 |
PARK YOUR BUSINESS HERE
Why are more fast-growth Australian businesses relocating to technology parks and incubators than ever before? The answer lies in the competitive advantage that concentrations of knowledge-economy workers bestow upon promising start-ups. Could your business benefit from access to shared state-of-the-art facilities and the cross-pollination of ideas with like-minded entrepreneurs? Perhaps you should be taking up residence in one of Australia’s hot hubs of innovation.
BRISBANE TECHNOLOGY PARK
|
Malaysian Government looks to AIC for Innovation Best Practice
The Malaysian Government has targeted the Australian Institute for Commercialisation (AIC) as its role model in commercialisation and innovation best practice.
The AIC has already commenced work with the government-owned Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) Berhard to develop and implement a Malaysian pilot project based on the AIC’s innovative TechFast program. TechFast assists Australian SMEs to identify and establish collaborative projects to develop new products, solve business issues or access the latest leading-edge research.
The AIC helps Australian businesses, research organisations and governments convert their ideas into successful outcomes.
Makers of revolutionary MediHoney make BTP home
Comvita Health Pty Ltd, which owns MediHoney Pty Ltd, has established its new Australian head office, and the global headquarters for MediHoney, at the BTP Technology and Conference Centre. MediHoney makes a range of revolutionary skin and wound care products, developed in Queensland, working on the same principals as the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, who used honeys for wound care.
New launching pad for small high-tech firms
Small high-tech firms now have a foot in the door at one of Queensland’s most innovative business hubs with the opening of a new office precinct at Brisbane Technology Park.
Level One by Zernike offers more than 1,700 square metres of prestigious services and commercial offices for firms looking to grow their technology-related businesses.
Ten companies have already taken up space in Level One by Zernike, including Mesaplexx – a company that recently opened an office in Europe and is working closely with Telstra and Ericsson to design, manufacture and market next generation wireless telecommunications to the worldwide market.
Nokia acquires Trolltech
Trolltech, a software company specialising in applications for mobile phones, headquartered at Brisbane Technology Park, has been acquired by mobile phone giant, Nokia. In addition to the key software assets, the Trolltech team will play an important role in accelerating the implementation of Nokia’s software strategy. This will enable Nokia to accelerate the cross-platform software strategy for mobile devices and desktop applications, and develop internet services.
Cook Australia
Cook Australia moved from Melbourne into the BTP in 1988 with 62 staff and a small clean room manufacturing facility. With over 320 staff now and several extensions to the original building, the company has commissioned a new purpose-built headquarters facility.
The new building will be 5,000m2 Cook Australia, over three levels rising to a height of 15m. Within the building will be office space for R&D Engineering, Regulatory, Sales and Customer Service to service the needs the domestic head office of Cook plus 1,000m2 of clean room production area. Cook is the world’s largest privately-held medical device manufacturer. Cook Australia manufacturers Zenith endovascular grafts, products for the repair of aortic aneurysms and in vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction procedures.
Innovation Over Lunch – Innovation Series Qld
|
Now in its fifth year, the Innovation Series Qld is a program of luncheon events that foster networking and collaboration while also showcasing innovation and technology success stories.
The Series has built a reputation as one of Australia’s premier business luncheon series. Not only does it set out to bring people from the research sector and a wide range of industries together, it offers keynote and guest speakers who are the leaders in their fields.
Keynote presenters recently featured at Innovation series events have included: Dr Geoff Garrett, CSIRO Chief Executive; Professor Ian Frazer, Director of the Centre for Immunology & Cancer Research; Hutch Rank, Managing Director, DuPont Australia; Dr Nanda Nandagopal, Deputy Chief Defence Scientist; and Federal Innovation Minister, The Hon Senator Kim Carr.
The Innovation Series (Qld) is about “connecting people to ideas and ideas to people” and recognises the importance of its Partners, and sponsors (QUT, CSIRO, Graystone, Shelston IP, and the Australian Institute for Commercialisation), who have supported the delivery of the Innovation Series over many years.
Further information about Brisbane Technology Park and related activities is available by contacting Gill Laird-Portch, Park Manager, on 07 3853 5200 or visit: www.brisbanetechnologypark.com.au
AUSTRALIAN TECHNOLOGY PARK
|
|
|
Spread over 13.8 hectares, the Australian Technology Park occupies the site of the old Eveleigh Railway Workshops. Built in the late 19th century, these were once the largest and most technologically advanced workshops in the southern hemisphere. Today they are home to a community of researchers, entrepreneurs, incubator businesses, start-ups, mature technology companies and educational organisations. This confluence of R&D, business and education is unique in Australia.
ATP is a unique place focused on supporting the growth and commercialisation of Australian-based businesses. It offers these businesses an environment for information exchange and networking opportunity second-to-none.
Researchers working on tomorrow’s technologies are located alongside companies with the capital and expertise to commercialise them. Established companies in different business sectors also discover synergies between each other’s activities, often leading to completely new business directions, sometimes to totally new businesses.
It includes more than 100 tenant-partners ranging from one-man start-ups to multinational organisations, from local residents and businesses to a network of supporters that include State and Federal Government organisations.
Currently under construction is a $120 million development that will house a state-of-the-art, high definition television production facility and commercial offices. The site will be home to The Seven Network and Pacific Magazines and will be used to produce a range of variety, drama and entertainment programs and some of Australia’s leading magazines.
TECHNOLOGY PARK ADELAIDE
|
Technology Park Adelaide is already home to many of the world leaders in the high technology sector and the list is growing.
These companies recognise the many benefits of Technology Park Adelaide. Networking and business clustering are actively encouraged and the adjacent University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes campus, is a valuable source of graduate and R&D expertise.
Technology Park Adelaide is Australia’s first technology park, and was established by the Government of South Australia in 1982. This in itself provides a number of companies at the Park with a legacy and a strong brand – an intangible asset that can take years to develop. There is a high concentration of the world’s big players – BAE Systems, Saab Systems, Raytheon – and many of the ones to watch – Dspace, Topcon Precision Agriculture and Jumbo Vision.
There are over 2,000 workers at the Park and 90 businesses. A one-person start-up can begin operation in a fully-serviced office and grow to lease or own larger facilities to suit their needs.
iLAB
The Power of Incubation
Entrepreneurs launching new knowledge-based businesses in Queensland are stacking the odds in their favour by backing their ideas with the expertise and resources of business incubators.
And is it any wonder, with Australian Bureau of Statistics research finding that only 58 percent of Australian small businesses created in 2003/04 were still operating in June 2006, and anecdotal evidence indicating that business survivability was even lower for high risk, technology-based businesses.
Add to that overseas evidence that business incubators help increase business survivability to 87 percent and it is easy to see why the nurturing environment of an incubator – entities established for the specific purpose of accelerating the performance of new, high growth-potential knowledge-based businesses – make sense.
Starting up, owning and operating such a business can be tough, perilous and lonely. Three major reasons cited for business failure are lack of planning, lack of capital and economic conditions. Economic conditions are hard to influence, but good business planning and capital management can help small businesses weather economic fluctuations.
Incubators typically provide their client companies with space; access to skill-building and networking programs; business development support for activities such as business planning, preparation of grant applications and capital raising; and mentoring and coaching programs. Many engage the support of seasoned entrepreneurs in the broader business community to provided hands-on mentoring to client companies – providing them with the opportunity to access some of the sharpest business minds to help them make the right decisions.
Queensland boasts four incubators, which currently assist over 60 creative and technology-based start-up ventures. Through intensive mentoring and one-on-one assistance they have helped transform many young ventures from just an idea into viable growing businesses. While part of the program, incubator member companies have raised millions of funding dollars from government grants, angel investors and venture capital funds and created hundreds of new technology industry jobs.
Between them these Queensland incubators boast dozens of success stories, including:
Ephox www.ephox.com
Mooter Media www.mootermedia.com
Typefi www.typefi.com
EcoNova www.econova.com.au
Carbon Media Events www.carbon-media.com.au
Fashion designer, George Wu www.georgewu.com.au
Allotz.com www.allotz.com
MyCyberTwin www.mycybertwin.com
If you or someone you know would like to emulate the success of these and the many other companies that have participated in a Queensland incubation program, take a close look at your local incubator today. You are just a click away from the help you need.
http://www.ilab.com.au/getincubated
TASMANIAN TECHNOPARK
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thoroughbred (genetically selected) Oysters by Australian Seafood Industries |
Launched in 2007, Springboard Accelerator is a $2.4m program funded by the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The program is delivered by In-tellinc, Tasmania’s only full-service venture partner for innovative start-up technology companies. Its portfolio of companies employed over 150 people and turnover exceeded $20 million in FY08.
Based at the hub of entrepreneurial ideas and innovation at the Tasmanian Technopark in Hobart, but supporting companies statewide, the Springboard program offers three assistance packages that are customised to the needs of each business. These include grants of up to $50,000 and equity investment up to $150,000.
CARIBBEAN BUSINESS PARK
“The Centre of the South East”
|
|
| Caribbean Business Park is located close to the demographic centre of Melbourne and is surrounded by dormitory suburbs that provide access to a large skilled workforce. Monash University is 10 minutes away and East Link connects Caribbean Park via the Eastern Freeway to Melbourne’s northern and southern suburbs. |
Caribbean Business Park (CBP) is Melbourne’s premier business park. The latest stage of the 200-hectare CBP is a group of campus developments and stand-alone offices covering 50-hectare. The Park has created a unique ecological environment, with the extensive planting of trees, regeneration of natural grasses and the provision of lakes and large landscaped areas.
The Caribbean Group is excited about the 5-star WaterView development and the next stage of the park’s development. This stage will consist of three to five storey office towers overlooking the network of lakes, including the 20-hectare Lake Caribbean. The development will have a prime emphasis on parkland and staff amenities, such as cafes, walking paths, exercise points, open space and greenery. All of the office buildings will be designed with the very latest building materials focusing on Green Star principles.
From little things, big things grow
|
|
|
High-tech facilities at the Small Technology Cluster |
The Small Technology Cluster (STC) is well established at Caribbean Business Park and is a world recognised centre of excellence created through the clustering of accessible skills, technologies and capabilities in micro-nano-bio technology research, manufacturing and commercialisation. The STC offers access to state-of-the-art equipment and a highly-trained workforce, in a clustered and interactive environment at Caribbean Park in Melbourne’s South East technology corridor.
The STC is Australia’s foremost generator of business and innovative manufacturing activity based on the exploitation of Small Scale Technologies. Central to the STC is MiniFAB (50,000 sq ft), offering customised manufacturing and advanced product development in micro-engineered systems for biotech, health, agriculture and aerospace. Beyond its own cluster capabilities in Melbourne, the STC offers access to a vast network of Australian and international researchers, developers, capabilities and facilities.
TECHNOLOGY PARKS: WESTERN AUSTRALIA
|
|
|
The Australian Marine Complex Technology Precinct, Henderson, WA |
Second Technology Precinct opens in WA
Following on from the success of the world-class 23-year-old Technology Park in Bentley, Western Australia is developing its second technology precinct within the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) located in Henderson, 23 kms south of Perth. One of the four precincts within the AMC, the Australian Marine Complex Technology Precinct (AMCTP) will specialise in marine, defence, oil and gas technology research, development, education and support service activities.
Your new neighbours?
The AMCTP is already home to leading defence technology group Raytheon Australia, which moved part of its Systems Group into a new purpose built headquarters in early 2005. The new facility is Raytheon’s primary facility in Australia for naval systems software design and engineering. Also based within the Technology Precinct is the $21m Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT), the shop front for Australian and international businesses wishing to access training associated with the marine and resources sectors.
A networking hub
|
|
|
An Artist’s rendering of the new Central Services Facility at the Australian Marine Complex Technology Precinct |
Construction of the Technology Precinct’s Central Services Facility (CSF) building is now complete. The building is the central meeting place for tenants within the Technology Precinct and their external strategic networks. It will soon play a major role in drawing together representatives from industry, research and academia involved in marine, defence, oil and gas activities.
The CSF is home to an Innovation Centre, enterprise support programs and services, property management, meeting and function room hire facilities, a café/tavern and gym.
The facility will be officially opened by the Minister for Industry and Enterprise Hon. Francis Logan, MLA on Friday 5 September (for further details [email protected] or 08 9222 3333 ).
Why make the move?
Past surveys and conferences conducted by members of the local and international Science and Technology Park community highlight that being positioned within a Technology Precinct is considered by many to generate significant benefits in relation to enterprise growth, access to strategic networks, involvement in support programs and initiatives, linkages with industry, research organisations and academia and potential joint project opportunities.
Technology Precinct environments help foster innovation through connecting diverse and but complementary skills and expertise across industry, research and education. In addition, Technology Precincts are also considered by many as a prestigious address – something that is leveraged in strategic marketing and promotional campaigns locally and overseas.
Perth to host 2010 Asian Association of Science Parks Conference
The integral role Perth plays in this global alliance of Science and Technology Parks was recently recognised when the Western Australian capital won the bid to host the 2010 Asian Association of Science Parks Conference. The event will bring together the region’s best and brightest from science/technology parks, research parks, business incubation centres, universities, academic intuitions and venture companies.
New Zealand has now joined Technology Parks and Incubators Australia (TPIA). The next TPIANZ Annual Conference will take place 9-10 October 2008 at the Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong in NSW. Enquiries [email protected] or 02 4221 3851.
