Innovate the Hunter

The Innovate the Hunter program has been funded by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and the Australian Government under its Regional Partnerships Program. Industry sources also contributed funding, with funds received from HunterNet, The University of Newcastle and NSW TAFE - Hunter Institute.

The program was highlighted in a special conference held on 28 April 2005 at Panthers Leagues Club in Newcastle. Fifteen keynote speakers from Industry and Government circles delivered material on the day which was a huge success. AusIndustry and the Industry Development Centre were also day sponsors of this special event.

Attendees at the conference were invited to challenge their engineering businesses to raise their level of innovation. Initiatives developed under this program designed to assist Hunter businesses were delivered at the conference.

These initiatives consisted of:

· Background material on innovation and its impact in the Hunter;

· Software to measure innovation across the enterprise;

· An Innovation Accelerator Kit describing new innovation planning techniques;

· A web site (www.innovatethehunter.com.au) incorporating a "Virtual Resource Centre" to facilitate the search of Capital Equipment and Professional Services in the Hunter;

· The web site also houses all data and publications produced in the program for free download;

· Case studies on successful and innovative Companies;

· Case study on the HunterNet Group Training Company;

· Case study on HunterNet regarding successful networking;

· Skill development initiatives; and

· Marketing fundamentals.

Other follow-on initiatives that were developed since the conference to further compliment the program were:

· Identifying “Barriers to Training”; and

· Two Export Development Training sessions.

For more information please contact HunterNet on 02 4942 8296, or refer to the dedicated web site at www.innovatethehunter.com.au

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