The City of Melbourne has partnered with the Jiangsu-Suzhou Science and Technology Town, RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, Victorian Government and Australia China Association of Scientists and Entrepreneurs (ACASE) to open the Jiangsu-Victoria Innovation Centre at 51 Queen Street.
The Innovation Centre, run by ACASE, will provide Melbourne based startups with access to coaching, market information and entrepreneurial guidance, linking their ideas with universities, research institutes and the Chinese based Suzhou accelerator space to expand their reach into Asia.
Suzhou High-Tech Venture Capital Group is providing up to $80 million in financial support to run the centre, facilitate access to angel investment and fund project development over three years.
Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood said the centre is the first of its kind in Melbourne and will feed into our booming startup sector.
“This Jiangsu-Victoria Innovation Centre will nurture the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to go on to great things,” Cr Wood said.
“The incubation space will provide expert business development guidance and the potential to export ideas to the world.
“Melbourne is now home to 170 co-working spaces, which is one measure of a healthy startup community. The recent launch of our Startup Action Plan shows we're serious about playing our role. Add to this the Jiangsu-Victoria Innovation Centre and it makes for exciting times for new and innovative businesses and business models.”
Chair of the City of Melbourne’s Prosperous City portfolio Councillor Kevin Louey said Council’s vital contacts in China helped get the Innovation Centre off the ground.
“For many years the City of Melbourne has worked tirelessly to help connect our businesses to the largest economy in the world,” Cr Louey said.
“This Innovation Centre is the culmination of many months of work between the Suzhou-Jiangsu governments, the City of Melbourne, ACASE, and two of Australia’s biggest universities in RMIT and University of Melbourne.”
The first cohort of startups to occupy the space will be selected from the ACASE Sunan Cup competition winners earlier this year.
The startups range from “intelligent clothing” to smart electronic stethoscopes, smart alarms and third-party brain MRI imaging.
Victorian innovation minister Philip Dalidakis said the announcement was another positive step for Victoria as the state continues to develop as Australia’s technology hub.
“We’re already seeing plenty of brilliant startups emerge in our state and I have no doubt that this centre will help more startups turn bright ideas into thriving businesses.”
全球初创企业·墨市精心培育
2017年8月30日星期三
自墨尔本中央商务区开设新的创业孵化中心以来，墨尔本的初创公司开始有机会共享8000万澳元的财务支持，并将其创意推向世界。
墨尔本市与江苏苏州科技城、墨尔本皇家理工大学、墨尔本大学、维多利亚州政府和澳中国科家创业协会（ACASE）合作，在51 Queen Street共同开设了江苏维多利亚创新中心。
由澳中国科家创业协会运营的创新中心将为墨尔本的初创公司提供辅导、市场信息和创业指导，将其想法与大学、研究机构和中国苏州创业加速中心进行联系，扩大其在亚洲的地位。
苏州高新技术创业投资集团提供高达8000万澳元的资金，在三年内对中心的运营给予支持，帮助相关机构获取天使投资和项目开发资助。
墨尔本市代理市长伍德(Arron Wood)表示，该中心是墨尔本的第一家同类中心，它将融入墨尔本蓬勃发展的初创企业市场。
伍德代市长表示：“江苏维多利亚创新中心将帮助下一代创新者和企业家实现更加远大的目标”。
“孵化中心将提供专家级业务发展指导，并有潜力向世界出口创意理念。
“墨尔本现在拥有170个合作空间，这是健康创业环境的衡量标准之一。最近推出的创业行动计划(Startup Action Plan)发挥作用的决心。江苏维多利亚创新中心的加入，无疑为新兴创意企业和相关商业模式更加激动人心。”
墨尔本繁荣城市委会主席雷示人(Kevin Louey)表示，墨尔本在中国的重要联系机构帮助该创新中心项目顺利起步。
“多年来，墨尔本市政府一直努力不懈地帮助本市企业与世界最大的经济体对接”雷议员说。
“这个创新中心是苏州市和江苏省政府、墨尔本澳中国科家创业协会和澳大利亚最大的两所大学澳大利亚墨尔本皇家理工大学、墨尔本大学之间数月工作的成果。
率先进驻该创意中心的创业公司将从今年年初的澳中国科家创业协会苏南杯比赛(ACASE Sunan Cup competition)中的获胜者中选出。
创业公司范围从“智能服装”到智能电子听诊器、智能报警器和第三方脑核磁共振成像等。
维多利亚州创新部长菲利普·达理达克斯(Philip Dalidakis)表示，此消息的宣布是维多利亚州继续发展成为澳大利亚技术中心又一个积极的步骤。
“我们维多利亚州已经出现了许多辉煌的初创公司，而这个中心将帮助更多的初创公司把卓越的理念变成成功的企业，对此我满怀信心。