Deakin’s advanced manufacturing business incubator, ManuFutures, will develop a new acceleration program to support the emerging enterprises located within the facility, thanks to a new $500,000 Federal Government investment announced today.
The new funding, part of the Government’s Incubator Support Initiative, means the new ManuFutures Export Acceleration Program (MEAP) will support the emerging businesses to strengthen their export focus and accelerate their entry into global markets.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Julie Owens today joined Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP to make the announcement at ManuFutures’ Waurn Ponds Campus headquarters.
Professor Owens said the MEAP would assist enterprises to grow at an accelerated rate and produce for export earlier than usual, by offering business skills training, highly skilled mentors, support through project teams of Deakin’s Work Integrated Learning students and interns, and access to researchers from across the University, as well as subsidised access to trade missions.
Professor Owens said Deakin was thrilled with the Government’s support, which was a strong endorsement of ManuFutures, which opened earlier this year. The facility currently has 11 tenants, with a 12th set to move in soon.
“ManuFutures is supporting small up-and-coming advanced manufacturing enterprises fast-track new products to the global market, grow their businesses and help shape the future economy and this new support from the Federal Government recognises and is a result of just what it has already achieved in only its first year of operations,” Professor Owens said.
“Through MEAP, we will aim for our ManuFutures enterprises to achieve self-sufficiency within two years, taking a multi-faceted approach to building their business expertise and capacity. It will provide skills enhancement and mentorship and will establish subsidised outbound and inbound trade missions to target markets best matched to ManuFutures’ tenants’ client mix.
“Multi-disciplinary, work-integrated learning, internships and postgraduate opportunities for Deakin students will also be an important focus.”
ManuFutures tenants that have already benefited from Federal Government funding programs include Partington Advanced Engineering, HeiQ and Conflux Technology.
Textile innovator HeiQ has achieved primary production, with the initial batch having been exported into their supply chain for process testing and acceptance.
Partington Advanced Engineering, which designs and develops lightweight high-end carbon fibre bike wheels, has established a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to support composite design and production and reached pre-production status of their first wheel product. They are set to grow their two full-time staff to four.
Conflux Technology, an additive manufacturing applications company which specialises in thermal and fluid engineering, has established a state-of-the-art 3D manufacturing facility and refined design and production processes of their launch product – an integrated heat exchanger.
“Deakin is delighted to have already seen much success from within ManuFutures’ walls in a short time, including businesses like these three, which are flourishing,” Professor Owens said.
“When Partington moved into ManuFutures earlier this year, it was a small two-person enterprise and now it is preparing to double that number of staff.
“It is a perfect example of how a university-backed incubator like ManuFutures can support growth and market-enhancing knowledge through access to research, innovation and cutting edge facilities.”
The $13 million ManuFutures building was officially opened in April, supported by a $3 million investment from the State Government’s Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, while Deakin University supplied the land and $10 million.
“ManuFutures showcases perfectly what is possible through collaboration between emerging industry and Deakin’s leading research centres and faculties at Waurn Ponds, including the Centre for Advanced Design in Engineering Training, the Institute for Frontier Materials, the Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, the Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Institute for Health Transformation,” Professor Owens said.
“Deakin University is committed to the communities we serve and ManuFutures is a key part of our commitment to ensuring new industry growth and job creation in Geelong and across our state, so that industry can be globally competitive while based in Australia.”
