Up to 500 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, with the expansion creating a further 420 positions at the centre over the next decade.

The chief strategy officer for the venture, Dr Matthew Cahill, said the project will create proximity between the university's existing agricultural infrastructure and the wider industry.

"What we're building here is a science and business park and if you want to build one of those, the starting point is the actual endowments that you naturally have," he said.

"Wagga's a really interesting intersection, it's actually a very rare situation to have things like the Bomen special activation precinct, the RiFL, a university plus a number of multinational companies all in the [one] region."

The city's CSU campus has been chosen because of its agricultural facilities, including its ag laboratories, greenhouses, field trial plots, animal facilities, and experimental winery.

"You need people to sort of bump into each other a little to build those relationships," Dr Cahill said.

"For example, ChemCert needed some virtual reality training tools, they're working with people in the creative industries on VR/AR training. Eurofins needed some work on pest identification so they're going to work with the Centre of Maths and Computing around algorithms and machine learning.

"Bridge Hub connected us with a group from Israel who have got this really interesting technology for establishing grapevines. They're working with the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre here in the park."

It comes off the back of the $8 million drought resilience funding earmarked over four years for the university, as well as a newly minted partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment.

The university will become one of eight drought innovation centres around Australia working to mitigate future climate problems.

"The future droughts fund provides a $100 million a year to help farmers prepare for the inevitable next drought," said Andrew Metcalfe, secretary of DAWE.

"We know that we are likely to face a warmer, drier climate in some parts of the country, how do we ensure that we have got the right techniques, the right crops, the right ways of producing?" Mr Metcalfe said.

"It's the whole idea of farmers and farming groups [working] to prepare for how to handle a drought and produce crops or manage livestock in a way that ensures that farmers can remain successful even when there are very difficult climatic conditions."

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