Canberra Southern California Partnership Geoff Keogh Canberra, Australia

1
Canberra Southern California PartnershipGeoff
KeoghCanberra, Australia

• Presentation to Global CONNECT Annual Meeting
• London, 13 December 2004

2
Canberra

• Australias capital and seat of the national
  government
• A 20th Century creation, purpose built city
• Part of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
  one of Australias eight states and territories
• The smallest jurisdiction (2,360 km2 )
• 323,000 people (400,000 in broader Capital
  Region)
• A small, but quite unique, regional economy

3
Economy

• Centre of Australian public administration and
  AU170 billion public sector spend
• Home to national institutions, strong public RD
  base
• Best-educated workforce in Australia
• Highest per capita incomes in Australia
• Highest proportion of scientists, ICT workers,
  knowledge workers in Australia
• High on Professor Richard Floridas Creative
  Class Index
• 18,000 small and micro firms

4
Industry capability

• Strong
• Defence technology
• Information and communication technology
• Public administration / economic management
• Education exports
• Emerging
• Biotechnology
• Sports science and sports administration
• Space sciences
• Creative industries
• Environmental industries

5
Issues for economic development

• Under-developed private sector dominated by micro
  sized firms
• Poor rate of knowledge transfer from institutions
  to private sector
• Narrow own source government revenue base
• Need to diversify economy away from public sector
• Cant compete on development spending terms with
  other Australian governments
• Need to develop external focus

6
Canberra-California Bridge Program

• Stems from deliberate approach to form
  relationships with like-minded overseas regional
  development bodies
• Various cooperation agreements signed throughout
  2003 (LARTA and UCSD Connect included)
• Idea for joint program emerged after visits /
  exchanges of personnel through 03/04

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C-C Bridge Program

• Designed and delivered by Larta and UCSD Connect
• C-C Bridges aim is prepare firms for long term
  US market entry and participation
• Refine business model
• Accelerate acquisition of necessary competencies
  to succeed
• Address business culture issues
• Build offshore contacts and networks for ACT
  companies
• Related objective for Government is to build
  relationships and create export channels for ACT
  firms
• Competitive entry process to attract firms to
  participate
• 5 firms selected to participate in pilot in 2004
• Firms also contributed their own funds to
  participate

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C-C Bridge Program

• Phase One (Canberra)
• 4 week remote coaching and mentoring program
• Followed by 2 day intensive workshops in Canberra
  conducted by Larta and UCSD CONNECT
• Culminating in firm pitches / presentations to
  locally convened expert panel
• Phase Two (Southern California)
• 2 weeks on the ground in the US
• Entry support from Australian Trade Commission
  and Larta
• Further 11 coaching at CONNECT in San Diego
• Graduation pitch to invitation only panel in
  San Diego
• Networking and introductions to potential US
  partners, customers, VCs, etc
• Firms also organised private visits

9
Outcomes

• Firms
• All enthusiastic about the program and excited
  about new opportunities
• All say that have emerged as better businesses as
  a result of the program
• One participant is reshaping business model from
  software supplier to service deliverer
• All have developed new and critical competencies
• All have built new business networks overseas and
  also in the ACT
• Government
• Learning process for BusinessACT
• Committed to C-C Bridge Mark II
• The pilot and some of the IP developed is shaping
  other organisational activities

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Next steps

• The program will move from pilot to permanent
  feature of ACT Governments business development
  program landscape
• How to screen and attract firms to participate is
  the key issue going forward
• An intensive and high value add program that
  needs to focus on firms that have critical mass
  for US market participation
• Intention is to market and position C-C Bridge to
  elite ACT business
• Pilot was extremely successful but resource
  intensive
• Partners are looking at ways to improve
  efficiencies

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C-C Bridge Mark II

• Conduct the program annually but limited to 6
  firms
• Moved from a round based program to a rolling
  program
• Develop a standardised assessment process to
  gauge firms readiness and suitability for the
  program
• The Phase 1 coaching / mentoring sessions will
  likely be conducted by Australian based providers
  except those modules with strong US-based content
  requirement
• Further competency / readiness hurdles for Phase
  2 entry (passage through the CONNECT gates)
• Phase 2 (on the ground in the US) will be
  condensed to one week but will keep all current
  components
• Firms will have options to extend Phase 2
  (privately arranged meetings, etc)

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Thank you

• Geoff Keogh
• Director, BusinessACT
• ACT Government
• geoff.keogh_at_act.gov.au