Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation, Mark Dreyfus, has announced the 2012 Australian Clean Technologies Competition open for nominations.

“As part of Australia’s transition to a low carbon high‐efficiency economy, the Government wants to shine a light on Australian innovators taking advantage of business opportunities to reduce energy and resource consumption,” Mark says.

“This year’s Australian Clean Technologies Competition is a unique opportunity for Australian clean technology firms to develop their capabilities and gain market exposure for their innovations.”

Through the competition, entrants will link with business mentors, access training opportunities and showcase their capabilities to potential customers, investors and the media.

Competition finalists are given access to the Cleantech Business Accelerator Program through which they are provided with mentoring on commercialisation pathways, business modelling, funding solutions and successful techniques for pitch delivery.

“Last year we had an overwhelming response to the Competition with 70 entries tackling current issues including pollution, energy efficiency, renewable energies, green buildings, smart electricity grids and new transportation systems,” Mark adds.

2011 Competition winner, SMAC Technologies, with its innovative air‐conditioning technology that reduces energy consumption, represented Australia at the International Global Ideas Competition in the USA.

“The access to the Silicon Valley investment community really helped our business, and the domestic exposure has helped us develop a stronger presence here in Australia,” SMAC Technologies director Wayne Ryan says.

The Competition is a key initiative of the Clean Technologies Supplier Advocate, Dr Marc Newson, aimed at promoting innovative Australian manufacturers and linking them with business mentors and opportunities to enhance their competitiveness.

“Participants are provided with a platform through which to showcase their entrepreneurship to the rest of the world, and the business training and exposure to judges, mentors and industry peers prepares them for the commercial challenges of getting their ideas to market,” Dr Newson says.