The Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre (CHIC) Manager is Geoff Piesse. Importantly, it is Geoff's’s role to manage the Centre, support and assist the incubating businesses within the Centre by providing business development assistance, as well as to implement growth strategies for the CHIC and the Coffs Harbour Technology Park.

Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and qualifications in the areas of local government, business, administration and quality management. He is proactive and is keen to assist you develop your business into a successful enterprise.

The Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre is positioned on site at the Coffs Harbour Education Campus, it is currently 496m2 with 296m2 of lettable space. The space is modular; a boardroom, kitchen and toilet facilities in one module and fit out office space in three separate modules - all of 81m2 each, plus outdoor common areas including a covered balcony. Expansion of the Centre is planned to include a further two modules totalling an extra 162m2.

Part of our service includes the provision of an Anchor Tenant. This tenant is able to provide a number of services to the other incubating tenants including:

Reception services
Photocopying
Facsimile services
General management and secretarial services

Our current Board Members are:

The Coffs Harbour Technology Park Ltd Board of Directors consists of:

Warren Grimshaw – Ex - Executive Director, Coffs Harbour Education Campus
Professor Peter Lees – Vice-Chancellor, Southern Cross University
Elizabeth McGregor – Institute Director, North Coast TAFE
Bob Prater – Executive Director, Coffs Harbour Education Campus
Neil Wendt – Director Operations, North Coast TAFE
Mr Stephen Sawtell – General Manager, Coffs Harbour City Council

Our History

In the years 1999 - 2000, the Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre idea was conceived by Coffs Harbour Technology Park Ltd Board of Directors of the Coffs Harbour Education Campus. The idea generators include strategic managers from the Coffs Harbour Education Campus, Southern Cross University and North Coast TAFE.

The Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre was built in 2001 - 2002 supported by funding from the Department of Workplace Relations & Small Business, but also other contributors were the Department of State & Regional Development, Coffs Harbour City Council, Southern Cross University and North Coast TAFE.

Our Goals are:

To make your business commercially viable and successful
To promote and accelerate growth strategies for the Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre and the Coffs Harbour Technology Park
To provide opportunities for new and emerging businesses to develop and accelerate their growth
To provide graduate and career opportunities for students of the education campus

The Coffs Harbour Technology Park Ltd Board of Directors and the Coffs Harbour Innovation Centre management envisage, as part of their medium term strategies, to develop the Coffs Harbour Technology Park, which aims to provide a quality positioning platform for technology, knowledge based and innovative companies to leverage their products and services.

With this growth strategy in the final planning stages, it is also envisaged that the businesses attracted to the site will promote strong linkages with the Coffs Harbour Education Campus partners ie Southern Cross University, North Coast TAFE, Coffs Harbour Senior College graduates, students and staff. By promoting and providing opportunities for careers, training opportunities, work experience and research opportunities and equally to utilise the campus partners in their own developments such as access to education and training opportunities for staff.