AURP

What AURP does

AURP is a non-profit association founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, that promotes research institute relations to cultivate and facilitate the transfer of technology from institutions to the private sector. The organization operates as an industry intermediary within the university research-park ecosystem, convening research institutions and private-sector firms around technology commercialization and tech-transfer practices. Its core activities center on networking, advocacy, and programming that connects academic research parks with industry partners seeking access to emerging technologies and startups.

The association is run by a small leadership team — CEO Vickie Palmer and Chief Strategy Officer Brian Darmody — supported by a total headcount of 1–10 employees, indicating a lean operational footprint consistent with a membership-based trade association rather than a research or commercial entity. No proprietary technology platforms, products, or software offerings are disclosed in the available data, and the organization's website did not return substantive content for analysis.

AURP's revenue model is not disclosed in the input data. As a non-profit association, typical revenue mechanics would include membership dues, conference and event sponsorships, programmatic grants, and partner contributions. The organization's most recent material data point is a 2024-09-25 engagement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (disclosed at $0, consistent with a grant or programmatic award rather than a commercial transaction). No pricing, customer count, segmentation, geographic markets served, or detailed financial figures are available, limiting further analysis of the business model and revenue mechanics.

Name

AURP

Website

https://aurp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AURP is a Tucson-based non-profit association founded in 1986 that promotes research institute relations and facilitates the transfer of technology from universities and research parks to the private sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

University & Academic Conference Venues (THAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Research park association
• Technology transfer services
• University research parks
• Innovation ecosystem
• Research park network

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

AURP (Association of University Research Parks) is a non-profit industry association that promotes research institute relations to cultivate and facilitate the transfer of technology from academic and research institutions to the private sector. The organization connects university research parks, technology transfer offices, and innovation districts, providing networking, advocacy, and professional development services to its members.

Product overview

No product information available from the source content. The source page displays a loading/verification screen without substantive information about AURP's offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AURP Membership Industry association membership for university research parks, technology transfer offices, and innovation districts, providing networking, advocacy, and professional development services to member organizations in the research park ecosystem.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers): The leading professional association for technology-transfer professionals working in universities, research institutions, and teaching hospitals. Directly comparable to AURP because both serve the academic-to-private-sector commercialization ecosystem, with overlapping (and often shared) member institutions.
• LES (Licensing Executives Society U.S. & Canada): Professional society for licensing and IP-transfer practitioners. Comparable to AURP because both facilitate the movement of university-developed IP and technology into commercial markets, and they share many of the same institutional stakeholders in research-park settings.

Emerging players

• SSTI (State Science & Technology Institute): National nonprofit serving state-level science, technology, and innovation policymakers and practitioners. Comparable to AURP because SSTI addresses technology-based economic development — the policy and funding environment in which university research parks operate.

Broad incumbents

• NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association): Trade association for commercial real estate developers, many of whom build and operate research-park and innovation-district facilities. Comparable to AURP as a parallel convening body serving the same physical-asset ecosystem.
• AAU (Association of American Universities): Association of leading U.S. and Canadian research universities. Comparable to AURP because its members (R1 universities) are the same institutions that operate the research parks AURP serves, giving AAU potential leverage over AURP's member relationships.
• BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organization): Large trade association representing the broader biotech industry. Comparable to AURP as a much larger incumbent that overlaps on the biotech-tech-transfer intersection, where university research parks host many biotech spinouts.
• APLU (Association of Public and Land-grant Universities): Membership association for public universities, including major research institutions. Comparable to AURP because APLU represents many of the same host universities whose research parks constitute AURP's addressable member base.

Others

• IEDC (International Economic Development Council): Professional association for economic developers, including those driving research-park and innovation-district strategy at the city and state level. Adjacent to AURP because economic-development officials are key partners in research-park siting and expansion.
• Research Triangle Park (Foundation): One of the most prominent U.S. research parks and a peer to AURP's institutional members. Comparable as a flagship example of the asset class AURP's members operate, rather than as a direct competitor for association services.
• University Research Park at University of Wisconsin–Madison: A representative U.S. university-affiliated research park and peer to AURP's institutional members. Comparable as a typical institutional member of AURP — useful as a structural reference rather than as a competing organization.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AURP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AURP