Flinders University will team up with the government of South Australia to establish a teaching and research hub at the Tonsley Park redevelopment.
The deal will see the university invest AU$120 million on a new building and infrastructure. The state government will provide AU$2.5m in initial support, Jay Weatherill, the state premier, said on 5 August.
Research programmes in nanotechnology, medical devices and clean technology, as well as undergraduate programmes in computer science, engineering and mathematics will be offered at Tonsley Park, the government said. The centre will house 2,000 students and 150 staff.
Flinders University vice-chancellor, Michael Barber, said the investment would enable the university to deliver teaching, research and business investment activities that match the high-value manufacturing vision for the site.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to help forge a new future for innovation at Tonsley Park,” he said.
The facility is expected to be operation in 2015.
Earlier this year the state government released a master plan to transform Tonsley Park, a former Mitsubishi site, into a hub for high-value and innovative manufacturing companies. The aim is to create 6,300 jobs over 20 years.