NSW government launches $8 million fund to help drive research and commercialisation activity in the Tech Central precinct centred on Sydney’s Central Station and including the University of Sydney and UTS.
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres said the fund would help realise proposals that provide significant physical and digital infrastructure to the Tech Central precinct, expand technical expertise, collaboration and commercialisation and otherwise build capacity across its target industries and research areas.
Already the University of Sydney and UTS are partnering on ‘Digital Central’, an ambitious collaboration to harness the strength of the two universities’ digital sciences research and teaching.
Digital Central will help anchor Tech Central and drive industry collaboration and job growth that will enable NSW to achieve its ambition of a world-leading digital industries hub.
Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott, welcomed the NSW government’s funding announcement and the government’s message that universities are critical to our national innovation agenda.
“Digital Central is a good example of how universities can work together to develop research expertise and technology infrastructure, enabling the University of Sydney to work with UTS in solving important challenges in robotics, digital sciences, AI and STEM in NSW. We can’t wait to see what more this important funding will bring to the precinct.”
Associate Dean of External Engagement from the University of Sydney Professor Ken Tye Yong said: “Digital Central is for the meeting of minds. Bridging siloes through the enablement of cross-institutional teamwork and collaboration is at the heart of its purpose,” said Professor Yong from the Faculty of Engineering.
UTS Distinguished Professor Fang Chen, a research leader in artificial intelligence and data science, welcomed the announcement of the Tech Central Research and Innovation Infrastructure Fund: “This significant funding will help product build, help the economy adopt digital technologies and make our lives better.”
Minister Ayres said that Tech Central is already attracting world-leading companies to establish bases in the precinct.
“Tech Central boasts tech giant Atlassian as an anchor tenant and is home to three world-class universities, a world-leading research hospital and over 100 research institutes and Centres of Excellence,” Minister Ayres said.
“But to translate our incredible R&D strength into even more tangible outcomes that deliver for the NSW economy, we want to offer wider access to high-tech facilities, equipment and staff, and this fund is about just that.
“Put simply, if you think you can add a significant public utility or technology to the Tech Central ecosystem, we want to hear from you.”
