Melbourne’s thriving startup scene just got a lot hotter with product development incubator Space Tank Studio introducing its new Bench to Business training program for emerging product developers.

With $250K support funding from LaunchVic, Space Tank will offer the training program to 50 lucky product startups wishing to commercialise market busting concepts. That’s right, 50 candidates.

The Bench to Business training program can deliver major impact to industry not to mention give manufacturing much needed sex appeal.

Space Tank founder Holger Dielenberg said that even helping a few product startups achieve commercial growth can return millions of dollars to the Victorian economy as they expand operations, employ staff, scale manufacturing and export.

The lack of manufacturing business support for startups making physical products has always been a thorn in Melbourne’s co-working and business incubator side, and the loss of automotive industry has eroded manufacturing confidence. But Space Tank is helping to bridge this gap.

This initiative will educate Victorian startup founders in design for manufacturing, IP protection, business and financial development and Computer Numeric Controlled manufacturing technology for prototyping.

Successful candidates will enhance their ability to identify market opportunities, develop ground breaking products, attract venture capital, build export markets and be connected with a growing manufacturing and business network.

Training will be delivered over 12-months at Space Tank’s Makerspace in Melbourne’s North Coburg.  Including 30 Classes in 10 categories under the product areas of design, prototyping technology and business & marketing. The course will be offered once and is free of charge.

The program is supported under a $2.9 million investment in educating thousands of Victorian startups though the state’s startup agency, LaunchVic. Space Tank is one of sixteen service providers selected to run education programs, with up to 2,000 places available to Victorian startup founders and their staff.

Space Tank’s Bench to Business training program just gave micro manufacturing in Melbourne a new spark. And remember from small things, big things grow!

“The scene is set to explode as Space Tank now provides the perfect middle ground for the incubator scene to merge with the hundreds of industrial design graduates and niche manufactures in Melbourne,” Holger said.