GM Fishermans Bend commitment bolsters world-class location

Artist's impression of the Fishermans Bend campus.
An artist's impression of the University of Melbourne engineering campus at Fishermans Bend.

The University of Melbourne is delighted with GM Holden’s announcement that it will be significantly boosting its engineering workforce at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne.

GMH’s announcement that it will employ approximately 150 engineers in Melbourne, most located at Fishermans Bend, complements the University’s commitment to create a seven-hectare, world-class engineering school at Fishermans Bend.

The new University campus – just five kilometres from the city – is set to open in the early 2020s and will be the centrepiece of Australia’s leading precinct for advanced manufacturing, design, engineering and technology excellence.

University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis said the University is looking forward to partnering with GM at Fishermans Bend.

“This is an important announcement for the global manufacturer, and for Melbourne,” Professor Davis said.

“It reinforces the significance of Fishermans Bend as a site for engineering excellence, at a time when the University of Melbourne is developing our new campus."

Professor Davis said the University bought the site from the Victorian Government to create a campus where the Melbourne School of Engineering and researchers from other disciplines can co-locate with partners, undertake industry-relevant research and offer students more opportunities for direct engagement with future employers.

“The University will be a catalyst for new collaborations and investments, connecting industry and research in the precinct,” Professor Davis said.

“We have a proud history of innovation in this country. The new campus will give our researchers and students opportunities to work alongside industry, and pursue rich careers here in Australia.

“GM’s commitment is another important chapter in the history of this site, which we are proud to be part of. We are looking forward to working with them and other partners as we build a world-class engineering and design precinct.”

The new campus will allow the University to build large-scale research platform facilities that the Parkville campus cannot accommodate. This will include wind and water tunnels, smart grid technologies, autonomous vehicle testing and pre-fabricated housing manufacturing.

University of Melbourne School of Engineering Dean Mark Cassidy said that the new campus will help create the entrepreneurial leaders and transformative technologies of the future.

“The Fishermans Bend campus will enable our students and academics to collaborate with world-leading local and international companies across industrial sectors as diverse as transport, energy, food, mining, infrastructure and water,” Professor Cassidy said.