Page 3229 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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The ACT government has listened to a number of industry sectors and recognised the need for and benefit of an integrated city brand for Canberra. Through Brand Canberra the ACT government, in cooperation with a number of Canberra-based industry and community groups, will create a fully integrated city brand that provides a consistent, cohesive and creative approach to marketing Canberra both nationally and internationally as an inviting city, a connected community and a great place to visit.
The brand project is simply not about developing a logo; it is about creating a platform for people to better understand and engage with Canberra as a place to live, a place to work, a place to invest or a place to visit. It provides a new way for Canberrans to talk about ourselves and to showcase who we are, what we do and how we do it. Brand Canberra will promote the role Canberra plays in finding solutions to major local, national and global challenges. It is a place where a culture of innovation and creativity breeds extraordinary achievements across science, research, education and business. It is where people come to the share big ideas that can be shared with the nation and, indeed, the world.
The Lighthouse Business Innovation Centre, in addition to providing services for investment-oriented young companies, provides management support to the Capital Angels high net worth investors network; has delivered the entrepreneur development fund, has established the CBR Collective, a retail shopfront in the Canberra Centre for Canberra-based designers, and it has delivered the brilliant idea micro credit program to provide no-interest loans to women on low incomes with a business idea.
The redeveloped business.act.gov.au portal was launched in March this year. As well as providing a much better information service to our business community, it now features a blog with commenting functionality as well as linkages to the new business development Twitter and Facebook accounts.
We have also taken the lead in ensuring that we make it easy for skilled workers to migrate to the ACT. In July last year a new online skilled migration processing system went live and incorporates the skills branding site, “Canberra: create your future.” The website consists of three key portals—migrating, learning and living—to promote the benefits of living, working and studying in Canberra.
In relation to accelerating business innovation, the innovation connect program received over 80 applications in 2012-13, of which 26 received funding. Additional funding was provided for a clean tech stream to support early-stage projects that improve environmental quality, reduce environmental impacts and lead to the development of new, innovative clean technologies and services. Examples of funded programs included: Clarus Technologies to develop phase one of its cyber kinetics artificial muscle, Trade Up to develop a mobile management system for subcontractors managing workflows in construction projects, StalkThis to allow online shoppers to stalk products and services on the web so they can be alerted to price changes, and QHopper, a smart phone ordering system for stadiums and arenas that allows customers to skip queuing at service counters.
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