NATIONAL: Footwear manufacturers are a major winner in the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Strategic Capability Program round one grants.
Announced today by the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Kim Carr, the Footwear Manufacturers Association of Australia (FMAA) is the recipient of $6,245,250 in funding.
The grant is aimed to service mass customisation in the footwear industry and will see a consortium comprising the FMAA, R.M. Williams, J Robins Manufacturing and Shoe Lasts Australia formed.
They will deliver a project focused on customised footwear for the Australian market. This will develop lean, flexible manufacturing systems, test the commercial application of footwear scanning technology and biometric data collection and storage.
A grant will go to a consortium lead by the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia (TFIA) to develop a Textile and Fashion Hub in Victoria, for short run design and production work. The amount of $2,761,715 will go to the group consisting of the Kangan Institute of Technical and Further Education and an initial five small to medium enterprises. The hub will be located at Kangan Institute’s Richmond campus and will house state of the art design and manufacturing equipment.
NSW-based business Tapex will receive $1,859,550 to go towards the development of high performance sport yarn.
Other round one recipients include Creswick Woollen Mills with $402,050, Clear Edge Filtration with $777,563, Sharcave with $825,000, Specialty Coatings with $1,961,449 and Textor Technologies with $3,488,081. Global Safety Solutions and Management will receive $2,324,256 and Godfrey Hirst Australia will gain $1,863,350.
Carr said the projects all highlight the high level of strategy in Australian TCF manufacturing businesses.
"(T) hey embrace innovative opportunities and seek global challenges,” he said.
The funding is part of a new five year, $35 million AusIndustry competitive grant program designed to support large projects that build innovative capability at the enterprise and workplace level.
Funding for the program runs from July 2010 to June 2015.