KEY POINTS
- Launched on 21 May 2008, the $251 million Enterprise Connect network is a central plank of the government’s Innovation Future for Australian Industry policy platform.
- Enterprise Connect is providing Australia's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to the best advice, technology and research, and link firms to resources in their immediate region and around the country.
- Enterprise Connect is building up a permanent, readily accessible and truly national knowledge bank – a storehouse of information about what research is being done, what research SMEs need, what trends are developing, what technologies are available to meet those trends, and much, much more.
- Five manufacturing centres are in the process of being established as hubs of expertise. Manufacturing Centres in Mawson Lakes South Australia, Dandenong Victoria and Burnie Tasmania, and on the QMI Solutions campus in Brisbane have already been launched. The Manufacturing Centres in Sydney and Perth will be launched shortly.
- The implementation of the Manufacturing Centre network is being guided by the Manufacturing Centre Interim Advisory Board chaired by Jim Walker, CEO of Queensland's QMI Solutions.
- Five Innovation Centres are being rolled out throughout the country with the Innovative Regions in Geelong having already been launched. The Remote Enterprise Centre in Alice Springs, Creative Industries Innovation Centre and Clean Energy Innovation Centre and Mining Technology Innovation Centre in Mackay will be launched in the future.
- Expressions of interest processes are underway to identify partners for the Clean Energy Innovation Centres and Creative Industries Innovation Centres.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Ten Enterprise Connect centres around the nation will help businesses succeed and help create high wage, high skilled jobs now and for the future, adding significant new capacity to the national innovation system.
Enterprise Connect provides Australia's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to the best advice, technology and research. The centres offer top quality business and management advisory services.
One of the biggest challenges facing SMEs is having the time and know-how to implement innovative changes in their business. Enterprise Connect addresses these challenges by connecting businesses to new ideas and technologies to boost productivity and increase international competitiveness.
Enterprise Connect links firms to resources in their immediate region and around the country. Each centre is in constant communication with the other centres, and the network as a whole is in constant communication with other networks – whether through partner organisations, state governments, the Industry Capability Network, Austrade or others.
Over 1100 firms have now passed through the first stage of the program, the Business Review, with around 300 firms proceeding to the second stage, the Tailored Advisory Service which provides a subsidy of up to $20k to assist firms implement changes identified through the Business Review process. In addition, firms receive mentoring and support for up to twelve months.
New services including the Researchers in Business initiative, seminars, and technology advising and referral will be introduced progressively.
Enterprise Connect will service at least 3000 firms a year.