Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast

From AussieInnovation Wiki

AussieInnovation.com > KnowledgeBase > Business > Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast

</td></tr> <tr class="note"><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Type</th><td>University-owned company</td></tr><tr class="note"><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Founded</th><td>2002</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Headquarters</th><td class="adr">Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia</td></tr><tr class="note"><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>Prof Paul Thomas, vice-chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast, chair of the management board; Colin Graham, CEO; Nigel Hall, business incubator manager; Alison Dique, enterprise programme manager; Laura Clair, operations manager</td></tr><tr class="note"><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Industry</th><td>Comercialisation, Business incubation</td></tr><tr class="note"><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Products</th><td>Infrastructure,Training</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Website</th><td class="url">http://www.innovation-centre.com.au/</td></tr>

Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast

The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast is a small business incubator and technology hub with close ties to the University of the Sunshine Coast, and which works hand in hand with the University’s enterprise program.

1 History
2 Structure
3 Products/Services
4 Innovation Links
5 Criticism/Controversy
6 References
7 External Links

History

Unlike many innovation centres in Australia, The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, was not established as a part of a Government initiative, rather it was founded in 2002 by the University of the Sunshine Coast.

In 2003 the Australian Government named it Regional Incubator of the Year.

The company remains owned by the University, and has been adding companies and programmes since its inception.

The Centre has announced plans to expand again during 2008, planning to add another 20 to 30 businesses to its campus.

Structure

The Innovation Centre is subsidiary owned by the University of the Sunshine Coast, and its vice chancellor is the chair of the company’s management board. The enterprise program provides a link between academic side of the university and the incubator side of the Innovation Centre, although external companies are also present.

Products/Services

The Centre is a business incubator which offer space to rent, supporting facilities, business consulting, access to researchers and commercialisation advice.

Companies are expected to spend two or three years in the incubation programme. The Centre also offers business acceleration facilities and programmes, which are generally employed by companies for three to five years.

The Centre also offers a programme that takes the ideas and business plans from the university enterprise program and gives selected students the opportunity to turn their studies into a profession.

Innovation Links

Beyond encouraging innovation by proving emerging companies in the Sunshine Coast area infrastructure and support, aiding the Enterprise Program which adds a more practical, entrepreneurial side to their studies (which can become an minor in Entrepreneurship), the centre also offers a Student Business Centre where students can further develop their new business ideas.