The Central Coast Innovation District is emerging as a leader in food and health, acting as a test bed for reimagining age and wellbeing, integrated care and active lifestyles enabled by technology and manufacturing.
The Innovation District has its foundation in the Education and Employment precinct, with a flagship new university campus in Gosford welcoming its first students in 2025 and a state of the art innovation hub in close proximity to TAFE and schools.
The Health and Wellbeing precinct anchored by Gosford Hospital and the Central Coast Research Institute for Integrated Care and the Central Coast Clinical School, provide new opportunities for complementary allied and private health services to locate to the District.
The District drives knowledge creation, talent development and industry collaboration, acting as a beacon for leading businesses in food production, health and manufacturing.
The Central Coast Innovation District is located on Darkinjung Country, which boasts over 3,000 registered Aboriginal sites and thousands more unregistered sites. The region is also home to Mount Yengo, a site of the highest spiritual significance given its links to Baiame, the creator spirit of the Dreaming for many Aboriginal nations throughout NSW. Darkinjung Country hosts an abundance of cave art, rock engravings and stone arrangements that were used by Aboriginal people for learning and ceremony for tens of thousands of years. Residents of the region are proud of the rich Aboriginal cultural heritage that abounds the area. The deep connections of the area to ancient Aboriginal culture and heritage, the oldest continuing culture in the world, is foundational to the wellbeing and development of the community.
Central Coast Strategy for Economic Growth
In 2022, the Commission received $23M to implement the Central Coast Strategy for Economic Growth. The Strategy identifies seven key priorities for driving innovation and economic growth by supporting the thriving food production ecosystem, unlocking employment lands, building on health and education precincts, and improving transport and digital connectivity.
The Strategy recommends improvements to planning to improve intra transport connections, as well as infrastructure support to drive business investment and ensure the community has access to world-class education opportunities.
Developed by the Greater Cities Commission in partnership with Central Coast Council, NSW Government agencies and key stakeholders, the Strategy’s priorities include innovation and industry collaboration; unlocking employment lands; streamlining conservation plans; activating the new University of Newcastle campus; building on the Gosford Health and Wellbeing Innovation Precinct; delivering a high-speed internet network; and accelerating development approvals.
