As UKSPA members gathered for the Summer Conference 2026, the Association launched its new strategy, setting out a clear vision for the future of science parks and innovation clusters and the role they will play in supporting economic growth across the UK.
The strategy has been shaped by consultation with members, partners and stakeholders. Members told UKSPA they wanted their association to continue bringing the community together, and also now become a stronger advocate for the sector, building a stronger evidence base and providing practical support as science parks and innovation clusters respond to new opportunities and challenges.
Ruth Hall, Chief Executive of UKSPA, said: “Science parks and innovation clusters have an increasingly important role to play in the UK’s future. They bring together the people, organisations and investment that turn ideas into commercial success, support high value jobs and drive growth across every region of the country.
“As the policy landscape evolves, there is an opportunity to make an even stronger case for the value our sector delivers. This strategy is about ensuring UKSPA is well placed to support its members, strengthen our collective voice and demonstrate the importance of science parks and innovation clusters to policymakers, investors and partners.”
Our story
At the heart of the strategy is a vision of a UK where science parks and innovation clusters create stronger economies, world-leading innovation and flourishing communities.
Its ambition is to ensure they are recognised as valued national assets and a cornerstone of innovation-led growth. Its purpose is simple: to advance the development of science parks and innovation clusters for the benefit of the UK economy and communities.
More than that, the strategy looks beyond recognition alone. It describes a future where science parks and innovation clusters are fully understood as an essential part of how the UK delivers growth, prosperity and opportunity.
What members told us
The consultation made clear that members value UKSPA’s role in bringing the community together, while also wanting the Association to play a bigger role in championing the sector nationally.
The strategy also marks the next stage in UKSPA’s own development. It will continue to bring members together through networking, collaboration and shared learning, while strengthening its role as the national voice for science parks and innovation clusters through evidence, insight, policy engagement and practical support.
The first priority is to define and position science parks and innovation clusters more clearly. Working with members, UKSPA will help develop a shared understanding of the sector by providing clearer definitions, creating a common national standard and building a stronger case for the role science parks and innovation clusters play in the UK’s economy. Together, these will strengthen credibility, improve understanding and support better policy, funding and investment decisions.
Alongside this, UKSPA will also focus on strengthening national advocacy, building capability and leadership, connecting regional impact with national influence, and ensuring the Association remains resilient and well placed to support members in the years ahead.
The Theory of Change
Alongside the strategy, UKSPA has published its Theory of Change, showing how UKSPA will turn its ambitions into practical action.
It sets out a clear programme of work: defining the sector, building stronger evidence, strengthening advocacy, developing capability, connecting regional and national influence, and ensuring UKSPA has the resilience to deliver for members.
Success will not be measured simply by activity. Instead, UKSPA wants to see a sector that is better defined, better understood and more influential, with stronger evidence, stronger networks and greater confidence across its membership. It also wants science parks and innovation clusters to have a stronger voice in shaping future policy, funding and investment decisions.
By 2029, UKSPA wants to be further recognised as the trusted national voice for science parks and innovation clusters, helping ensure the full value of the sector is recognised, understood and supported.
The work has already begun. During the Summer Conference, UKSPA announced two new strategic partnerships that begin putting the strategy into action. A partnership with Cogent Skills will strengthen leadership capability, workforce development and skills across the sector. UKSPA is also pleased to announce a new partnership with End Game to begin the development of an innovative asset-mapping platform that will support the creation of a common framework and national standard, led by UKSPA, for the UK’s science and innovation sector.
Ruth Hall added: “Success won’t be measured simply by what UKSPA achieves as an organisation. It will be measured by the strength of the sector we represent, the partnerships we help create and the confidence that policymakers, investors and partners have in the role science parks and innovation clusters play in the UK’s future.
“We’re really excited to share this strategy with our community. It gives us a shared direction, building on the expertise that already exists across our membership and provides a framework for working together, sharing knowledge and making the strongest possible case for innovation as a driver of long-term national prosperity.”
