For an Interactive description of what an Industry Cluster Does, click on this sentence or the above image Intereseted in setting up an Industry Cluster? 1. Want Help? Tell us what Internet technologies you need to support and enhance your Gippsland business and cluster we may be able to provide assistance through the Gippsland Portal or Messenger. 2. What We Can Do! We may provide selected industry clusters with: email distribution lists a professional website online forms online shopping banner advertising link exchanges to other websites web rings A whole range of things could be applied to help improve the efficiency 3. Industry clusters are for businesses who already have a web-presence, as well as those who don't. 4. Exactly what is provided will depend on the needs of your business or industry cluster. Important Terms What is an Industry Cluster? Essentially, it’s a group of businesses or organisations that can benefit by doing things together What does an industry cluster do? Quite often similar industries in a region can achieve better results and create new opportunities if they combine their buying power, their selling power and by marketing the things that they do well. Talking with each other, either directly or by new economy technology, can open up a new world of business opportunities.

What was net.RESULT?

net.RESULT was a pilot project set up to demonstrate how business clusters, and active business people can benefit from using Internet technologies.

The project supported the establishment of a number of pilot clusters at no direct cost to the participants.

Once the clusters became established and operated, the benefits became obvious. The net.RESULT provided:-

• better communication
• better service provision
• better bottom line results for businesses in Gippsland.

For a detailed description of the project, go to the about the program web page.

See more information on current Gipspland Industry Clusters

Who was involved?

Over 100 active Business People in Gippsland! Everyone was looking for ways to improve their business. One way of doing this was to work together with like-minded industries, that is, form an industry cluster.

What did it mean to be involved?

The State Government wanted more existing and new businesses to take advantage of new technologies. For that reason it sponsored net.RESULT as a pilot project. Those involved in Gippsland’s selected industry clusters were provided, at no cost, with professional support, and technology development, to set up systems that enabled use of these new technologies from Messenger (Internet Developer)

Exactly what was provided depended on the needs of each identified industry cluster.

The net.RESULT project provided selected industry clusters with email distribution lists, a professionial web presence for each member of the cluster, online forms, marketing templates, link exchanges to other websites and web rings – in fact, a whole range of things were applied to help improve the efficiency, and therefore the net result for business.

The net.RESULT project was for businesses who already had a web-presence, as well as those who didn't.

Why did people get involved?

There is an old saying; "united we stand, divided we fall." The question, in a region as geographically diverse as Gippsland, is how do we become united? Part of the answer is in the use of information technologies as a business tool. The Net.Result Project developed systems that enabled relevant clusters of businesses in the region to unite their efforts.

Clustering enabled businesses to form a critical mass
so that their industry – and you – could see the benefits.

The tool that takes you and your cluster to
those new opportunities is the Internet.

Through the Internet, business clusters have an opportunity to promote their products, and services through a co-operative approach that opens up opportunities to ‘source and sell’ goods and services across the Gippsland region and the State. Eventually those opportunities can be anywhere in the world, depending upon the needs of individual businesses, and cluster members. How did we achieve these benefits using Internet Technology?

Internet Technology is a tool to:

• Share information collectively and develop ideas without wasting time in meetings, or travelling to them, (email, discussion groups, sending documents).
• Create an identity in a global marketplace (web site).
• Knowing what stock or services you can supply to a client, at any given time (databases, password restricted information available to members only).
• Source supply from established alliances (secure store via web-site, central supply contact lists).
• More ready access to information and research, from both inside the cluster (if appropriate) and outside the cluster.
• Bring co-operative businesses closer together. Economies of scale can be achieved in obtaining goods, and services, and marketing complimentary services to potential customers.

Interested in more information?

If you would like more information on what this project achieved, or would like to know more about applying Internet Technology to your cluster, goto our contact us page.