Mapping the Connections will examine the relationships between suppliers and their customers to better understand the links that exist within northern Adelaide and to national and international suppliers and customers – helping to develop strategies and programs to connect companies to one another and improve supply chain opportunities.

This project will focus on the defence industry and ICT and electronics – both critical growth industries for northern Adelaide – with expressions of interest to be sought for conducting the project in early 2008.

The funding of $1.5 million includes support for the mapping methodology to be refined and documented for use in other regions across Australia.

Speaking today at the Salisbury Business and Export Centre in Mawson Lakes, Senator Carr said: “Right across Australia, industrial regions like northern Adelaide are the innovative heart of our knowledge economy.

“In these regions the art and science of making things comes together with services, research and development and the scientific and engineering community.

“Mapping the Connections will strengthen the economic and industrial fabric of northern Adelaide, creating new jobs in a region which continues to have one of the highest unemployment levels in Australia.

“The Mapping the Connections project will help local companies in northern Adelaide to break into global markets and operate at the forefront of global technologies.”

Tony Zappia, Federal Labor Candidate for Makin, said: “This approach has already been successful once in the region, resulting in the creation of a manufacturing cluster around automotive component companies Hirotec and Priority Engineering.

“The new Mapping the Connections project will strengthen and increase the profitability of local manufacturing, engineering, systems integration and computing and software companies.”

Nick Champion, Federal Labor Candidate for Wakefield, said: “This project will result in local companies getting better access to new technology to from overseas markets, diffusion of technology and know-how across local supply chains, and better capacity to plan for future infrastructure needs.

“Our manufacturing industries and the services that support them create an environment that can secure future investment and create a skilled and dynamic workforce.

“Mapping the connections is the first and vital step to understanding how companies can work together more effectively to achieve this vision.”

The Mapping the Connections project highlights Labor’s commitment to the future of Australian industry – a future that can only be built on innovation.

Manufacturers in South Australia will also benefit substantially from a national $75 million Re-Tooling for Climate Change program to help small and medium sized manufacturers improve their energy and water efficiency.

Carbon-efficient and climate friendly production represents a competitive opportunity for Australian manufacturers who are feeling the pressure of competition from China.

Re-tooling for Climate Change will provide grants of between $10,000 and $500,000 to small and medium sized companies who want to reduce their environmental footprint, with the government funding up to a third of the cost of each project.

Federal Labor has also committed $20 million for a Manufacturing Centre in Mawson Lakes in northern Adelaide.

Through the Manufacturing Centre – part of an Australia-wide $100 million national Manufacturing Network – South Australia’s 6,000 small and medium sized manufacturers will be able to get expert help to do their job better.

Federal Labor will also invest $500 million in a Green Car Innovation Fund from 2011, working in partnership with the automotive industry to secure Australia jobs and respond to the challenges of the future – particularly climate change.

Only a Rudd Labor Government will take a comprehensive approach to innovation policy and build a national innovation system that supports the creation of high wage, high skill jobs into the future.