Macquarie University Incubator set to expand, provide hi-tech lab space for biotech start-ups

Macquarie Park Innovators will gain access to hi-tech lab testing space, following the expansion of Macquarie University’s Incubator.

The planned development is the result of the NSW Government’s Emerging Industry Infrastructure Fund (EIIF), which invested $3.5m into the institution.

With the NSW government’s investment, Macquarie University Incubator’s DeepTech laboratory will be outfitted with molecular biology and biomanufacturing equipment.

More office space and meeting rooms will also be developed, creating an opportunity for bio-based start-ups by assisting them to incubate and test their ideas near the Australian Genome Foundry (AGF), which will also expand.

“This funding will fortify NSW’s position as the national leader in synthetic biology and manufacturing” says Dr Tom Williams, AGF’s Chief Scientific Office.

“We estimate that it currently costs a single start-up many millions of dollars to set up and equip laboratories that facilitate even basic research and development, let alone the cutting-edge equipment needed for effective synthetic biology research.”

Williams said the new spaces will also help early-stage businesses attract further investment before having to outlay infrastructure costs, or compromise intellectual property ownership.

Macquarie University Incubator is part of Australia’s network of public universities and research institutions - including the CSIRO - that help bring our nation’s ideas and discoveries to the world.

It is an energetic ecosystem that nurtures innovative thinking, supporting idea growth and success.

The successful funding application was a joint bid by a Macquarie University-led consortium of organisations. The motivation behind the submission was to generate a rich talent pipeline for Australia’s rapidly growing synthetic biology and biomanufacturing industries.