Last October, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani laid the foundation stone for a long-awaited project that could unlock a new area of potential for the region – the Science Park.
During a grand ceremony attended by senior government officials, university presidents, professors, and international firms, Prime Minister Barzani stressed that the Science Park – under the umbrella of Kurdistan Innovation Institute (KII) – will empower the youth of Kurdistan by providing them with the tools, knowledge, and environment to turn their ideas into practical innovations.
Recalling the proverb “necessity is the mother of innovation,” Prime Minister Barzani emphasized that innovation flourishes only when ideas are supported and given the right environment to develop. He added that, for years, many talented Kurds sought this support beyond Kurdistan’s borders. “With this project, we want our youth to develop their ideas into projects here at home. We previously made this promise, and we are delivering it now,” he said.
What is Science Park?
Broadly defined, a science park is a property-based incubator that accommodates and fosters the growth of tenant firms and is affiliated with a university, government, or private research body based on proximity, ownership, and/or governance. This enables knowledge sharing, promotes innovation, facilitates technology transfer, and helps research outcomes progress to viable commercial products.
Worldwide, science parks contribute to national economic development, stimulating the formation of new high-technology firms, attracting foreign investment and promoting exports. This perfectly aligns with the Kurdistan Region’s plans to diversify its economy, helping it reduce reliance on oil and gas revenues by developing other sectors.
The KII Science Park, more specifically, features a modern cluster that represents “Triple-Helix” alliances. For instance, it includes actors from the business, higher education, and public management sectors to support innovative individuals and brilliant minds from across Kurdistan. This fills a long-standing gap, as talented youth in Kurdistan previously had few opportunities to access support and develop their ideas into impactful innovations.
Furthermore, the Science Park is envisioned to become an incubator for new enterprises, providing cross-fertilization between academics and business. People with scientific ideas need opportunities to meet those with business clout and know-how. The Science Park facilitates spontaneous interactions between different competences. The crucial characteristics, therefore, are proximity, density, and collaboration. These have been the focus for the firm behind the design of the project.
A design reflecting Kurdistan’s nature
Following the ceremony, the Science Park’s architectural concept drew considerable public and media attention. The design is another masterpiece by the renowned Swedish Wingardh architecture firm.
“Prime Minister Barzani explained to us that a building for the Science Park could not be just another building. A building like this must have a symbolic value, it needs to have an emotional impact, it needs to resonate with Kurdish soul and history,” said Anders Olausson, a senior architect from Wingardh, during his speech at the ceremony.
He further explained that after learning about Kurdish culture, history, and the nature of the Kurdistan Region, a team of creative engineers decided on a design reflecting three defining elements of the Kurdish landscape: tall mountains, green foothills, and river-cut valleys.
“Everything is conceived with the ambition of becoming a benchmark for an environmentally friendly building, taking great care to use both architecture and technology to ensure a low carbon footprint, to harvest solar power, and to manage energy production and consumption day to day as efficiently as it is possible,” Olausson said.
In addition, the interior was carefully designed to serve the core purpose of the Science Park – connecting innovators with academia, private sector, and government.
Time to invest in ideas
Three years ago, when the KII was launched, Prime Minister Barzani, who also serves as the institute’s chair, described it as integral to the development of the youth and economy of Kurdistan. “It will be a place,” he said, “that gives life to ideas, where creativity is enhanced, knowledge is distilled, and innovation rewarded.”
With the Science Park expected to open within two years, KII is ready to take its mission to the next level. And that has always been Prime Minister Barzani’s primary aim with the project – to invest in the talent of the region’s youth.
“We have invested significantly in different sectors such as agriculture, transportation, tourism, and more. It’s time to invest in the ideas of our youth, who are Kurdistan’s most valuable national asset,” Prime Minister Barzani reaffirmed during his speech at the Science Park groundbreaking ceremony.
