The creation of a Technology Park on the Coffs Harbour Education Campus (CHEC) will promote the effectiveness of natural synergies arising from the following features:

• on-site education and training for growth companies;
• creation of applied industry research opportunities;
• collaborative research and development; and
• co-operative commercialisation of emergent technologies.

Statistical evidence shows that campus-based Technology Parks that are supported by a collocated business incubator realise consistently higher measurements of success, while stand-alone incubators rarely achieve greater than break-even achievements at best.

Both the Southern Cross University and North Coast TAFE campus’s at the CHEC is presently performing a number of significant research activities including several in IT & Multi-Media. This immediately presents synergistic opportunities with prospective tenants of the Technology Park.

The collocation of the Innovation Centre, Technology Park and the CHEC facilities will broaden economies of scale, attract investment and skilled people to the region and promote new knowledge-based industries. These benefits will, in turn, strengthen and deepen the regional economy and create employment

The Coffs Harbour Technology Park hopes to cater for most types of businesses it will be targeting those businesses which are technology based and that have the ability to develop synergies with the broader CHEC community.

The Coffs Harbour City Council’s Economic Development Unit has undertaken extensive surveys of commercial land availability in the regional area. The results show that there is a significant shortage of higher quality commercial land which is both close to the CBD and airport.

In part, the local market is driven by the lack of suitably sized land which has adequate parking. The CHTP offers extensive parking options close to all its tenants’ buildings. The location is also well served by direct bicycle tracks from both Coffs Harbour and Sawtell and a frequent public transport system.