AMGC commits $250,000 to increase Australian manufacturing competitiveness

Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre’s Managing Director, Dr Jens Goennemann, confirmed the announcement made today by Minister Hunt of the $250,000 Project Fund from the AMGC to support Geelong’s carbon fibre manufacturing.

The AMGC Project Fund will go toward the Advanced Fibre Cluster Geelong comprised of leading carbon fibre, advanced fibre and composite manufacturers located at Carbon Nexus, a research facility located at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus.

The funding will directly support the technology leadership resulting from the collaboration between local manufacturers and researchers in delivering joint projects for commercialisation and export purposes.

David Peart, CEO of the Geelong Manufacturing Council, welcomed the investment by saying, ‘this fund not only kick-starts the important work to be achieved here at this site, but it’s also a boost of confidence that advanced manufacturing has a strong future in the region.’

‘Tighter collaboration and commercialisation between industry and research institutions remains a top priority for the Australian manufacturers sector. Our Sector Competitiveness Plan identifies the precise uplift in national revenue if we get this right’, said Dr Goennemann.

‘We know that firms who collaborate achieve greater scale and capability transfer which increases our cost competitiveness, and more importantly, increases our value offerings to the global market’, he said.

A key strategy of the AMGC is to launch projects across the nation emphasising the importance of co-operation between industry and research while attracting investment from large multinational manufacturers. Entering into the global supply chain continues to be a barrier for many local manufacturers, joining projects as part of a local consortium with a global system integrator is a pathway to export success as witnessed by leading Australian manufacturing champions, such as, Cablex, Quickstep and Marand Precision Engineering.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre is part of the Government’s $248 million Industry Growth Centres Initiative, an industry-led approach to driving innovation, productivity and competitiveness through investing in key industry sectors.