Innovation through Clusters
Innovation through Clusters will provide grants to firms, business associations and other organisations to improve supply chain management skills, targeting the industry areas of aviation, biotechnology, food and farming, ICT and education.
The geographic dispersion and fragmented structure of regional industries means that many regional companies face particular challenges moving into supply chains. This can impact the effective development and operation of supply chains and clusters in regional areas. Regional firms will be able to better integrate with networks or clusters of companies that undertake all aspects of design, production, packaging, transport and distribution – ultimately to help grow their businesses.
An industry cluster approach has a proven track record in alleviating market barriers facing regional businesses and has effectively facilitated supply chains and stimulating new economic, business, investment and export development opportunities. There are a number of high-performing clusters across regional Victoria, including the Northern Victoria Poultry, Geelong Food Co-Products and the Ballarat ICT clusters. From 20 clusters to date, more than $14.9 million of exports and $14.6 million of investment have been generated, creating more than 160 new jobs across regional Victoria.
The grants-based Innovation through Clusters:
- assists existing regional clusters to streamline their activities and, where feasible, develop spin-off entities
- maps new supply chains and networks
- identifies new clusters (with an emphasis on those with the potential to develop research and development/higher education links leading to innovation)
- creates a range of new competitive business entities in regional Victoria with an emphasis on export and import replacement
- produces investment attraction and both direct and indirect flow-on of jobs.
Grants are available for the appointment of a cluster coordinator and activities to support the development or strengthening of clusters.
Eligibility
Applicants eligible for support under this program include regional businesses, industry associations, higher education and research institutions.
The program is targeted to the priority sectors in the 2009-2012 Department of Business and Innovation Corporate Plan that relate to regional Victoria, as well as other growth critical manufacturing & other sectors across the five RDV regions, particularly those identified in regional strategic plans.
Program guidelines describing the Innovation through Clusters Program are being revised and will be available soon.
Delivery
The program is implemented by the Department of Business and Innovation.
