Australian Technology Network

Australian Technology Network
Formation	1999
Headquarters	Melbourne, Victoria
Region served	Australia
Membership	List Curtin ; Deakin ; RMIT ; UON ; UniSA ; UTS;
Chair	Harlene Hayne
Website	www.atn.edu.au

The Australian Technology Network (ATN) is a network of six Australian universities, with a strong history of innovation, enterprise and working closely with industry. ATN traces its origins back to 1975 as the Directors of Central Institutes of Technology (DOCIT), and was revived in 1999 in its present form with changes to its membership announced in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023.

ATN is the second largest university grouping in Australia, in terms of student numbers and research funding.^[2]

History

The ATN originated in 1975 as the "Directors of Central Institutes of Technology (DOCIT)", a conference group consisting of the directors of Australia's leading "institutes of technology". Each of DOCIT's original member institutions (NSWIT, QIT, RMIT, SAIT and WAIT^{[note 1]}) were located in the central business district of their respective state's capital city, hence they were deemed "central institutes of technology".

DOCIT founded its original member institutes' distinctiveness on their size (they enrolled almost one third of all full-time advanced education students), on the advanced level of their teaching (most of their programs were degrees rather than the diplomas like that of other advanced education institutions) and their conduct of applied research (DEET, 1993:18). They were therefore like a "technology-focused" group.

DOCIT encountered too much opposition to its aspirations, and disbanded in 1982. The conference group was later revived in 1999 as the Australian Technology Network, consisting of: the Curtin University of Technology, Queensland University of Technology, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, University of South Australia and University of Technology Sydney. Each ATN member university was granted public university status between 1986 and 1992, however their antecedents make them some of the oldest tertiary institutions in Australia.

QUT departed ATN on 28 September 2018.^[3]

Deakin University was announced as a new ATN member on 8 December 2020, bringing the Network's membership back up to five universities and making the network Australia's second largest university grouping in terms of student numbers and research funding. Deakin's membership bolsters ATN's geographic footprint with a presence in the regional gateway city of Geelong and regional Victoria.^[4]

In November 2021, the University of Newcastle joined the Australian Technology Network as an Associate Member, becoming the sixth member of the network. Newcastle's membership further enahnced ATN's regional footprint into the Central Coast and Hunter regions. The University of Newcastle became a full member in 2023.

Members

Locations of ATN universities

University	City	State	Established	University Status	THE World University Rankings 2023^[5]	Academic Ranking of World Universities 2021^[6]	QS World University Rankings 2024^[7]	QS Top 50 Under 50 World Young University Rankings 2021^[8]	THE 250 Young University Rankings 2022^[9]
Curtin University	Perth	WA	1902	1986	201-250	201-300	183	17	36=
Deakin University	Melbourne	VIC	1974	1974	251-300	201-300	233=	26=	42
RMIT University	Melbourne	VIC	1887	1992	301-350	301-400	140	18	55=
University of Newcastle	Newcastle	NSW	1951	1965	201-250	201-300	173=	N/A	N/A
University of South Australia	Adelaide	SA	1856	1991	301-350	501-600	326=	29	46
University of Technology Sydney	Sydney	NSW	1964	1988	133	201-300	90	11	8