New business hub for CBD

FEDERATION University’s SMB campus will become the new home of a business excellence centre following a funding announcement by the State Government.

Money for the $9.5 million project is coming from the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund and Minister for Higher Education Gayle Tierney said the aim is to boost regional education, skills and innovation.

“Today’s announcement… is about making sure that this investment enables and strengthens the university’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

“It will create around 150 construction jobs before it opens in the second half of 2022, there will also be staff employed in the new centre and local people will be able to enrol in this fantastic facility.

“It’s about making those connections between universities and the resources they have with business networks, business enterprises, innovation and of course jobs.”

The project will include refurbishment of the SMB campus’ former School of Mines heritage building and former Carlton United Breweries site.

FedUni vice-chancellor and president Professor Duncan Bentley said the large-scale renovation will be a welcome addition to the University’s existing business school.

“One of the key features of what we do is innovation and teaching students to do their own start up, to spin out companies, to work with entrepreneurs so that when they leave the university… they are able to continue innovating and inventing,” he said.

“It’s going to be an amazing building to work in with the best of the new and the old preserved.

“We’ve been working with Heritage Victoria for around two years and that process is very detailed to make sure that every aspect of the building that has heritage features is either carefully maintained or transformed in a way that meets the criteria.”