BUSINESS - Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct

Filed Under: BUSINESS

COHORT filling fast as city’s newest entrepreneurial hub

The former site of the Commonwealth Games hair salon, corner shop and police station is now transformed as COHORT – the Precinct’s prime location for start-up businesses, global company landing spaces and all things innovation and collaboration.

Launch Day on May 9 saw Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick on hand to inspect the bright space for bright minds, accompanied by Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon, who did the official duties at the evening launch party.

Space filling fast

COHORT community managers CoSpaces have been busy welcoming new tenants, with CEO Ben Howe anticipating rapid growth.

“Within three weeks of opening the doors, nine businesses had committed to joining COHORT with six more expected to join in the coming weeks, totalling over 80 people,” Mr Howe says.

“65 of these people are in health and technology related businesses and it is estimated that up to 20 new jobs will be created within these businesses and we hope to employ up to 10 people for our own team, when we reach full capacity.”

The Hemisphere Group find their perfect location

Global leaders in providing health, risk and safety management and training for the entertainment industry, the Hemisphere Group have built their business on supporting safe and secure Australian tours by some of the biggest international performers.

They are now branching out to support the marine industry with medical and workplace safety training, with a specialised program to prepare crews of luxury yachts for emergencies at sea, and the Precinct provides their ideal base.

We asked Operations Manager Shannon Ward why they chose COHORT.

Our main medical doctor is based out of both Gold Coast University Hospital and Gold Coast Private Hospital and our pharmacist and some of our other doctors lecture at Griffith University so the location is ideal. Plus we’ve already worked with two other COHORT companies who’ve provided marketing and media services.

How do you see your business expanding?

Our model is to create a hub for marine industry medical emergency scenario training – from ‘man overboard’ emergencies to shark bites and treating broken limbs in confined spaces. We want to support crews of superyachts to ensure they have all the right medical and safety equipment, and we hope to coordinate a register of vessel manifests in the Asia-Pacific area, so these vessels can be coordinated to respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

Hot on the heels of the launch COHORT staged their first major event, a Healthtech Symposiom bringing together entrepreneurs, industry, clinicians and medical researchers.

Take a virtual tour of the exciting new space.

Filed Under: BUSINESS, INVEST

New incentives make investment even more attractive

Incentives for jobs, capital investment, leasing and R&D

The GCHKP Project Office can coordinate a program of attractive incentives for qualified companies, with a new program endorsed by the City of Gold Coast boosting the assistance available, including to eligible companies seeking tenancies in the Precinct.

In February 2019, the Council of the City of Gold Coast endorsed a range of modifications to the GCHKP Investment Attraction Program, adding to the financial and in-kind support available to companies seeking to invest.

For the first time companies seeking tenancies are eligible to receive a rebate on overall lease costs (first two years).

Increases in financial incentives have been approved relating to capital investment within greenfield development (1.5% within the first two years), and job creation ($1,000 incentive per FTE between $50k-$80k and $7,000 incentive per FTE for a salary over $80k).

Incentives are also available to support R&D projects, workforce assistance and specifically to attract a companies’ Australian head office to the GCHKP.

The GCHKP Project Office now manages the Investment Attraction Program from start to finish, providing a more streamlined experience for companies.

The Project Office can also assist with information and access to assistance by the Australian and Queensland Governments, including the Federal R&D Tax Incentive and potential opportunities through the Advance Queensland Industry Attraction fund.

Companies locating to Queensland can also benefit from Australia’s lowest rate of payroll tax.

Download our Investment Attraction Guide for further information.

Investment-Attraction-2019-web

Filed Under: BUSINESS, INVEST, TECHNOLOGY

Gold Coast set to be medical software and device hub

GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon with Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst and Materialise Australia Business Manager Madeleine McIntyre

World-leading additive manufacturing company Materialise will locate its Australian head-quarters in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) to create a hub for cutting-edge medical device innovation.

The Belgium-based global company will switch operations from Sydney to the 200-hectare GCHKP to capitalise on Griffith University plans for an $80 million Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Centre (ADaPT), set to commence construction in 2019.

Materialise is a global pioneer of 3D printing technology whose software and services enable researchers, engineers and clinicians to revolutionise patient-specific treatments that help improve and save lives. This makes the GCHKP an ideal location for medical operations, continuing existing partnerships with leading Griffith researchers and expanding collaborations with clinicians at the Gold Coast University and Gold Coast Private hospitals.

The collaboration is the result of extensive discussions between Griffith, the GCHKP Project Office and Materialise over two years, including a trip to the company’s Belgian headquarters to pitch the opportunity and technical links to research capabilities.

The Materialise move is a coup for Queensland and the Gold Coast, according to Griffith University’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Ned Pankhurst, especially given the significant growth potential, with the university’s investment in ADaPT paving the way to expand the relationship and explore further research collaboration as a co-located industry partner.

“Materialise is truly a world-class company with 24 offices in 19 countries, and for them to choose to locate in the GCHKP at the ground-up stage signals the potential for a world-leading hub to develop here,” Professor Pankhurst said

We’ve already opened up our ADaPT 1.0 industry showcase facility and Materialise staff will initially be based on campus, alongside our leading researchers who are working in areas such as developing orthopaedic and other medical devices.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is equally delighted, with the City actively supporting the presence of companies looking to expand operations and contribute to local employment opportunities.

“Medical technology is rapidly advancing and we need the best companies here to carve out our global niche in what will be a huge world-wide market – Materialise is one of the best,” Mayor Tate said.

Materialise Australia Business Manager Madeleine McIntyre said the Gold Coast had the right combination of existing world-class research expertise, skilled graduates and the lifestyle to attract global talent, as well as crucial co-location with clinical facilities.

“We have been the backbone of the 3D printing industry for nearly 3 decades, and have pioneered many leading medical applications of 3D printing. The innovative and collaborative environment provided by the GCHKP will help us to further advance our medical software and services,” Ms McIntyre said.

“Matching our company’s entrepreneurial culture, the GCHKP will be a strong base for Materialise to expand our Australasian footprint and provides a lifestyle advantage for our employees and the future talent we will attract here.”

For GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon, the Materialise move represents the chance to build momentum for ADaPT and the entire precinct well before the first sod is turned by sparking additional interest from associated innovative companies.

“We’ve always said the GCHKP is a long-term project and we’re pleased our Project Office efforts have been able to attract a global player of this calibre even before the first building is constructed,” Ms Dixon said.

“This is our preferred model for development – focusing on areas where we have genuine global niche expertise and attracting aligned industry co-location so we can rapidly translate research to great health and commercial outcomes.”

About Materialise

Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines the largest group of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.