The people behind the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct
Innovation ecosystems do not run on infrastructure alone. They run on people, relationships and the thousands of interactions that happen between organisations every day.
They are built through the conversations between meetings, the introductions that spark collaborations, the emails sent after an idea surfaces over coffee, and the moments when research, healthcare, education, government and industry connect in ways that create something new.
Behind the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct is a small team whose job is to help make more of those moments possible.
Part storyteller, part connector, part project manager and part relationship-builder, the precinct team works across organisations, sectors and conversations to help ideas and opportunities move more freely between people. On any given day, that might mean coordinating a health technology event with startup founders and researchers, walking international investors through the precinct, supporting media stories about world-first research, connecting students with industry opportunities or simply introducing the right two people at the right time.
Much of that work happens quietly in the background, but its impact can be seen throughout an ecosystem that has grown significantly in scale, capability and ambition over the past 25 years.
The team behind the precinct has changed many times over 25 years. The work has not.
The team behind the precinct has changed many times over those 25 years, but the purpose of its work has remained remarkably consistent: bringing people together around a shared ambition for what this place can become.
Today, that work is supported by the leadership of Griffith University Vice President (Industry and External Engagement) Professor Bronwyn Harch, whose focus on industry engagement, collaboration and research impact helps connect the precinct’s day-to-day work with a broader vision for economic and social impact on the Gold Coast.
It takes trust, shared ambition and people willing to keep conversations moving forward. The role of the precinct team is not to own innovation or take credit for the successes that emerge from the ecosystem, but to help create the conditions in which people can connect, collaborate and turn ideas into action.
Sometimes that work is strategic and carefully planned. At other times, it looks a little more like organised chaos, with stakeholder meetings, event runsheets, partnership discussions, media interviews, precinct tours, workshops, filming days and the occasional last-minute problem-solving sprint all happening at once. There are also plenty of coffees.
What makes the role unique is the breadth of the ecosystem itself. Few places bring together hospitals, universities, research institutes, startups, schools, government agencies, multinational companies, students and entrepreneurs within one connected community.
For the precinct team, that means constantly moving between worlds. A conversation about biomedical commercialisation might be followed by a discussion about student pathways, clinical trials, sports technology, investment attraction, artificial intelligence or how to tell the story of a researcher whose discovery could transform lives.
The subject matter changes daily, but the purpose remains the same: helping people connect in ways that create shared impact. Over time, those connections matter. A conversation can lead to an introduction, an introduction can become a collaboration, and a collaboration can grow into a research partnership, a new company, an investment opportunity or a career that may never otherwise have existed.
It is through thousands of these interactions, accumulated over many years, that an ecosystem becomes more than a collection of organisations sharing the same postcode.
Behind every event, partnership, story and connection is a much wider network of people, from the leadership that provides strategic direction to the partners across Griffith University, Gold Coast Health, City of Gold Coast and its corporate entities, the Queensland and Australian Governments, and the many organisations that make up the precinct community.
The precinct team may help bring people together, but the real strength of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct lies in the willingness of those partners to collaborate, share knowledge and work towards something bigger than any one organisation could achieve alone.
That spirit of collaboration has been part of the precinct story from the beginning. It helped turn an ambitious idea into a 200-hectare health and knowledge ecosystem, and it continues to create opportunities for researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, students, industry and government to work across traditional boundaries.
Because precincts are not built through buildings or strategy documents alone. They are built through relationships, shared ambition and people willing to invest their time and ideas in one another.
The precinct team may be small, but the ecosystem behind it is anything but.
Connect with the Precinct team
Not sure who you need to speak to? Whether you’re looking to collaborate, invest, establish a presence, share a story or simply find the right person within the precinct, our team can help make the connection.
Craig Rowsell | Director
Leadership, strategic partnerships and precinct opportunities
Talk to Craig about strategic partnerships, major opportunities, government and industry engagement, and the precinct’s future direction.
Connect on LinkedIn | Get in touch
Kathy Kruger | Strategic Projects & Engagement
Projects, partnerships and stakeholder engagement
Talk to Kathy about strategic projects, research and industry collaborations, precinct initiatives and opportunities to engage with the ecosystem.
Connect on LinkedIn | Get in touch
Aaron Ilsted | Industry Growth
Investment, industry partnerships and commercial opportunities
Talk to Aaron if you’re looking to establish or grow within the precinct, explore commercial opportunities, connect with research capability or build industry partnerships.
Connect on LinkedIn | Get in touch
Robyn Stonefield | Marketing & Communications
Stories, media, events and precinct promotion
Talk to Robyn about sharing precinct stories, media and content opportunities, events, campaigns and ways to promote the people and organisations shaping the ecosystem.
Connect on LinkedIn | Get in touch
Gemma Bull | Administration
Your first point of connection
Not sure where to start? Gemma can help with general enquiries and connect you with the right person across the precinct team.
Get in touch
