The Victorian government has announce it will offer a series of grants totalling $500,000 to encourage innovation in the state’s aviation industry.
Minister for Aviation Industry, Gordon Rich-Phillips said the grants were designed to promote aviation research projects and that they would assist companies in engaging with international aviation markets and global supply chains.
“Grants of up to $30,000 will be available on a competitive basis to tackle issues facing the aviation industry,” Minister Rich-Phillips said. “The aviation sector has already identified a number of areas which would benefit from industry research such as productivity, aircraft development, airport management and maintenance, repair and overhaul. Projects could also focus on pilot training and human factors, air safety and air traffic control, and new technologies for the development of future aircraft.”
The grants are particularly timely in the wake of the closure of the recent JHAS maintenance facility at Melbourne Airport, the imminent wind down of Qantas’s heavy maintenance at Avalon, and projected job losses at Boeing Aerostructure Australia’s Fisherman’s Bend facility.
“Victoria’s aviation industry should build on its reputation as a mature and high quality industry, in order to realise opportunities in growing markets,” Rich-Phillips added. “Importantly, this grants program will cement Victoria as the leading state in Australia to respond to the expanding needs of the local, domestic and international aviation and aerospace sectors.”
