Victorian Government backs emerging sports manufacturing technologies
The Victorian Government has announced a $544,000 grant to accelerate Victoria’s emerging sports manufacturing technologies industry.
The Manufacturing Productivity Networks (MPN) grant program will support businesses and research organisations collaborate to improve the local industry.
Announcing the grant to the Geelong- based Australian Sports Technology Network (ASTN),
Victorian Minister for Manufacturing David Hodgett stated “this MPN grant will help the ASTN deliver the innovative $1.088 million Victorian Sports Manufacturing Export Development Program.
“This grant will support the state’s sports technology manufacturers to tap into the expertise of research institutions and business experts so they can better take advantage of the opportunities the $300 billion global sports technology market presents.
“More than 65% of Australia’s sports technology industry is based in Victoria and the Victorian Sports Manufacturing Export Development Program will see the state’s growing number of companies involved in the industry work with universities and research centres on globally-competitive product innovations, and help them to find new export markets.”
Minister Hodgett went on to explain that the Victorian Sports Manufacturing Export Development Program will deliver a range of activities over the next three years to cater for various levels of export readiness.
He added “this includes an innovation and commercialisation initiative that will see companies work directly with sports engineering and innovation research centres and the commercial research arms of at least six Victorian-based universities to identify and promote commercialisation of manufacturing technologies into sports product markets
“By sharing ideas and planning industry strategies, these network activities will contribute to Victoria's manufacturing capability, jobs and export growth.”
Under the Manufacturing Productivity Network program, Victorian manufacturing networks can receive up to $50,000 to support collaborative information, planning and scoping activities, or up to $600,000 to support significant network projects.
The Minister concluded “(this) announcement adds to our support of the ASTN, which includes an earlier $50,000 MPN grant for an Advisory and Mentoring Program and our partnership in ASTN’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program with its business incubator, Headstart Accelerator, and the ICT Geelong Network.
The ASTN is an industry-led national collaborative network with the role of providing leadership in the development and promotion of Australian sports technologies.
Based in Geelong, the ASTN has a national reach across the entire ‘sports ecosystem’ in Australia, including sports technologies firms, national sporting organisations, sports retailers and marketers, universities, researchers, governments and investors.
For more information contact ASTN Executive Director Craig Hill on 0408 390 930, E: craig.hill@astn.com.au, www.astn.com.au
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