But now territory planners want to open up Amtech Estate in Symonston to new developers, admitting that the site has failed to become the high-technology hub they had hoped for.

The ACT government has applied to the National Capital Authority to have restrictions on the site lifted to allow light industry to move in and occupy several undeveloped blocks.

Amtech Estate was developed in the mid-1990s with the ambition of creating a high-tech industrial campus in the ACT.

The site has catered exclusively to advanced technology firms, but the concept has failed to attract enough interest in its 13 years, according to a draft amendment released by the NCA for consultation.

Economic Development Minister Andrew Barr said on Friday the changes the government was pursuing would make the site more ''adaptable''.

Vacant land in the area is a target for future subdivision. But Mr Barr said it was not a sign the territory economy was struggling to branch out into high-technology fields.

''The NCA understands that there is currently a limited market for 'high-tech' industrial sites in the ACT,'' the NCA's draft proposal says.

''It is believed that the restrictive land use combined with the capacity for 'high-tech' industry to locate elsewhere in the ACT has reduced demand for the remaining available blocks.''

The amendment suggests opening the park up to other light industrial businesses.

''It might be a business that constructs solar panels, the [Canberra] eye hospital is there - it's those sorts of light industry that could go there,'' NCA chief planner Andrew Smith said. ''The ambition at the time was to develop some sort of IT hub and that hasn't occurred.''

Mr Smith said he did not know why the area had failed as a technology campus.

''There just hasn't been the demand for that type of high-technology use,'' he said.

''You can do your best to get your projections right but some things beyond your control mean it may not be realised.''

Mr Barr said the ACT was still creating high-tech firms in a range of fields including information technology, science and research, education and the arts.

''The estate in question is only one example,'' he said. ''On the other hand there has been considerable growth in knowledge-intensive employment right across Canberra, including in the Parliamentary Triangle, and in town centres and Civic.''

Mr Barr said the value of goods and services exports in the ACT increased by $1.3 billion in 2011-12.

''The majority of this is in knowledge-intensive sectors: government services exports, which earned $438 million, education-related travel exports at $321 million, and other business services at $185 million,'' he said.

The NCA has put the plan out for consultation and hopes to change the land use by the end of the year.