Industry backing for research labs
Application lodged for innovation growth centre
A FORMAL application will be lodged with the Federal Government to develop an agricultural and food technology centre on Toowoomba’s outskirts.
The application to the Regional Growth Fund, which offers matched funding for projects worth $10 million or more, is due to be assessed by the government in coming weeks, and seeks to establish a world-class development and research centre at Wellcamp.
While driven by private enterprise, Food Leaders Australia general manager Bruce McConnel said the application was backed by industry operators and supported by the close proximity of the University of Southern Queensland.
Mr McConnel said the recent Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Access NZ trade mission had “fact checked” the value of an innovation and development centre which cost about $30 million to build, and $3 million to run.
While the New Zealand government built the NZ Food Innovation Network and continues to fund 70 per cent of its operations, Mr McConnel said private and public funding would be needed to see one established in Australia.
“It was really exciting to see 25 people from the industry who were there who overwhelmingly said that it is something we should invest in,” Mr McConnel said.
“To have that innovation idea fact checked and groundtruthed is absolutely critical for us to talk to government.”
The Regional Growth Fund will provide grants of $10 million or more “for major transformational projects which support long-term economic growth and create jobs in regions undergoing structural adjustment”.
Mr McConnel said USQ, plans for a regional exporter’s hub to be established in the area, as well as Toowoomba’s road, air and upcoming rail connectivity positioned it above others for the grant funding.
“It’s the triple helix and we need to have all three parties,” he said regarding building the innovation centre.
“We need to have the government for seed funding to get it off the ground which otherwise would be notoriously hard to do.
“We need private enterprise to scale it, and commercialise the ideas that come out of it.
“Then we need the university for the new ideas, so it’s the uni, private enterprise and government.
“And that’s one thing Toowoomba has in spades so it’s very exciting.”
Mr McConnel said the centre would further support the development of high-yield farming methods in industrialised land such as at Wellcamp.
TO HAVE THAT INNOVATION IDEA FACT CHECKED AND GROUND-TRUTHED IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR US TO TALK TO GOVERNMENT. FLA’S BRUCE MCCONNEL