Smarts Beyond the Science: The Growing Need for Professional Services throughout Innovation Precincts

5 minute read

Creative and digital agencies, consultants, educators, legal and financial professionals are redefining what it means to work in a health innovation precinct.

It’s time to rethink who belongs in a health innovation precinct.

Long associated with white coats, biotech breakthroughs and high-spec labs, innovation precincts are evolving. Today, it’s not just clinicians and scientists shaping the future of healthcare—it’s also the communicators, strategists, educators and digital problem-solvers who work alongside them.

And they’re finding more than a seat at the table. They’re becoming essential.

Across Australia and around the world, a new kind of business is moving in: professional, technical and creative service firms. From HR specialists and legal advisors to design studios and digital consultants to, these businesses are aligning naturally with the health, science and education sectors.

They’re not just supporting the ecosystem—they’re co-creating it.

Health innovation needs more than medicine

Modern healthcare is complex. From delivering new therapies to implementing digital platforms and reimagining models of care, progress depends on a wider circle of expertise.

That’s where service-oriented businesses come in.

Whether it’s helping a growing medtech navigate compliance, delivering aged care workforce training, or building digital tools for mental health support, all kinds of service SMEs are embedded in the innovation lifecycle.

And health innovation precincts are becoming the ideal base. Why?

• They offer proximity to hospitals, startups, educators and researchers.
• They’re designed for collaboration, not just co-location.
• They signal credibility, values-alignment, and long-term vision.

At Lumina Gold Coast, this trend is already underway. Within Cohort Innovation Space, various consulting firms and agencies are working side by side with healthtech entrepreneurs, clinicians and researchers—co-developing projects that blend science and storytelling, data and design.

A global shift: From deep tech to diverse ecosystems

At Melbourne Connect, innovation is designed to be cross-disciplinary from the ground up. Led by the University of Melbourne in partnership with Lendlease, the precinct brings together researchers, startups, scaleups, and service-driven businesses including those in architecture, immersive media, digital design and education. Creative-tech companies like ATOMOS and Liquid Instruments work side by side with academics and deep-tech ventures. The precinct also offers curated coworking spaces, media studios, and event venues—all built to foster real-time collaboration between content creators, technologists, strategists and health innovators.

In Tech Central, Sydney, legal advisors and UX specialists share space with medtech scaleups and deep tech ventures, supported by hubs like Stone & Chalk, which are intentionally designed to support both product and service businesses equally.

Adelaide BioMed City features a blend of research and service tenants, including clinical trial consultants, digital transformation experts and education providers, working together in support of patient-centred innovation.

And in Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, one of the world’s leading precinct models, service-based businesses—from HR and law to DEI consulting and startup commercialisation—are deeply embedded in the ecosystem, demonstrating how diverse talent fuels sustainable innovation.

These precincts prove that the future of innovation isn’t just interdisciplinary—it’s interprofessional.

Why Service Businesses Choose Health Precincts

Taking on commercial leasing inside a health innovation precinct isn’t just about prestige—it’s a practical business decision.

Tenants gain visibility, credibility, and new pathways to growth. The value of being metres away from hospitals, universities, startups and research hubs can’t be overstated—particularly for businesses looking to align with health and science sectors.

It’s about tapping into talent. Finding better clients. Having early visibility on new projects and tenders. And collaborating in spaces designed to connect people with purpose.

The result? Faster momentum, richer partnerships and a stronger value proposition—for both the business and the precinct.

Lumina: More Than Labs. More Than Medicine.

At Lumina Gold Coast, this evolution is already happening.

Creative firms, consultants, digital service providers and educators are joining the precinct—not just because it’s a smart location, but because it’s the right context. They’re co-locating with startups, clinicians and researchers. They’re contributing to health outcomes. And they’re positioned to grow, fast.

Whether it’s:

• a design studio working on inclusive patient materials,
• an education provider upskilling health care workers, or
• a communications agency supporting clinical trials,

Lumina is welcoming the businesses that amplify, accelerate and humanise health innovation.

Is Your Business Part of the New Innovation Ecosystem?

If you’re in strategy, communication, education or digital delivery—and your work intersects with health—there’s a place for you here.

Lumina isn’t just for labs. It’s for leaders, problem-solvers and growth-minded businesses that want to contribute to something bigger.

Explore leasing opportunities at Lumina Gold Coast.