Antony Perry
29 July 2016: A renowned expert on smart cities and open innovation said the University of Canberra has all the ingredients to successfully establish Australia's first innovation district.
The positive assessment was delivered by internationally acclaimed academic Professor Josep Piqué, vice-president of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation, who has been credited with transforming Barcelona's economy through the development of the 22@Barcelona District of Innovation project.
The University is currently undertaking a significant campus development project with a strong focus on innovation and work-integrated learning.
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Leading expert on smart cities Professor Josep Piqué backs UC to develop Australia’s first innovation district. Photo: Vanessa Lam.
There are many parallels between the University's plans and the 22@Barcelona project, and Professor Piqué said there is an opportunity to learn and benefit from the Spanish city's innovation district.
"The University of Canberra has all the ingredients to develop the first Area of Innovation in Australia and that's going to be an amazing opportunity for the city as well," Professor Piqué said.
"In the Knowledge Economy, talent is a raw material, and it is universities, such as the University of Canberra, which are the mines."
22@Barcelona is one of Europe's biggest urban regeneration schemes. It transformed 200-hectares of industrial land in Barcelona into an innovative district offering modern spaces for intensive knowledge-based activities.
Investment in the project has reached approximately €200 million in two decades and 90,000 new jobs have been created.
Professor Piqué said embracing a new way of planning and developing a city and engaging with innovative ways to do business was behind the project's success.
"That has been a key lesson from 22@Barcelona," he said.
Professor Piqué was in Canberra this week to share his expertise at a public lecture held at the University of Canberra. His presentation, Innovation districts and UC campus development – a nexus of opportunity, can be viewed below.
Visit the Campus Development website to learn more about the University's plans.
