The Bega Valley is a diverse region – from the dairy farms in Candelo, to the seafood in Eden.
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With a growing population of around 34,000, the region’s largest employment is retail trade and its largest industry is manufacturing.
For a region like the Bega Valley, with a small but growing population and diverse economic base, this active and successful community is the perfect place to foster start-ups with the potential to transform the economy.
Today the Bega Valley received a $382,000 investment to start the Bega Valley Innovation Hub which will attract start-ups to the region and boost the local economy.
READ MORE: Bega Innovation Hub scores federal funds
Regardless of whether you live in the Bega Valley or in the city, if you have a business idea or passion to grow your local community we want to empower this innovation. Why? Because we know it will build a stronger, more diverse local economy and lead to more local jobs.
The innovation hub will bring together local entrepreneurs to build networks, develop new skills and use the power of collaboration to break into new markets in Australia and overseas.
It will offer a range of programs and support networks such as access to workshops that will enable new businesses to grow, as well as access to network development and seed funding.
The hub also supports national and international mentoring, providing vital links to accelerators in Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney and Melbourne, and supports a regional innovation expo and youth innovation programs for more than 900 students.
The $23 million Incubator Support initiative was announced as part of the Turnbull Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda and is designed to improve the prospects of Australian start-ups to achieve commercial success.
Australia already has a number of incubators but most of them are typically focused on the information and communications technology industry, and are located in capital cities.
This active and successful community is the perfect place to foster start-ups with the potential to transform the economy.
- Michaelia Cash
People in rural and regional areas have just as many great ideas as people in the city, but those ideas are often harder to turn into a business in more remote and isolated parts of the country.
To help harness the new ideas and entrepreneurial activity we know exists in areas like the Bega Valley we introduced four Regional Incubator Facilitators late last year.
The facilitators are assisting regional applicants to participate in the initiative by providing advice, helping people develop professional networks in Australia and overseas, and forging local links with business, industry, universities, research institutions and government.
This support will help expand the Turnbull Government’s Incubator Support initiative to ensure more entrepreneurs, particularly in regional and rural areas, are able to access the resources and networks needed to grow their ideas into successful businesses.
The Bega Valley Innovation Hub is supported by the Bega Regional Innovation Network which comprises local people from the business and start-up community as well as representatives from government and the University of Wollongong.
I congratulate the network on its efforts to foster a culture in the region that is supportive of business and is committed to business development because this is how we will create jobs for local people.
I encourage anyone with a good business idea or start-up opportunity in the Bega Valley to investigate what the new innovation hub can do to help you build and grow your business.
