A message from Jens Goennemann

In October and November, the AMGC team is hitting the road again. This time we will be bringing our Australian Manufacturing Matters tour to a handful of capital cities.

We believe there are some very good reasons for us, as the manufacturing community, to link up.

On the downside, manufacturing jobs are about to disappear in some well-known companies, and the mood picked up in recent surveys has been rather pessimistic. Now is probably a good time to hear from some of our ‘rockstar manufacturers’ to learn what works for them and what other opportunities are out there for you. 

On the upside, such opportunities are ramping up. The National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) has had its first Board meeting and has been granted an initial $5 billion for investments in Australia’s Priority Areas.

The NRF has the potential to deliver long lasting impact over time. For the manufacturing community, it is critical that a conveyor belt of investment-ready companies is being created to make the best use of the NRF, and to come into striking distance of an anticipated rather large cheque size.

That is why we are also very interested in the progress of the $392.4 million Industry Growth Program (IGP). We have strongly advocated for its purpose, namely, a grant-based instrument to help scale manufacturers. Hence, we were pleased to learn that the proven manufacturing apostle David Chuter was recently appointed to lead the IGP.

Even modest grant schemes have demonstrated how it advances capable manufacturers and allows them to attract substantial follow-on investments from capital markets. Many former AMGC project participants exemplify such growth journeys.

We are eager to learn more about how the NRF and IGP will work and how we can help link a community of capable manufacturers with them both to create impact.

Speaking about community: We look forward to meeting you at our upcoming roadshow. To put it more bluntly: Can you afford not to show up?