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The Role of Anchors: Lessons From International Innovation Precincts

This cutting-edge guide looks at the important role that anchor tenants play in global innovation precincts and what it means for New South Wales.

Innovation

Report

Despite the boom in remote working since COVID-19, precincts remain important places for innovation. Our precincts are places where ideas can be turned into commercial realities.

 Anchor businesses and institutions play an important role in the success of innovation precincts. The right anchors can:

  • Create new jobs
  • Encourage suppliers to innovate
  • Attract capital and talent
  • Connect small businesses to global markets
  • Accelerate investment in research and development (R&D), infrastructure, public space, and shared amenities.

 The Role of Anchors report is a cutting-edge guide to learn from more than 30 precincts around the world. The report shares lessons from international experience for all those involved in developing our precincts: place leaders, existing and prospective anchor businesses and institutions, precinct participants, and governments at all levels.

In this report, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council finds:

  • New South Wales (NSW) has many world-leading companies and institutions that already have an 'anchor mindset'
  • More can be done to attract new anchors to grow the existing ecosystem, and to support anchors that are already here
  • Four overarching recommendations for NSW Government to help our innovation precincts and anchors further succeed.