| NSW Premier Morris Iemma announces the opening of UOW’s Innovat... NSW Premier Morris Iemma announces the opening of UOW’s Innovation Campus as well as $15 million in funding for a new medical research institute. | 
| Premier Iemma with (left to right) Director of the Innovation Campus ... Premier Iemma with (left to right) Director of the Innovation Campus David Fuller, Chancellor Michael Codd AC, Police Minister and Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell and Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton | 
| Members of the official party Managing Director of Balderstone-Hornyb... Members of the official party Managing Director of Balderstone-Hornybrook Rick Turchini, Premier Morris Iemma, Member for Shellharbour Lylea McMahon, Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton, Member for the Illawarra David Campbell, Chancellor Michael Codd AC and Director of the Innovation Campus David Fuller. |
Innovation Campus opening a ‘six star day’
27 Jun 2008 | Kate McIlwain
Vice-Chancellor Professor Gerard Sutton declared Friday, 27 June a “six star day” when NSW Premier Morris Iemma capped the opening of the first building at the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus with the announcement of $15 million in funding for a new medical research institute.
The Premier announced the funding to build a home for UOW’s Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute at the official opening of iC Central, the first building to be completed at the Innovation Campus.
“Days don’t come much better than today,” a delighted Professor Sutton said. “I knew opening the Innovation Campus would be a five-star day, but the Premier’s announcement of funding for the medical research institute has made it a six-star day. It is the icing on the cake.”
Professor Sutton told the Premier: “You have shown faith in the University of Wollongong and the city with this $15 million – which we will match. It will make a huge difference for the people of this region, this state and for Australia. It might just be the best $15 million a state government has ever spent.”
The announcement came as a pleasant surprise for the 300 strong audience, including the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Executive Dean Professor Don Iverson, who had been expecting to meet with the Premier later in the day to put forward his case for funding.
“The announcement came as complete surprise to me. This funding allows us to move ahead fast and we will be able to start doing research by 2010,” Professor Iverson said.
The Premier said the research will focus on the five key health issues for Australia which are diabetes, cancer, heart disease, mental health and obesity.
“This is so that we can give people hope to save lives, improve lives and extend lives. This will take place at one of the state’s great treasures – the University of Wollongong – an outstanding institution and an outstanding success story,” Premier Iemma said.
During the opening, Premier Iemma said that the Innovation Campus itself represented a success story of government, business and academia forming strong partnerships and working towards “a better future for the children and grandchildren of today.”
The Innovation Campus is a research and development precinct that represents an eventual investment of $500 million. The $32 million iC Central building which opened today is the first of an anticipated 25 buildings on the site. Three others are currently under construction with one, the Institute for Innovative Materials, almost complete.
“The Innovation Campus represents a brighter, stronger future for Wollongong, the Illawarra and all of NSW. It places Wollongong at the centre of our knowledge economyour future depends on what is in our minds,” Premier Iemma said.
Police Minister and Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell thanked the government and university for their commitment to making the Innovation Campus come together.
“The project was not without challenges, which makes this day all the more exciting. As a community this is what we wanted, and the opening of this building represents the ‘Illawarra’ way of doing things,” he said.
“Today is a red letter day for our region.”
In his introduction to the official opening, UOW Chancellor Michael Codd AC said the Innovation Campus was “a venture that enhanced the image and growth of the Illawarra region, as well as the reputation of the University.”
Professor Sutton said the Innovation Campus would become “the engine that drives the Illawarra economy”.
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