AUSTRALIAN Industry Productivity Centres (AIPC) are now open for business, providing services to help Australian businesses strengthen their operations, enhance their international competitiveness and tap into global supply chains.
Announcing the opening of the centres at Production Part’s Melbourne facility last week, Australian Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the centres would give practical assistance to small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to ensure they thrive in an increasingly global business environment.
“Australia’s SMEs need skills, technologies and business strategies to compete, both at home and globally,” Macfarlane said.
“The AIPC program is expected to help up to 2,500 businesses each year, particularly those SMEs that are trade exposed within the manufacturing and services sectors.”
“With state managers in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Launceston, Adelaide and Perth, and a team of 45 business advisers in the field, eligible Australian SMEs, no matter where they are located, will be able to access the productivity centre services.”
MacFarlane said Production Parts was chosen as the location for the Productivity Centres launch as the company epitomises what the Government’s Industry Statement is striving for: innovative Australian firms integrating into global markets.
“Production Parts is well recognised as a leader in its field, and is one of Australia’s leading aerospace, defence and general engineering workshops.
” The success of Production Parts’, in particular its role in the successful Team Australia approach to winning a share of the lucrative US Joint Strike Fighter contract, made it an ideal company at which to publicly launch the important Productivity Centres initiative.”
The AIPC program was announced on 1 May 2007 by the Prime Minister John Howard as part of the Australian Government’s Industry Statement, Global Integration: Changing Markets, New Opportunities.
The AIPCs will receive $351.8 million of government funding over 10 years.
“SMEs will have access to a free Business Review service to assess their performance and identify opportunities for improvement,” Macfarlane said.
“Through this review, AIPC business advisers will be able to help businesses upgrade their capabilities or find solutions to technical or process issues.”
Following recommendations from the Business Review, businesses will be eligible for a matched grant of up to $20,000 to undertake improvements, or introduce new technologies and processes.
For more information, or to book a Business Review, email productivitycentres@industry.gov.au or visit the Australian Industry Productivity Centre website at www.productivitycentres.gov.au.