Building a world-leading science precinct

Monday, 28 September 2009

The University of Adelaide will create a world-leading science precinct on the lower level of its North Terrace Campus.

The new precinct will incorporate the University's new Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), a state-of-the-art 420-seat lecture theatre and additional research and teaching facilities.

The $77 million development will provide 8,200 square metres of new facilities over seven levels to cater for the University's rapidly expanding student numbers and research activity. The IPAS facilities will bring together world-class expertise from multiple disciplines to undertake ground-breaking research activities in photonics, surface chemistry, luminescence and biotechnology.

"This is the next step in the University of Adelaide's four-year $400 million building program to provide first-class research and teaching facilities for staff and students," said the University's Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha. "The new facilities will be adjacent to the Molecular Life Sciences building and the Benham and Mawson laboratories, creating an exciting science hub on the North Terrace Campus.

"This will accommodate urgent demands for increased space, enhance the educational experience for our students and staff, and reinforce the University's strategic aim to be recognised as one of the world's great research universities."

The Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing will develop new technologies focusing on some of the big problems in health, the environment, industrial processes and defence. With the specialised laboratories under construction as part of this development, the Institute's facilities will be unrivalled in the world.

"These developments will help us attract the very best researchers and teachers from all over the world to South Australia," said Professor McWha.

The new development takes place on the site currently occupied by Union Hall, with work proposed to commence in early 2010. The University is investing $1.5 million to upgrade Scott Theatre which will be available as an alternative venue for the 2010 academic year.

The University's building program has already seen the development of several major new facilities including the Wine Innovation Cluster and the Plant Accelerator buildings at Waite Campus, the new Veterinary Sciences School at the Roseworthy Campus, the environmentally sustainable Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences building on the North Terrace Campus, the Bio Skills laboratory at the Medical School and the redevelopment of 10 Pulteney Street into a modern hub for business, education and commerce studies.

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