QLD’S FLAGSHIP INCUBATOR HONOURED AS BEST IN AUSTRALIA
Published Friday, 27 October, 2006 at 11:42 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
The Queensland Government’s flagship technology incubator has received national accolades as the best in the country.
Minister for State Development John Mickel today congratulated the i.lab technology incubator in Toowong for outshining more than 80 other business incubators to be crowned 2006 Australian Incubator of the Year at an awards ceremony in South Australia this week.
The awards are hosted by Business Innovation and Incubation Australia (BIIA) and provide a forum for the business incubation industry to celebrate excellence in client assistance, innovative ideas and overall business development.
“Established in 2000, the i.lab was the first technology incubator fully-funded by the Queensland Government and it has proved a fantastic model for all our subsequent incubators,Mr Mickel said.
“The Toowong i.lab has been specifically designed to nurture young high-tech companies looking to turn their bright ideas into marketable products and it has been wildly successful, housing 70 client start-ups and servicing hundreds more.
“Toowong’s i.lab represents a real and tangible way that this Government is diversifying and strengthening its growing knowledge economy.”
i.lab CEO Anne-Marie Birkill said, in the past 12 months, the facility had more than doubled in size to 2200 m² including the establishment of the i.lab bio.incubator, Queensland’s first independent life sciences incubator. Based at the Queensland Government’s Brisbane Technology Park at Eight Mile Plains, the i.lab bio.incubator provides wet laboratory space to life sciences companies.
“At i.lab we nurture early stage, high growth technology based companies, providing the resources necessary to support them during this challenging phase,” said Ms Birkill.
“One of i.lab’s key elements is its mentoring program, which partners these companies with experienced people with collectively hundreds of years of experience.
“As a result of this and other programs, i.lab has assisted dozens of entrepreneurs to grow their ideas into successful businesses. Among our elite alumni are Liquid Animation, Grabba International, Omnix, Microwave and Materials Design, Fusion Sport and Implicit Bio-Science.”
BIIA President Bob Waite said judges were extremely impressed with the efforts of i.lab staff since the facility’s inception.
“The number of jobs generated through i.lab is outstanding, as are the staff’s exceptional achievements in terms of capital growth, supporting client companies who have raised $26 million since 2004.
“After all, that is the crux of any incubator, to provide young companies with the skills and support they need to overcome early-stage hurdles and thrive as viable businesses.
“In an environment where the Federal Government is stepping away from support for incubators across Australia, it is heartening to see the Queensland Government not only recognising the valuable role incubators play but for continuing to fund vital organisations like i.lab” Mr Waite said.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
i.lab contact: Anne-Marie Birkill 3327 9802 or 0419 789 401
27 October, 2006
Minister for State Development John Mickel today congratulated the i.lab technology incubator in Toowong for outshining more than 80 other business incubators to be crowned 2006 Australian Incubator of the Year at an awards ceremony in South Australia this week.
The awards are hosted by Business Innovation and Incubation Australia (BIIA) and provide a forum for the business incubation industry to celebrate excellence in client assistance, innovative ideas and overall business development.
“Established in 2000, the i.lab was the first technology incubator fully-funded by the Queensland Government and it has proved a fantastic model for all our subsequent incubators,Mr Mickel said.
“The Toowong i.lab has been specifically designed to nurture young high-tech companies looking to turn their bright ideas into marketable products and it has been wildly successful, housing 70 client start-ups and servicing hundreds more.
“Toowong’s i.lab represents a real and tangible way that this Government is diversifying and strengthening its growing knowledge economy.”
i.lab CEO Anne-Marie Birkill said, in the past 12 months, the facility had more than doubled in size to 2200 m² including the establishment of the i.lab bio.incubator, Queensland’s first independent life sciences incubator. Based at the Queensland Government’s Brisbane Technology Park at Eight Mile Plains, the i.lab bio.incubator provides wet laboratory space to life sciences companies.
“At i.lab we nurture early stage, high growth technology based companies, providing the resources necessary to support them during this challenging phase,” said Ms Birkill.
“One of i.lab’s key elements is its mentoring program, which partners these companies with experienced people with collectively hundreds of years of experience.
“As a result of this and other programs, i.lab has assisted dozens of entrepreneurs to grow their ideas into successful businesses. Among our elite alumni are Liquid Animation, Grabba International, Omnix, Microwave and Materials Design, Fusion Sport and Implicit Bio-Science.”
BIIA President Bob Waite said judges were extremely impressed with the efforts of i.lab staff since the facility’s inception.
“The number of jobs generated through i.lab is outstanding, as are the staff’s exceptional achievements in terms of capital growth, supporting client companies who have raised $26 million since 2004.
“After all, that is the crux of any incubator, to provide young companies with the skills and support they need to overcome early-stage hurdles and thrive as viable businesses.
“In an environment where the Federal Government is stepping away from support for incubators across Australia, it is heartening to see the Queensland Government not only recognising the valuable role incubators play but for continuing to fund vital organisations like i.lab” Mr Waite said.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
i.lab contact: Anne-Marie Birkill 3327 9802 or 0419 789 401
27 October, 2006