Innovation Precincts as Regional Growth Engines

Through the University Industry Innovation magazine | Co-location: The role of Place and Proximity, we intend to highlight successful experiences and practices of proximity driven collaboration and discuss crucial success factors of such approached to cooperation. This week features the stories of two innovative precincts, Melbourne Connect and GIANT.

In the article “What COVID19 Means for Innovation spaces the Melbourne Connect Experience”, Georgia Von Güttner, Director enterprise and Lead-partnership and Tenancy at Melbourne Connect,  highlights that public health measures to halt COVID 19 have challenged the very premise of innovation precincts – spaces designed to physically bring people closer together.

Yet the experience at the Melbourne Connect innovation precinct is reinforcing the value of well-designed spaces and purposeful programming. The health crisis and imperative for economic recovery are inspiring and driving a significant uplift in activity and collaboration amongst the members of the Melbourne Connect community.

The success of current remote working is drawing on social capital and trust established through a legacy of face to face interaction whilst also enabling wider networks and reduced barriers to participation. As restrictions begin to ease in Australia we will return to the workplace with new insights and practice which we will retain beyond the current crisis.

In the article “GIANT: The French Alps Innovation Campus” Hermine Vincent, International Affairs at GIANT Campus, and Francine Papillion, Programme Coordinator at GIANT Campus,  introduce Grenoble Innovation in Advanced New Technologies (GIANT) as the world-class innovation campus of Grenoble, known as the “Capital of the French Alps”. A longstanding tradition of collaboration within multiple fields of research, industry and education has supported progress and growth with the city. Building on this tradition, the local universities, research centres, engineering colleges and business schools have joined forces to create a thriving ecosystem in harmony with the city’s urban development.

The full articles are featured in The University-Industry Innovation Magazine (UIIM – Issue August 2020.

The university-industry Innovation magazine showcases interesting stories from different international stakeholders on their activities and endeavours in university-industry interaction. For more information and to download your copy of the University Industry Innovation Magazine visit our website www.uiin.org.

University Industry Innovation Magazine | Co-location: The Role of Place and Proximity

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