Engineering & Innovation Place
James Cook University is being transformed with over $140 million in NAIF funding for the Engineering & Innovation Place and Student Halls of Residence projects.
June 2018
Social Infrastructure
Townsville, QLD
The JCU Engineering & Innovation Place (formerly called Technology Innovation Centre) is located in the city of Townsville, Queensland. On 15 June 2018, NAIF approved funding of up to $96 million for the Engineering & Innovation Place, where undergraduate and postgraduate engineering and IT students, industry partners and researchers will be able to collaborate.
About James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) is a distinguished institution that takes pride in its four vibrant campuses: Townsville (Bebegu Yumba), Cairns (Nguma-bada), Mackay, Brisbane and Singapore. These strategic locations enable the university to deliver a comprehensive and globally oriented education in line with its pioneering spirit and unwavering dedication to academic excellence.
Project Overview
NAIF has provided nearly $150 million in funding, through two Investment Decisions, to support James Cook University in Townsville. The first will finance the Engineering & Innovation Place as part of JCU’s long-term strategy to modernise the Townsville campus, and accelerate the JCU Enterprise Bundle (the Engineering & Innovation Place, Townsville Campus Renewal and Townsville Central Plaza).
The Engineering & Innovation Place will be the centrepiece of an innovation hub in which undergraduate and postgraduate engineering and IT students, industry partners and researchers will converge and collaborate.
Townsville Campus Renewal Project:
The Engineering & Innovation Place is part of a broader series of projects, totalling $174 million, that will centre university activities around the Townsville Central Plaza to create a more vibrant campus heart. Research and innovation will be combined to support and benefit business and the community, while highlighting STEM, big data and analytics, information technology and technology transformation.
The Townsville Campus Renewal is a five-year, targeted program of works affecting more than 50 buildings across the campus. Learning and Teaching buildings will be refurbished while other ageing buildings will be decommissioned.
The complex is adjacent to the new Halls of Residence Facility, which was also supported by NAIF through a separate loan of $46 million.
How We Helped
NAIF’s loan gave JCU the confidence to progress construction of Engineering & Innovation Place. The complex will deliver leading-edge STEM innovation, research and educational facilities for northern Queensland.
Public Impact
James Cook University is expected to draw more regional and international engineering students to the area on completion of this project. The Engineering & Innovation Place project is forecast to create 270 jobs, and at least 80% of subcontractors and suppliers are expected to be sourced locally.
According to a cost/benefit analysis, the public benefits from the Enterprise Bundle are estimated to reach approximately $700 million over the course of 25 years.
NAIF’s Investment Decision gave JCU the confidence to progress the work required. The Technology Innovation Complex (Engineering & Innovation Place) will deliver leading-edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) innovation, research and educational facilities for northern Queensland.
The TIC (Engineering & Innovation Place), and other projects planned and underway, will transform our Townsville campus and provide new and exciting opportunities for our region,
Professor Sandra Harding
JCU Vice Chancellor
Related Links
Indigenous Engagement
- The Bindal people
Townsville is located on the traditional lands of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples. The James Cook University (JCU) Townsville campus, known as Bebegu Yumba, is situated on Bindal Country in the suburb of Douglas. This campus not only serves as a place of learning but also honours the cultural heritage and custodianship of the Bindal people. Bindal Country, known as Thul Garrie Waja, extends south of the Ross River and includes significant parts of Townsville and its surrounds. The Bindal people’s totem is the Eel (Burdell), symbolising their strong connection to water sources such as rivers, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal ecosystems, which are rich in biodiversity and cultural significance. A central element of their cultural knowledge is the shooting star, which is believed to signify either danger or a call for help from the direction in which it falls. Today, the Bindal people continue to uphold their responsibilities as custodians of both land and sea Country, preserving their cultural traditions and protecting the natural environment for future generations.
Indigenous Engagements Strategy Commitments
- Aims to achieve 3% Indigenous employment across the design, construction, and operational phases, with contractors required to promote Indigenous traineeship and cadetship opportunities where appropriate.
- Contractors must provide on-the-job training, inductions, mentoring, and upskilling for First Nations employees, and report regularly on employment outcomes, training delivered, and any challenges affecting target achievement.
- Tenderers must demonstrate previous experience employing First Nations peoples, either directly or via subcontractors. A 10% weighting will apply at the EOI stage and 5% at the RFT stage for Indigenous business engagement and employment strategies.
- Construction contracts will include provisions for tracking compliance with Indigenous Employment Strategy (IES) targets. Contractors must submit regular progress reports covering employment data for all contractors, training activities, and any barriers to target delivery.
- In collaboration with the Industry Capability Network (ICN), will host “meet the bidder” and “meet the buyer” forums to promote local and Indigenous business participation. The IES will be reviewed annually with contractors and relevant government stakeholders to refine and strengthen outcomes.
Indigenous Engagements Strategy Outcomes
- In 2021, contractor BESIX Watpac reported 19% First Nations employment, including a number of apprentices and a school-based trainee from Cowboys House. Cultural awareness training was delivered by Bindal Traditional Owners, who also participated in site ceremonies and held permanent representation on the project’s Indigenous Employment and Training Steering Committee.
- In 2022, First Nations employment reached 11%. BESIX Watpac broke down work packages to encourage participation from smaller Indigenous suppliers and collaborated with the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Queensland Government, and Townsville City Council to identify further opportunities.
- In 2023, BESIX Watpac achieved 10.2% First Nations employment, and Indigenous procurement exceeded $700,000, representing 1.15% of total spend. The period also saw the installation of Two Brothers, a public artwork by Waanyi artist Judy Watson, symbolising the Bindal story of Mount Stuart (Mandilgun) and Magnetic Island (Yunbenun).
- In 2024, JCU reported 12.1% First Nations employment at construction completion, with 3.2% First Nations employment achieved into the operational phase. Total procurement with First Nations businesses exceeded $705,000 during the construction period.
