The NSW Government has launched an $8 million fund to help drive research and commercialisation activity in the Tech Central precinct centred on Sydney’s Central Station and including UTS and the University of Sydney.
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 UTS and the University of Sydney are working together 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.
Speaking to Seven News, 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,” she said.
“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,” Mr 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.”
Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the fund would have a focus on existing industry and research strengths across the precinct from quantum computing to robotics, biotech, cyber security, creative industries and more.
