Conclusions

The Federal Government's statements on, and apparent commitments to, proactively encouraging innovation is exciting in that it offers the possibility to commence potentially fruitful conversations to do with change in a 21st Century context. 

Likewise, it seems that there will be increasing opportunities to attract considerable support from business communities if they are given practical support 'on the ground' – particularly in regional Australia.

Approaching the end of the 21st Century's second decade there is a developing circumstance that may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Northern Tasmania. As UTas wishes to abandon it's current campus at Newnham and move it's operations closer to Launceston's CBD. Currently a move to a new sites at Inveresk are being actively discussed. 

Except for the Australian Maritime College, such a development would leave all of, or much of, the existing Newnham campus vacant save for infrastructure and buildings. Planning for the use of that site apparently has not progressed significantly, nevertheless the current state of flux presents opportunities. 

The 51 hectare Newnham campus is currently owned by the State government and despite the UTas proposal to abandon the campus it remains that there is valuable infrastructure located there that is in various degrees of good order. 

This proposal is for the use of both the UTas Newnham site and the Newnham campus

 as a new standalone 'institute'. There are many individuals and groups who could make valued use of the otherwise un-needed parts of the site at Newnham. These groups will very be likely to work closely with the/a new institute. 

Apart from the new standalone 'institute' being advocated here there are many individuals and groups who could make valued use of the vacated site at Newnham. 

These would include: 

• Community groups needing access to space – built and otherwise; 

• Educators and educational institutions needing both primary and auxiliary spaces; 

• Business innovators needing both access to appropriate infrastructure and to personnel with various levels of expertise; 

• Start up 21st Century enterprises and online operations requiring access to infrastructure and skilled personnel; and 

•  International institutions and groups who need access to the evolving regional 'institute(?)' and/or its partners, collaborators and networks. 

Key to the opportunities the site offers is: 

• Access to facilities which the site provides; and 

• Active partnerships with local business enterprises, public operations – councils, schools, colleges , research groups, etc. – and a network of academic institutions. 

If the site is not used for such purposes – e.g. sold for suburban development – then valuable buildings and infrastructure may need to be removed thereby eliminating the possibilities now becoming apparent.