Monday 1 November 2010
AIC hosts clean energy workshop in Melbourne to progress emerging opportunities for SMEs
An Enterprise Connect Workshops, Industry Intelligence & Networking (WIIN) event was hosted last week by the AIC in Melbourne to provide an opportunity for SMEs to develop their capabilities to access clean energy markets.
The event, facilitated by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation with assistance from the Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association, was designed to help manufacturing and technology businesses access emerging clean energy markets in order to address the emerging demands of a low carbon economy.
In its facilitation of the event, the AIC applied its Industry Innovation Framework, based around its R&D Forum and TechClinicTM workshop methodology. R&D Forums and TechClinicsTM explore opportunities whereby industry capability and R&D activities can be leveraged to meet end-users existing or future needs, by building or accessing new value chains.
The Melbourne-based workshop identified specific opportunities for SMEs currently not active within the clean energy sector, and identified existing SME capability that could be bundled to add value within new or existing clean energy supply chains.
The workshop also introduced key commercial and industry leaders in clean energy sectors to SMEs that could possess the relevant capability or ability develop it. Moreover, it provided an opportunity for project proponents to identify potential suppliers for unmet elements of their procurement plans.
Speakers from a range of clean energy organisations provided an overview of their current and future technology issues and capability needs, including:
Lend Lease Ventures Clean Energy markets and Investment
Tenax Energy Tidal Energy
Parson Brinckerhoff Solar Thermal
Pacific Hydro Wind Farms
AutoCRC Electric and Sustainable Vehicle Technologies
MBD Energy Algal based bioenergy and Carbon Sequestration
Greenearth Energy Geothermal electricity generation
ARUP Building energy efficiency, 1200 Buildings Project
Peter Monostory, Executive Sales Manager at Green Power Solutions said Green Power Solutions and our sister company ProGreen Biofuels have spent quite a few thousand dollars attending trade and professional shows but until last week very few of them have been of benefit to us in terms of producing leads. Your afternoon roundtable was a fantastic tool for all involved and I am writing this to offer our thanks and to ask that we be kept apprised of any future, similar events in Melbourne.
A range of specific opportunities were identified and connections made to companies that can supply solutions. These included:
Wind farm equipment maintenance
Drilling components
Hi-temperature capable equipment
Energy efficient HVAC systems
Energy efficient lighting
Vehicle electrification
Gaseous vehicle fuels
Communications technology for vehicles
Manufacturing for maintenance and components
Heavy engineering
Installation expertise for renewable energy projects
Materials for transport of product
Engineering and maintenance
Steel supply and installation
Electrical and control system installation and part supply
Pipe work installation and part supply
Temporary and permanent support facilities
Ongoing Operations and Maintenance.
If you would like to find out more about the clean energy programs the AIC is involved with, please visit our website, call (07) 3853 5225 or e-mail info@ausicom.com for further information.
