A $32 million project by the Rudd government will bring Victorian manufacturers together in the latest Enterprise Connect Manufacturing Centre at Dandenong.
The centre is the latest in a line-up of locations that allow manufacturing staff to trade ideas and views, joining destinations in Sydney (NSW), Melbourne (VIC), Mawson Lakes (SA), Perth (WA), Burnie (TAS) as well as QMI Solutions in Brisbane (QLD).
Around 4,000 small and medium Victorian manufacturers will now have access to the service that is designed to help them become more productive and competitive by experiencing the latest headways in innovation and creativity in manufacturing processes.
The Dandenong centre will act as a hub for Enterprise Connect services in the state, offering companies business review, tailored advisory, client management and other services, as well as grants of up to $20,000 for business improvements. It will also work closely with the Enterprise Connect Innovative Regions Centre in Geelong.
“Victorian firms can now tap into the latest ideas and technologies by accessing a network with local roots and a global reach,” said the Minister for innovation, industry, science and research, senator Kim Carr, at the opening ceremony.
“In this turbulent economic environment, the need for firms to innovate, improve productivity and find new efficiencies is more pressing than ever.”
Carr said an added feature of the centre is that it will also be home to officers from the Industry Capability Network of Victoria.
“We hope to make similar arrangements with Austrade and CSIRO in the near future,” he said.
“This will give the Dandenong centre business capabilities second to none. It’s all about giving businesses a gateway to the wider innovation system.”
Over 1,000 firms around the country have already received or applied for an Enterprise Connect business review — with around a third coming from Victoria, said Carr.
“More and more businesses now realise that innovation is the key to maintaining their own profitability and Australia’s prosperity as a whole,” he said.
For more information on Enterprise Connect, visit www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au or call the Enterprise Connect hotline on 131 791.