The $32m Victorian Enterprise Connect Manufacturing Centre at Dandenong is but one part of the Government’s $250m national network of manufacturing and innovation centres designed to help firms become stronger by focusing on innovation and best practice.

Enterprise Connect aims to assist small to medium businesses to source and finance specialist advice, know-how, and technologies to improve their business performance.

The core services offered by each manufacturing centre include:

• Business review: conducted for free by one of our Business Advisers.

• Tailored advisory service: provides funding to implement actions identified in the Business Review.

• Researchers in business: offers the placement of researchers from universities or public research agencies into businesses to help develop and implement new commercial ideas.

Kim Carr, minister for innovation, science and research says more than 1,000 firms throughout Australia have already received or applied for an Enterprise Connect business review, with around a third coming from Victoria.

He says, “In this turbulent economic environment, the need for firms to innovate, improve productivity and find new efficiencies is more pressing than ever. More and more businesses now realise that innovation is the key to maintaining their own profitability and Australia’s prosperity as a whole.”

Meanwhile, Hagop Tchamkertenian, national manager of policy and government affairs for Printing Industries says while the programme is a positive, the reality is printers will be competing for a limited amount of funding with other manufacturing industries.

He says, “Any government support is good, we support it and encourage it, however funding is low and there is a good chance printers will miss out but that shouldn’t stop companies from moving forward.”

Tchamkertenian concludes that if a business does miss out on the government funding they should then approach Printing Industries as it has similar programmes in place such as business diagnostics and benchmarking tools.

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