Partnership will drive region forward

A partnership between the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Celestino will build research and development capacity in the West, and encourage a seamless connection between education, the community and business.

UTS Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Attila Brungs said: “Nowhere in the world, is there a model where a university, a property owner and developer like Celestino, and industry are designing an ecosystem from the ground up – one that allows people to learn at school through the workforce and all the way through their career. It’s a totally integrated approach.”

Under the agreement, announced in August, the UTS will base its Centre of Innovation for Autonomous Mobility Services at the Sydney Science Park. The Centre will feature the alphaCabs project to provide an autonomous mobility service for the Science Park and drones as a service project – a world first to test fully autonomous drones in an urban environment.

Celestino CEO John Vassallo described the partnership with UTS as “a key element of our vision for Sydney Science Park”. 

“Education is a core pillar of our ambition to create an innovation ecosystem; clustering together industry, researchers and education providers with the community from the start,” he said.

Professor Brungs said the partnership with Celestino was part of the UTS 2027 Strategy, where the university would invest in supporting opportunities in Western Sydney through programs and partnerships rather than building whole new campuses.

“One of the key projects for the partnership is working with research organisations, industry and local schools to create the Sydney Science Park International STEM Centre of Excellence,” Professor Brungs said.

“This will equip teachers with advanced STEM capabilities, improve industry, vocational and tertiary education participation and integrate with STEM students and schools creating platforms to meet future real-world opportunities and challenges.”

Member for Penrith and Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, the Hon. Stuart Ayres attended the launch of the partnership.

“The future of Sydney is West. Education and jobs – the likes of which we can’t even conceive of yet – will drive our community forward. It’s visionary projects like Sydney Science Park that will underpin a thriving future Western Sydney.”

Learn more about the UTS Celestino partnership here.

Image:  Celestino and Sydney Science Park are working together to make education a fundamental part of the workforce.  From left, Celestino’s General Manager Business Development Duncan Challen, UTS Director Corporate Relations Centre Caitlin Ruddock, UTS Deputy Vice Chancellor (Innovation and Enterprise) Professor Glenn Wightwick, Member for Penrith, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney the Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, Celestino CEO John Vassallo and UTS Vice Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs.