The New South Wales Government recently announced several innovation and employment precincts for Sydney and the Central Coast. But research into how knowledge is shared between workers and businesses in industry or innovation precincts in Sydney is lacking. This missing information can have serious implications for how future precincts are planned, including workers’ accessibility and movement within and between precincts.
Understanding the how, not just the what
To help policymakers and planners fully understand how industry precincts evolve and function, SGS Associate Laura Schmahmann conducted an in-depth investigation into how knowledge is transferred between workers and businesses in industry clusters in Sydney, the spatial implications of knowledge spillovers, and their influence on industry clusters. Laura used Australian Technology Park (ATP) and Surry Hills as case studies – both of which will be part of the Sydney Innovation and Technology Precinct.
Surry Hills grew organically, with creative people and businesses attracted to the area, transforming it from a former clothing manufacturing cluster to a vibrant centre for creative industries. On the other hand, the Australian Technology Park was established by a government-led master plan to facilitate start-up companies within high-tech industries.