The Modern Manufacturing Town Hall, held on 30 March at Sydney Olympic Park, marked the beginning of a strengthened partnership between government and industry in advancing manufacturing in Australia.
The well-attended event kicked off with a stand-up breakfast, before opening with an address from Stuart Ayers, minister for enterprise, investment and trade, who shared the NSW commitment to modern manufacturing.
Ayres emphasised that this is an exciting time to be involved in the manufacturing sector and that NSW has “really stepped out into a leadership role in this crucial area, and progressed in a way that will benefit not only the NSW economy, but the entire nation”.
“As climate change and the pursuit of a decarbonised economy comes to the fore, a strong and sustainable modern manufacturing strategy will recalibrate the competitive nature of Australian businesses, and present us with an amazing array of new opportunities,” he said.
The address also introduced attendees to the members of the recently formed and NSW government-backed Modern Manufacturing Taskforce, a specialist team made up of key industry stakeholders, and led by businessman Tony Shepperd.
The Taskforce will provide advice to government on their new modern manufacturing strategy and improve the linkages between government and industry.
A brainstrust for the future
Attendees noted that the Town Hall event was a rare opportunity for key stakeholders from government, industry and academia to come together and be part of a brainstrust that marks the beginning of Australia’s efforts to establish a strong, sustainable and technology-driven manufacturing sector.
“We believe that collaboration between government, academia and the manufacturing industry is essential to democratising access to the latest in modern manufacturing technological advancements, particularly for smaller manufacturers who may not have the resources necessary to implement these advancements on their factory floor,” said Marie Kinsella, CEO of the International Exhibition and Conference (IEC) Group, organiser of the Town Hall.
“Having an event like the Town Hall supported by Minister Ayres, the University of Sydney, and our other prestigious modern manufacturing foundation partners, enables us to directly connect manufacturers with a network that will nurture their growth and efforts to strengthen the economy.”
The Town Hall programme placed a spotlight on the possibilities unlocked by linking local manufacturers to NSW’s foremost academic institution, the University of Sydney, through presentations from professors Gwenaelle Proust, as well as the University’s business development manager Adeline Williams.
Key topics included the introduction of the new Sydney Manufacturing Hub, a state-of-the-art facility that offers local manufacturers the opportunity to engage with researchers, and utilise the University’s world-leading research infrastructure.
According to Williams, a third of all R&D in Australia is done in universities, yet only 10 per cent of companies have chosen to partner with them.
Professor Simon Ringer, director of Core Research Facilities for the University of Sydney, closed the presentations with an invitation to manufacturers to utilise the University as their R&D partner, and to embrace the skills, technology and expertise it has to offer.
Other highlights from the day included presentations from industry-leading manufacturers – 3rd Axis, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, Thales Australia, Stryker, CSIRO, Romar Engineering and Equinox Orthopaedics – who shared how adopting new technologies have changed the way they manufacture.
Launch of the Modern Manufacturing Expo
Town Hall attendees got a first look at the launch of the Modern Manufacturing Expo, which will take place on 20-21 September 2022 at Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Olympic Park.
The first-of-its-kind exhibition will help companies stay competitive and boost effectiveness through smart manufacturing. It will also offer educational streams to showcase practical steps on how digitisation can be implemented by giving manufacturers clear and direct pathways to the latest technologies.
“We cannot ignore the fact that the manufacturing landscape is changing. Both government and manufacturers are looking for new and innovative ways for the industry to become more sustainable and globally competitive, and the Expo is the perfect place to showcase these opportunities,” Kinsella said.
The Modern Manufacturing Expo 2022 marks the beginning of a new paradigm where visitors can discover the latest in digital and automation, industrial innovation, green and sustainable manufacturing, modern manufacturing business services, benefit from an ‘Ask the Experts’ arena, free on-floor presentations, and a host of networking opportunities.
“We know that we need to continue to be an economy that makes things, and we know that we need to be at the end of the value chain to ensure that we keep our manufacturing as competitive as it can be,” Ayres concluded.
