University a partner in vision for Western Sydney

Westmead will become Western Sydney’s economic powerhouse with a cluster of up to 50,000 knowledge jobs by 2036, according to a report commissioned by the University of Sydney and its partners in the Westmead Alliance.

The report ‘Westmead Innovation District, Building Western Sydney’s jobs engine’ identified the Toronto discovery district in Canada as a role model for Westmead.

An innovation district is defined as facilitating economic development through the creation of environments that strengthen the possibility of knowledge sharing, new product development and innovation. 

Western Sydney Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, David Borger said,

“This report identifies an action plan for investment to ensure we capitalise on the job opportunities for Western Sydney’s next generation…To drive this change Westmead needs to focus on being a dynamic Innovation District where investment attraction and government support for will be critical.”

Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Sydney said,

“We welcome this report and its vision for Westmead. The University has long recognised Westmead’s potential as a global centre for innovation and excellence through the integration of healthcare, education and research.”

“Our commitment to the area’s importance is reflected in our plan to increase our student community at Westmead from the current 1,200 to 6,000 students by 2035. We are also investing $50 million in infrastructure in the near term with a long-range financing target of around $500 million over the next 20 years.”

Working with the NSW Government and its partners in the Westmead health precinct  the University’s development of a major new campus will support world -leading health outcomes for the people of Western Sydney and the transformation of the area’s economy. Investment will begin by developing the areas of diagnostic sciences and technologies, sustainable health, and patient-centred care.

Drawing on expertise across academic disciplines, the University of Sydney is diversifying its activities at Westmead, most recently with the introduction of an honours program at Westmead for students in Medical Sciences.

Ultimately University personnel across a range of specialist healthcare areas such as cancer genomics, microbiology, virology and bioinformatics will be joined by those in engineering, physics, business management and the social sciences to create a multidisciplinary campus.

Westmead Alliance members who contributed to the report are:

•         Children's Medical Research Institute
•         Cumberland Council
•         University of Sydney
•         Western Sydney Local Health District
•         Western Sydney University
•         City of Parramatta Council
•         Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
•         Sydney Business Chamber
•         Westmead Private Hospital
•         The Westmead Institute for Medical Research and UrbanGrowth NSW

Download a video to see more on the vision for Westmead.