Innovation & entrepreneurship support
Grow your idea and accelerate it at Macquarie Park
The Macquarie Park ecosystem provides support for entrepreneurs and researchers with ambitious ideas. It also provides spaces and programs for those looking to grow their startups and scaleups in a collaborative environment.
Innovation place
Incubator spaces
Macquarie Park Innovation District offers innovation spaces and support networks to bring innovation to life.
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Macquarie University Incubator
The Incubator provides a community, co-working and event space for students, researchers, staff and the broader startup and intrapreneur community to explore, develop and scale their ideas. Resident members gain the confidence and support they need to establish and scale their ideas in a safe atmosphere where true growth arises from sharing the wins, lessons and challenges.
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Macquarie University Deeptech Incubator
A cutting-edge space comprised of laboratories, equipment, secure offices and co-working areas. Aims to support biotech innovators through the 'valley of death', with access certified PC2 laboratory space and relevant equipment.
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Lindfield Collaboration Hub
Provides support to both early-stage startups and established SMEs in their journey to craft cutting-edge high-tech products and devices. Businesses can gain unparalleled access to state-of-the-art facilities, profound scientific expertise, invaluable experience, expansive business networks, and the acumen needed for effective commercialisation
Innovation support
Programs
Universities and government offer a range of programs to support innovators in Macquarie Park Innovation District.
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For early-stage startups and scaling companies focuses on the key knowledge areas founders need to know to build sustainable and high-growth businesses
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Provides a supportive pathway for Macquarie University research groups, researchers and GR candidates.
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The Incubator provides a range of programs around the tools of innovation that are open to all current Macquarie University students.
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Provides researchers with the skills and confidence to undertake customer discovery and market validation activities that enable them to take their research further.
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A structured accelerator program for research teams to validate and develop high potential innovative ventures
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Designed for startups and established SMEs, offers dollar matched funding of $10K - $50k for collaborative research projects..
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Training and mentorship program for SMEs looking to explore research and development for their business.
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A 12 week startup gap analysis program that aims to help founders close the gap in startup business performance and prepare them for growth through highly targeted insights, coaching and program support.
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Supporting innovative SMEs and startups to commercialise their ideas and grow their businesses. Offer early-stage commercialisation grants from $50K - $250K for pilots and prototypes and commercialisation and growth grants from $100K - $5M for projects in their prototype through to market readiness stage.
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The Australian Business Growth Fund: Capital investments of between $5M - $15M to increase investment in small businesses by providing an alternative to traditional loans and private equity.
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The Australian Government has committed $15 billion to establish the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) which will provide finance for projects that diversify and transform Australia's industry and economy.
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Supports startups and innovative SMEs in the product lifecycle between early-stage research and mature investment opportunities, through grants of $25K - $50K to drive the commercialisation of highly innovative and new products.
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Builds innovative partnerships between publicly funded research organisations (incl. Macquarie University and CSIRO) and SMEs, with improved access to researchers, training and facilities.
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Aims to progress new and innovative medical devices and related technologies in NSW towards commercialisation with funding of $500K - $5M per application available.
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Aims to progress new and innovative devices and systems towards commercialisation within NSW across the branches of the biological sciences (biotechnology and life sciences), including biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, synthetic biology and agrifood. Second round of BioSF will be held in 2025/26.
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Competitive development and commercialisation program for technological innovations in NSW. Round 6 is not yet confirmed or open.
innovation support & research
Research Institutes
Macquarie Park Innovation District is home to world leading research to support the local innovation ecosystem.
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Australian Hearing Hub
Unites researchers, educators, clinicians and innovators with expertise in linguistics, audiology, speech pathology, cognitive and language sciences, psychology, nanofabrication and engineering sciences. Access to shared research facilities for collaborative research.
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National Acoustic Laboratories
The research division of Hearing Australia is a world leader in hearing research and evidence-based innovation. NAL works with collaborators around the world on technology development, product validation, needs analysis, hearing loss insights, and novel clinical protocols to address the needs of the hearing loss sector.
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Australian Genome Foundry
Use the power of synthetic biology and laboratory automation to explore large biological solutions. The high-throughput biofoundry enables the Foundry to design, build, and test thousands of strains per week, allowing teams to understand and unlock nature’s potential.
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Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
The leading respiratory and sleep research organisation in Australia that aims to improve the quality of life for people affected by sleep and breathing disorders. World-class researchers from some of Australia’s best universities and hospitals come together to form the Lung Cancer Research Network.
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RNA Research and Pilot Manufacturing Facility
This new facility will conduct small-scale GMP facility production of messenger RNA (mRNA), plasmid DNA (pDNA) and lipid nanoparticles (LNP) encapsulation at a scale which will enable phase 1-3 clinical trials of new therapeutics. Located at Macquarie University and operated by Aurora Biosynthetics it's expected to open in 2026.
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Bioplatforms Australia
Provides access to 'omics technologies in support of all life science researchers working across human health, agriculture, biodiversity and industry. Bioplatforms is enabled by the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and located at Macquarie University.
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NextSense
Not-for-profit organisation supporting people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision across Australia. The NextSense centre for innovation will not only deliver best-in-class services, it will also be a home for sharing research and practical knowledge across Australia and the world and training the next generation of professionals in the field.
Meet the innovators
Innovator case studies
Meet some of the people that have utilised Macquarie Park Innovation District’s innovation programs and spaces.
Dr Abbie Widin
Defy-Hi Robotics
Dr Pankaj Arora
Walk In Specialist Emergency Clinic (WiSE)
Dave Sammut
Loop Hydrometallurgy
Dr Brad Walsh
Minomic & GlyTherix
Dr Chris Bladen
Zymedyne Therapeutics
Invicta Prospects Group
and GLIA diagnostics