James Cook University has won up to $96 million funding from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to develop the Technology Innovation Complex (TIC) at its Townsville campus.

JCU’s Vice Chancellor Professor Sandra Harding said the TIC was part of an integrated set of projects to modernise the university’s facilities across the Townsville campus.

“The Technology Innovation Complex will deliver leading-edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) innovation, research and educational facilities for northern Queensland,” Professor Harding said.

The three-level TIC will be the centrepiece of an innovation hub in which undergraduate engineering students, industry partners, post-graduate researchers and start-up businesses will converge and collaborate.

The project is expected to create about 270 construction and other jobs.

It is part of the Townsville Campus Renewal – a seven-year, targeted program of works affecting more than 50 buildings across the JCU campus.

Learning and teaching buildings will be refurbished while other ageing buildings will be demolished, and university activities will be brought closer together.

The Townsville Central Plaza is an open public space that will connect the TIC, the Science Place, and other areas of the campus. The $5 million project is funded through the Queensland Government’s Catalyst Infrastructure Program.

“JCU is the north’s own University,” Professor Harding said.

“We need to continue to upgrade our facilities so we can offer outstanding educational experiences for students from the north and from across the world as well as some of the best teaching and research facilities for staff.

“The innovation hub will be of tremendous benefit to industry partners as well as students and researchers, and will transform regional businesses and industry.”