The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) will hold its 2026 International Conference at Pegasus Park in Dallas, Texas, from 29 September – 1 October 2026, bringing together more than 200 leaders from universities, innovation districts, tech hubs and development organizations across the US and abroad.

Theme: “Innovation Rising: Honoring Our Legacy, Shaping America’s Next Frontier” This year’s edition marks three landmark anniversaries at once — five years of Pegasus Park, 40 years of AURP, and 250 years of the United States — using that shared milestone to reflect on how university research parks have evolved from niche developments into global engines for technology commercialization, biomanufacturing and entrepreneurship.

Programme highlights:

• Sessions spotlighting North Texas’ fast-growing innovation corridor, with Pegasus Park showcased as a model for collaboration between academia and industry
• A dedicated track on financing and funding models for research parks, covering financing fundamentals, emerging institutional strategies, overhead recovery models, and state-level funding approaches
• A session on quantum computing and workforce needs, examining Texas’ growth in the sector alongside education and training implications
• Discussion of federal funding landscapes, including SBIR reauthorization and shifting legislative priorities affecting economic development organizations
• A session on the role of philanthropy and community impact in sustaining research parks
• Interactive collaborative sessions, tours, and networking throughout the three days

The conference reflects AURP’s broader mission of connecting university-based innovation communities and comes at a moment when research parks are navigating evolving federal research funding priorities in the US.

🔗 Full details: https://aurp.org/events/event/2026-international-conference-pegasus-park-3/