Post by flyjoe180 on Oct 19, 2007 14:37:20 GMT 12
A $2 million boost from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise will help Waikato's burgeoning aviation sector reach its potential, according to an industry leader.
Former Civil Aviation Authority director and now CTC Aviation chief executive John Jones said the funding, which will be allocated through economic development agency Katolyst, was also a vote of confidence in the sector. The money is available to any business in the region's aviation sector, but to unlock the funding each company must also put up money.
Mr Jones, who is also chairman of the Aviation Waikato Advisory Group, said the money could be used for anything from marketing and promotion to training and seed funding for new innovations.
"It will cover all sorts of projects and will help bring a lot of these companies closer together."
Companies eligible for the funding include CTC, Pacific Aerospace and Alpha Aviation.
Mr Jones said if the companies "show some benefits" from the NZTE money, a further cash injection would be possible.
Katolyst chief executive Graham Smith said the Waikato region had produced over 500 aircraft during the past 30 years, more than any other centre in Australasia.
To help the industry achieve its goals former Livestock Improvement chief executive Stuart Gordon was last month appointed as the facilitator of the regional industry cluster. He said the Waikato had the opportunity to set up an aviation cluster unlike anywhere else in Australasia.
"We have two aircraft manufacturers and a world-class airline pilot training organisation centred around an international airport," Mr Gordon said. "Plus, we have smaller aviation-related companies and suppliers scattered around the region. No other region in the southern hemisphere has this kind of industry depth." NZTE operations manager John Nicholson said the organisation had confidence in the country's aviation industry, which had exports worth $800 million in 2006.
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4243700a6415.html
Former Civil Aviation Authority director and now CTC Aviation chief executive John Jones said the funding, which will be allocated through economic development agency Katolyst, was also a vote of confidence in the sector. The money is available to any business in the region's aviation sector, but to unlock the funding each company must also put up money.
Mr Jones, who is also chairman of the Aviation Waikato Advisory Group, said the money could be used for anything from marketing and promotion to training and seed funding for new innovations.
"It will cover all sorts of projects and will help bring a lot of these companies closer together."
Companies eligible for the funding include CTC, Pacific Aerospace and Alpha Aviation.
Mr Jones said if the companies "show some benefits" from the NZTE money, a further cash injection would be possible.
Katolyst chief executive Graham Smith said the Waikato region had produced over 500 aircraft during the past 30 years, more than any other centre in Australasia.
To help the industry achieve its goals former Livestock Improvement chief executive Stuart Gordon was last month appointed as the facilitator of the regional industry cluster. He said the Waikato had the opportunity to set up an aviation cluster unlike anywhere else in Australasia.
"We have two aircraft manufacturers and a world-class airline pilot training organisation centred around an international airport," Mr Gordon said. "Plus, we have smaller aviation-related companies and suppliers scattered around the region. No other region in the southern hemisphere has this kind of industry depth." NZTE operations manager John Nicholson said the organisation had confidence in the country's aviation industry, which had exports worth $800 million in 2006.
www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4243700a6415.html
