About the Precinct

Create new opportunities through our networks of research, talent, entrepreneurship, commercialisation support, and infrastructure. 

Our Research and Innovation Precinct offers a range of physical spaces for industry co-location and supports business growth. We do this through facilitating collaborations, providing access to our extensive entrepreneurial and incubator programs, and connecting your business with the future workforce We also enable partnerships with academics and researchers to solve bottom line challenges and maintain market advantage.

Co-locating in the precinct puts you a short drive from the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) and international airport. More importantly, it places you squarely within the innovation and entrepreneurial hub of Melbourne’s University City of the Future. This is driving economic growth and achieving global impact across the domains of Health & wellbeing, Agriculture, food and environment, and Digital transformation.

  • 17 precinct partners
  • major co-locations including: AgVic, RioTinto and WEHI
  • over 25 precinct partner briefings each year
  • over 10 events a year.

  • population 1 million – forecast 30% growth by 2031
  • 74,000 businesses
  • 360,000 jobs
  • 502,000 employed residents
  • $42.85 billion gross regional product.

Our 235-hectare campus in Melbourne’s north is close to the airport, freeways and ring roads. The campus is an environmental oasis with extensive green spaces, waterways, walking trails and a wildlife sanctuary. Juxtaposed at the nexus of Melbourne’s economic activity it offers easy access to regional Victoria.

Rapid population growth is transforming the region and stimulating plans that will strengthen the local, Victorian and national economies. It is poised for transformation into a specialist health, agriculture, food and innovation hub, supporting the future growth of key precincts, including:

Melbourne’s north is also a key transportation hub and part of the Victorian Government’s designated employment zones.

With Melbourne’s population expected to grow to almost 9 million people by 2056, we have been identified as the anchor for one of seven National Employment and Innovation Clusters being  developed to support the projected significant employment and residential growth in the city’s north.

We are evolving into a world-class ‘University City of the Future’. Over the next decade, we are investing in new infrastructure that will turn our campus ‘inside out’ – it will become a place to live, learn, work, socialise and stay healthy.

We are creating new education facilities and housing, in addition to major new precincts including a Health and Wellbeing Hub and world-class Sports Park.

Central to our strategy of turning the campus into a city of the future is developing our Research and Innovation Precinct to enable industry co-location on our campus. This will create a vibrant hub of opportunity, engagement and collaboration along the entire research and innovation value chain.

We will drive job growth with a focus on core industry sectors in which we demonstrate existing world-class research and innovation: Agriculture, Food and Environment, Health and Wellbeing, and Digital Transformation. We will work closely with sector-leading partners to develop and deliver new subjects, courses and programs that directly address workforce needs.

Our plans also include brokering relationships between industry, entrepreneurs and government to help foster a culture of collaboration. If you are interested in talking to us about how you can become involved and be part of our future, please contact us.

We are a 6-star Green Star Community, and are committed to becoming fully carbon neutral within the next decade.

We will be Victoria's first major university to become carbon neutral by 2029. We're investing $75 million to achieve this goal and our regional campuses are leading the way – they’re set to become carbon neutral by 2022.

We are also transforming our campus so staff, students, community and co-located partners can enjoy the unique environment. An example is the development of the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor, which will create an inviting, open and culturally aware space that protects our biodiversity and connects our communities. Read more about our sustainability plan.

  • Located at one of the highest-ranking universities in the world (top 1.3%).
  • Co-location with leading research groups, start-ups, government agencies and multinational companies.
  • Situated 30 minutes (18 km) from Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, 14 km from Melbourne CBD and halfway between the city centre. and outer north Melbourne.
  • We are an integral part of the La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC).
  • Domestic and International airport and quarantine services nearby.
  • Just 6 km to Metropolitan Ring Road (M80) and 9 km to Eastern Freeway (M3).
  • A central location for greater Melbourne in one of the largest green spaces in Melbourne’s north.
  • We are the largest single provider of employment and education in Melbourne’s north.
  • Easy access to the future North East Link and highways.

  • Our Agricultural Sciences research is ranked ’well-above’ world standard *Australian Research Council, 2019, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Outcomes 2018.
  • Victoria’s third oldest university with a pioneering and disruptive 50+ year history.
  • Highly engaged with industry and community to address global challenges.
  • Campuses in Melbourne (Bundoora and City), Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Mildura, Shepparton, Sydney.
  • 35,000+ students enrolled in more than 341 undergraduate courses, with 7500 international students from 97 countries.
  • We are a 6-star Green Star Community and committed to becoming carbon neutral within the next decade.
  • Ranked in the top 400 universities in the world by ARWU, Times Higher Education and QS Rankings. Top 1.3% of universities. worldwide (QS World University Rankings 2019).