recipients, community leaders and their teams exemplify enduring qualities of perseverance, determination and integrity, with a sharp focus on nurturing new discoveries or opportunities. These leaders and their convening stakeholders are essential in creating vibrant communities where individuals can flourish both personally and professionally, through harnessing the economic impact of research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs."

AURP's "Outstanding Research Park or Innovation District" Award recognizes research parks and innovation districts and their leadership for their achievements and encourages continuous evaluation and development of best practices for the research park community.

"It's a great honor to receive this very special recognition and to be part of AURP's amazing network of kindred spirits," said Jim Perschbach, Tech Port San Antonio President and CEO. "Our Port is fortunate to have a terrific team and outstanding customers and partners who are joining us in this important journey. We're thrilled to be a member of the AURP family and to be able to learn and grow through new collaborations. We look forward to the journey ahead as we continue to make connections and together help create a world that is more resilient, more productive and full of new opportunities for today's generations and those who will follow us."

Over the past two decades, Tech Port San Antonio has undergone a strategic transformation, positioning itself as a global leader in technological development and collaboration. The former Kelly Air Force Base, a 1,900-acre campus, now hosts some of the most prominent names in aerospace, manufacturing, cybersecurity, robotics and other advanced industries. Companies operating at Tech Port are at the forefront of global technology projects, solidifying the Tech Port's role as a vital contributor to the evolving technology landscape.

"On behalf of our dynamic AURP membership, I'm very happy to congratulate Tech Port San Antonio and all of our 2024 Awards of Excellence winners," said Erin Koshut, AURP President and Executive Director, Cummings Research Park. "Research parks, innovation districts and tech hubs, such as Tech Port San Antonio, are dedicated to driving progress in innovation and advanced technologies, creating high-wage jobs and fostering ecosystems and places where creativity and collaboration thrive."

AURP's Innovation Award celebrates the business or nonprofit institution located in a research park or district that has brought forward one or more proprietary products, processes or services which represent a substantial technology breakthrough or have potential for a significant positive impact on the economic, health or welfare status of a broad spectrum of humanity. In 2024, AURP honored two organizations.

The first AURP 2024 Innovation Award recipient is BlueHalo's LOCUST Laser Weapon System. BlueHalo is a major presence at two AURP member institutions - Sandia Science & Technology Park in Albuquerque, NM and Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, AL. The U.S. Army confirmed this year that BlueHalo's LOCUST LWS is operationally deployed as part of the Palletized High Energy Laser program, protecting warfighters, allies and critical infrastructure on the frontlines - and marking the first confirmed operational deployment of a Directed Energy laser weapon by the U.S. military.

"BlueHalo was purpose-built with innovation at our core - combining mission understanding with know-how to field disruptive defense technologies, like our LOCUST Laser Weapon System," said Trip Ferguson, BlueHalo Chief Operating Officer. "We are proud of the operational advantage and protection that LOCUST is providing on the frontlines and honored to accept this year's AURP Innovation Award. Research parks have played a critical role in BlueHalo's continued success, supporting an ecosystem of innovation and helping us recruit the brightest in the industry to join our mission as we transform the future of global defense together."

Dreamscape Learn is the second honoree of AURP's Innovation Award. In 2020, Dreamscape Learn, which creates and exhibits VR experiences with revolutionary proprietary technology, partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to transform education through exploration. With this partnership, students at ASU, soon to be adopted at UNLV and other AURP member institutions, explore different worlds and perform complex learning, discovery and problem-solving tasks not able to be done in a traditional learning environment or lab.

"We're honored to be recognized by AURP with this Innovation Award," said Chris Huff, Senior Vice President for Academic Partnerships at Dreamscape Learn. "At Dreamscape Learn, we're tackling one of the biggest obstacles to student success - engagement - by reimagining curricula through immersive technology, powerful cinematic storytelling and transformative teaching. Our proven methods have had a profound impact on student outcomes in core STEM courses, and we're excited to expand these techniques to more programs, helping even more students unlock new academic and career pathways."

The AURP 2024 Career Achievement Award recipient is Dan Berglund, President and CEO of SSTI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving initiatives that support prosperity through science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. Dan has led SSTI since its inception in 1996, as a national network of practitioners and policymakers dedicated to improving the economy through science, technology and innovation. Through the course of his SSTI career, Dan's leadership has made a significant contribution to the advancement and recognition of the innovation ecosystem, including the Innovation Advocacy Coalition.

The AURP 2024 Leadership Award recognized The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, founded to support specific charities in the state of Arkansas. It was established by the family of the late Sam M. Walton and Helen R. Walton.

About AURP:

AURP, a non-profit international organization with offices in Tucson, AZ at the University of Arizona Tech Park and in the Washington, DC area at the University of Maryland Discovery District, focuses on creating communities of innovation and education for research parks both operating and planned, plus innovation districts, incubators, accelerators and the businesses that support the research park industry. AURP and its global membership promote research, institute-industry relations and innovation districts to foster innovation and to facilitate the transfer of technology from such institutions to the private sector. Learn more: www.aurp.net

Media Contact:

Ken Berlack
AURP
[email protected]

SOURCE: AURP

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