Business bulletin: 29 February 2024

Photo credit: Sita Carolina

The Territory’s first co-located digital games and esport development centre, The Array has opened.

Located in Darwin’s iconic Victoria Hotel, The Array will become the Territory’s centre of digital entertainment, education and innovation commercialisation.

Last year, the Northern Territory Government announced The Array as the winner of its first Territory Innovation Challenge to deliver a digital games and esport centre.

The Territory Innovation Challenges Program (TICP) aims to position the Territory for future investment, leading to jobs and economic growth and accelerating the development of a more innovation driven economy.

CEO of the Array, Dylan Bennett said 'The seed funding from the Northern Territory Government through the TICP was a game-changer for us. It was the catalyst that allowed us to transform this vision into reality. This funding was not only financial support; it was a vote of confidence in our mission to empower the tech talent through education in our region.

'The Array is more than just a tech education school; it's a powerhouse for innovation and economic growth in the Territory. By providing a newly renovated co-working space, classroom and a supportive ecosystem, we are enabling digital and tech creatives in our community to skill up, innovate, and compete on a global stage.'

Establishing a Darwin based digital games and esport development centre creates a launch pad for Territorians into one of the world’s fastest growing industries.

It is estimated that globally, video games and esport revenue totalled US$215.6 billion in 2021. The Asia Pacific generated about half of the global revenue in 2021.

The Northern Territory Government’s investment in high speed-networks and data centres makes and proximity to Australian and Indo Pacific markets makes the Territory a perfect location for digital commerce within our region.

The Territory’s is well placed for future investment in the digital games and esport industry which will lead to jobs and economic growth.

The Northern Territory Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) which will create more local jobs and build a greener economy.

The MoU is designed to further strengthen cooperation between the Northern Territory and Japan on financing energy and infrastructure projects.

JBIC is a policy-based financial institution of Japan, and conducts lending, investment and guarantee operations while complementing the private sector financial institutions.

The MoU enables the Territory to hold regular dialogue with JBIC officials, to discuss cooperative potential projects between NT and Japan, which leads to increasing investment in the Territory, involving oil and gas, carbon capture, critical minerals infrastructure, hydrogen, ammonia, renewable energy and sustainable aviation fuels.

Japan and Australia have a shared goal of achieving net zero by 2050.

These high-level engagement opportunities will enable the Northern Territory Government and interested proponents, to position and promote the Territory as a reliable supplier of LNG, critical minerals, hydrogen and solar, to support the global energy transition and decarbonisation programs for Japan.

This signing aligns with the Northern Territory Government’s International Engagement Strategy 2022-2026 which identifies Japan as a high priority market for trade and investment, noting it is our largest trade and Foreign Direct Investment partner.

In 2022-23 the value of goods NT exports to Japan increased by 27.3% to $7.7 billion, driven by increases in commodities prices for oil and gas and increased exports of metalliferous ores and metal scrap categories.

One of Northern Australia’s best-known photographers, George Fragopoulos, has returned to his field of study as a chiropractic specialist and invented a compression suit to help athletes reduce the risk of back injury.

Spinesuit functional apparel aims to improve core stability, posture, performance and recovery.

The bio-mechanically designed apparel helps improve spinal alignment to reduce abnormal load on spinal joints and can be worn as a base layer while athletes train, perform and recover.

The designs are ideal for triathletes, runners and cyclists. Also in development are compression shirts and shorts that will be ideal for sports like AFL and rugby.

Future designs will include wearable sensors to allow for real-time bio-mechanical modelling and biomedical stress and performance monitoring to improve critical diagnosis and decision-making.

George used a Territory Government Business Innovation Program (BIP) 2.0 grant to help develop Spinesuit.

BIP 2.0 is a mentoring and grant initiative to help Territory start-ups and businesses to accelerate commercialisation of their innovation.

Under BIP 2.0 program participants can also receive up to $30,000 in funding to further develop their innovative concept into a commercially successful product.

Many Territorians know George as a successful Darwin-based photographer – fewer know that he is also a qualified chiropractor and entrepreneur.

'I have a unique understanding of this growing problem and the limitations of services and products on the market trying to address this problem,' he says.

'I created the Spinesuit as a non-invasive, wearable and preventative solution.

'The look and feel is similar to compression sportswear worn by elite athletes to improve their performance and recovery.

'We are conducting a pilot study with NT-based athletes, especially those athletes who have had a history of back pain and injury.'

If you are an athlete based in Darwin and would like to take part in the Spinesuit pilot study, contact George via the email address at george@spinesuit.com

Applications for BIP 2.0 are now open, to find out more and to apply visit Innovation Territory website.

Caption: We Fix IT owner Matty Brown and his team - ‘the Territory Government provided a grant so I could save money on my energy bills. Why wouldn’t you do it?’

A go-ahead information technology company with big ideas has slashed electricity costs while reducing its carbon footprint.

The cleverly-named We Fix IT used a Territory Government Smarter Business Solutions grant to go solar.

Company owner Matty Brown says the move will save the firm about $24,000 a year.

'It’s perfect,' he says. 'The Territory Government provided a grant so I could save money on my energy bills. Why wouldn’t you do it?'

Territory businesses, Aboriginal enterprises and not-for-profit organisations can get help to reduce day-to-day energy, water, waste and material costs through Smarter Business Solutions grants.

The program offers:

• advice on efficient technologies and practices
• a walk-though site survey to identify potential saving opportunities
• grants to encourage and support cost savings or initiatives.

We Fix IT, a Territory owned and operated IT business specialising in support services and web development for small to medium-size businesses, expected to use about 85,000 kWh of energy a year at a cost of  $27,000 when it moved from Darwin City to Darwin Corporate Park.

The firm used a $20,000 Smarter Business Solutions grant to install 55 kilowatts of solar panels and 72 kilowatt-hours of battery storage to reduce its grid-supplied electricity costs and to support possible future certification as a tier III data centre.

A review six months later found that the new solar and battery system was on track to supply about 70 percent of electricity.

Smarter Business Solutions provided a second renewables grant of $4,000 in December 2022 to help the business install an additional 30 kilowatts of solar panels and 20 kilowatt-hours of battery storage to supply its remaining grid-supplied electricity.

We Fix IT now gets 90-100 percent of its power from solar and battery storage.

The business, which started in 2010 as a 'man in a van' and now employs 20 staff, is also reducing its transport emissions and fuel costs with an investment in several battery electric vehicles.

To find out more about the Smarter Business Solutions program, visit the Northern Territory Government website.

Following a competitive grants process, the Industry Skills Advisory Council NT (ISACNT) is the successful recipient of the 2024-2029 Workforce Advisory Grant (WAG).

The grant will provide funding of $3 million per annum for up to 5 years for ISACNT to deliver workforce advisory services for the Northern Territory Government and local industry.

ISACNT is an independent not-for-profit that specialises in development training packages, workforce development, skills shortages and workforce solutions.

ISACNT have a strong track-record in advocating for Territory needs in training package development and expertise in working with both local and national stakeholders, with an ability to champion the Territory’s unique and complex needs in the national workforce and skills conversation.

The WAG will allow ISACNT to continue their role in supporting government and industry in growing a skilled, agile and capable workforce. ISACNT key duties include:

• Engaging with peak industry bodies, industry and the training sector to understand the Territory’s workforce and skills needs.
• Providing information and advice to government identifying priority skills, workforce gaps and challenges and opportunities.
• Connecting and broker relationships and solutions between government, industry, the community and the skills system to support the development of a skilled workforce in the Territory.
• Working with national stakeholders and bodies to represent Territory workforce and skills needs including in the development of new training products.

Delivery of these functions under the Grant will help to identify and address skills gaps in the workforce, facilitate more Territorians take up training opportunities and provide advice to government, industry and the community.