Supporting the research, development and innovation sector

Peru is considerably lagging behind in terms of research and development. The country trains few engineers and researchers due to the lack of appropriate facilities and does not have a science and technology park. Up until now, neither the State, companies nor universities have developed their role as promoters/actors of technological innovation.

Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP) is a private non-profit institution founded in 1917 and ranks as one of the country’s top universities. This institution plays an active role in the national effort to develop higher education and research and wishes to create the country’s first science and technology park (STP). The aim is for it to be a model both for the use of state-of-the-art technologies and for sustainable natural resources management. It will be designed to promote research and innovation in the fields of sustainable development, through technological innovation and the creation of close ties between the university and the private sector.

The STP will be located 50 km from the Peruvian capital in the district of Santa Maria del Mar. It is intended to become a major actor in socioeconomic development at the local, regional and national levels, as the first center for the transfer of knowledge and innovations. It aims to improve the productivity and competitiveness of key sectors of the economy in a context of sustainable development.

The park will have three types of activities to achieve its objectives:

• The transfer of knowledge and promotion of R&D and innovation projects (PUCP laboratories and education and research units at the STP, organization of events and training, partnerships between companies and research institutes, etc.);
• The provision of services to support the creation and development of innovative enterprises through the creation of an incubator;
• The real estate activity (sale/rental of buildings). It will generate income and support the running of the park and part of its activities for knowledge and R&D transfers.

• The STP will provide Peru with appropriate and modern facilities for R&D and business incubators;
• It will also be an appropriate tool to promote innovation, the diversification of economic activities, and an improvement in Peru’s competitiveness via investment in production sectors with higher added value than the traditional sectors of the country’s economy;
• The project is self-sufficient in energy and water and will be the first of its kind in Peru. The sectors proposed on the campus will focus on sustainable technologies and energy efficiency and will provide a response to the challenges of climate change, as Peru is one of the most exposed countries in the world.