Digital business boost as Parramatta Launch Pad opens

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Scott Holmes, KPMG Partner David Pring, Vice-Chancellor Barney Glover, NSW Innovation Minister Victor Dominello, Parramatta Lord Mayor Paul Garrard

In a boost for emerging entrepreneurs in Western Sydney looking to take their products to a wider market, NSW Minister for Innovation Victor Dominello has officially opened Western Sydney University's newest Launch Pad Centre at Parramatta.

Located at the Western Sydney HQ of official partner KPMG (opens in a new window), the Launch Pad innovation and technology accelerator program brings together government, corporate and University expertise to provide mentorship to start-ups and early stage businesses. 

The Parramatta Launch Pad is the latest centre to be opened by Western Sydney University, with the University also developing Launch Pad business incubators across Western Sydney in Penrith, Liverpool, and Oran Park.

The Penrith Launch Pad recently hosted the Commonwealth Government's 'Innovation Roundtable', convened by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. At that event, the Prime Minister described the University's Launch Pad's work as "absolutely critical to Australia's future."

Along with KPMG, other official partners of the Launch Pad program include NAB, CSIRO, the NSW Department of Industry, and L&T Infotech, as well as councils from Parramatta, Penrith, Liverpool and Camden.

The Vice-Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Professor Barney Glover, says supporting the region's emerging innovation industries will help Western Sydney thrive in the digital era.

"Western Sydney's diverse population has a natural entrepreneurial spirit, and the LaunchPad will help local businesses transform their ideas into products for the market," he says. 

"By providing targeted support to start-ups and growing businesses and helping them make the leap from great idea to commercial reality, we can transform the region into a global technology hub and create new jobs to replace traditional industries."

The University's LaunchPad initiative provide clients with a range of services and resources, including:

• Business advice and mentoring
• Business incubation and acceleration programs
• Access to NSW Government innovation and business support programs
• Entrepreneurship and business education
• R&D partnering with Western Sydney University researchers
• Access to the University's 'Maker Space' facility for product prototyping and testing

In addition, the Parramatta LaunchPad will be augmented with additional facilities to be provided by Parramatta Council in 2016, including a Startup Accelerator program focused on data analytics.

Ends

10 November 2015

Mark Smith, Senior Media Officer