A bold vision for the future of the Fishermans Bend NEIC
Fishermans Bend has long been synonymous with innovation and ingenuity in Australia’s manufacturing and industrial history.
That proud tradition is set to continue, with the Victorian Government releasing Advancing Manufacturing – the Fishermans Bend opportunity to provide the vision and key strategic directions for the next evolution of the Fishermans Bend National Employment and Innovation Cluster (Fishermans Bend NEIC).
Already home to global industry giants such as Boeing and Siemens, and a major Department of Defence research and development facility, the precinct is set to welcome the University of Melbourne Engineering and Design innovation campus. Bringing industry, institutions, and innovators together presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what manufacturing means in 21st century Australia.
By 2050 it is envisaged that the precinct will be home to at least 40,000 jobs and over 20,000 students and be internationally renowned as a centre for innovation in advanced manufacturing, engineering and design.
By supporting a culture that fosters experimentation and learning from doing, the Fishermans Bend NEIC will push design boundaries through a continual process of prototyping, testing and refining ideas.
It will be a place that celebrates risk taking and accepts failure as essential ingredients to innovation.
Critically it will connect a vibrant innovation culture to the business of innovation, connecting good ideas to venture capital and business acumen to fast-track commercialisation.
At the core of the economic vision for the precinct is that it remains a place centred around physical production, a place where the best of what Melbourne makes can be showcased and celebrated.
Work is already underway to bring the vision for the precinct to life.
Catalysing the transformation of the precinct will be the Government-led redevelopment of the former General Motors Holden (GMH) site as the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct. In the most recent Victorian State Budget $179.4 m was committed to transform and renew this site.
The University of Melbourne will be one of the precinct's next major tenants, with Minister for Planning Richard Wynne approving the proposal today for a new Engineering and Design innovation campus. Set to open in 2025, the campus will feature world-class heavy engineering and large fabrication, testing and prototyping facilities, purpose-built for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) and the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP).
Interim planning controls have also been introduced for the Fishermans Bend NEIC to guide new development and implement the long-term vision. These interim controls will be in place while a more detailed precinct plan and permanent controls are being drafted by the Fishermans Bend Taskforce and consulted on with the community over the next 18 months.
With works commencing over the coming months, the ‘Gateway to GMH’ project is being delivered by the City of Melbourne to provide improved cycling connections, greening, digital infrastructure and creative activations to the precinct. This project presents an opportunity to showcase innovation, from the materials used in the construction of the bike path, to the trial of different plant species and deployment of digital technologies to support living laboratories.
With transition well underway many more opportunities will emerge in the coming years to secure world leading companies, research institutes and budding entrepreneurs.
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Page last updated: 22/06/22