UNE is seeking expressions of interest by community members and stakeholders to join the online consultation process to provide feedback on the STEM Q Project, vision and plans for this regional precinct.
STEM Q seeks to support growth opportunities across the region under four key pillars – agribusiness, health and wellbeing, digital intelligence and enabling STEM aligned infrastructure.
An important objective of the STEM Q initiative will be to create new STEM facilities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and associated resources to drive education and research in collaboration with industry, business and communities.
UNE Vice Chancellor and CEO Professor Brigid Heywood said STEM Q will be an engine for innovation by connecting industry and investment with research and education.
“Across the globe, industry, community, government and universities are using collaborative precinct models as catalysts for new, productive partnerships,” Professor Heywood said.
“STEM Q similarly seeks to provide local industries and communities across NENW with a pathway to engage in commissioning research specifically focused on local challenges,” she said.
“In the future, 75% of jobs are expected to demand STEM skills. This is a growth opportunity for the regions, where workplace flexibility, upgraded transport links and lower costs of living are becoming attractive to businesses that once only considered metropolitan areas as viable locations.
“One of UNE’s main contributions to this vision would to be the nucleus of a region-focused education ecosystem that supports the career aspirations of regional students to study, live and work in the NENW. This is already happening through our role in UNE Tamworth and commitment to the Moree Special Activation Precinct.”
UNE has a strong track record in facilitating business and innovation opportunities for the region, including the Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre, Poultry Hub, Agricultural Genetics & Breeding Unit (AGBU), Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI), Centre for Animal Research and Teaching (CART) and the SMART Region Incubator.
“At the heart of STEM-Q is an education pipeline that delivers job-ready graduates to the region.
In collaboration with regional partners, UNE will support students’ pathways to careers in this region," Professor Heywood said.
“With the development and consultation phase of the program now underway, the STEM Q Activation Team are inviting stakeholders to join the conversation and find their place in this exciting new ‘precinct without walls,” she said.
To register for the COVID-safe consultation process, go to the STEM Q web page at www.une.edu.au/stem-q and follow the link to register your interest. You will receive further information once consultation begins.
To find out more contact Naomi Nielsen, nnielsen@une.edu.au
Read more about the STEM Q Vision here
- STEM Q is a platform for regional partnerships. It seeks to become an engine for innovation by connecting industry and investment with research and education through mutually beneficial projects. It will do this by providing local industries and communities with a pathway to engage in commissioning research specifically focused on local challenges.
