Leading locally, competing globally: measuring the University of Wollongong's contribution to economic and social prosperity in the Illawarra and beyond - 2016 update

University of Wollongong continues to play a leading role in the higher education sector in Australia and globally. This report provides the second comprehensive assessment of UOW's economic and social contribution to the regional economy and the Australian community more generally. It details the findings of a three-month study undertaken by a research team from the SMART Infrastructure Facility, the Faculty of Business, and Cadence Economics, which sought to describe the overall influence of the University of Wollongong (UOW) on economic and social prosperity in Australia, and in particular, the Illawarra region. After a brief background on the University's operations and its home region of Wollongong (defined by the local government areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama), the report looks at the direct, indirect and induced impacts of the University's operations, student expenditure (excluding expenditure on UOW tuition already included in the first item), visitor expenditure and capital expenditure. The estimates are reported at the regional, state and national levels, using the 2015 calendar year as the basis for this analysis. This analysis is followed by an assessment of UOW's broader role in developing human capital. Finally, looking beyond the purely economic benefits of UOW, the report provides a descriptive overview of the various non-pecuniary social and cultural contributions UOW makes to the communities that it engages with, including reporting on the voluntary work undertaken by staff and students. This study highlights UOW's strong contribution to Australia's knowledge infrastructure and its enabling role across many areas of economic, social and cultural life.