The Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) is committed to driving local collaboration, advance innovation and create a regional innovation ecosystem within the food and agribusiness industry, and are the recipients of the Regional Futures – Collaborative Projects program.
The Regional Futures – Collaborative Projects program is about solving regional innovation challenges through collaborations.
FAN received nearly $200,000 in funding to develop a world-leading cluster model where small to large businesses can draw on their collective strengths to produce creative solutions together, create value and build the regional innovation ecosystem.
FAN will collaborate with more than 400 stakeholders from the food and agribusiness industry, education, government and community across four regions – Gympie, Noosa, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast.
Currently, the regions are at various stages in the innovation ecosystem maturity. There are new clusters which are at the early stages of innovation or are at a mid-stage, whereas others are well established.
“The project is expecting to move the industry sector between mid-stage and established stage as we’re really trying to focus on building links, regional identity and developing joint projects,” said Nicole McNaughton, Communications and Cluster Manager at FAN.
“We’re predicting that it’ll drive innovation across industries and within the region, create new national and export opportunities, increase major investment for projects in the region, improve innovation and entrepreneurship capacity within the industry – the list goes on.”
After only six months, FAN has established Cluster Action Groups with representation from industry, government and research and has also developed Regional Action Plans that will build the regions’ reputation as the place to be for collaboration and innovation.
“We’re on our way to developing a thriving innovation ecosystem in regional Queensland,” Nicole said.
“We’ve found that regions that innovate have a strong culture of collaboration and this Advance Queensland funding facilitates and drives collaboration, which in turn drives local regional economic growth and opportunity.”
Find out more about our Regional Futures – Collaborative Project program.
