The ten Enterprise Connect centres around the nation will help businesses succeed and help create high wage, high skilled jobs now and for the future.
Enterprise Connect will provide Australia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to the best advice, technology and research. The centres will 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.
“I am confident that the new network will make a very real and practical contribution to competitiveness of Australian SMEs,” said The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr.
The first step in implementing Enterprise Connect is establishing a network of five Manufacturing Centres around the nation. The centres will be hubs of expertise and will open progressively in Mawson Lakes South Australia, Dandenong Victoria, Burnie Tasmania, Sydney and Perth, with QMI Solutions in Queensland linked into the network.
There will also be five dedicated Innovation Centres — one for mining technology in Mackay, one for remote enterprise in Alice Springs, one for innovative regions in Geelong, one for creative industries, and one for clean energy.
Through the Manufacturing Centres experienced Business Advisers will work directly with companies providing:
-a free Business Review that will help identify how the company can improve its business strategies and operations;
-benchmarking of business and manufacturing processes against best practice;
-help in finding the latest research, technology and organisational knowledge to improve products and efficiency;
-links to prototyping and testing facilities to turn good ideas into products; and
-help to cut through red tape and get the best access to government programs.
-The implementation of the Manufacturing Centre network will be guided by an advisory board.
A website with all the relevant information is live at www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au or 131 791.