The Turnbull Government will invest $250,000 through the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre to develop an internationally-recognised advanced manufacturing hub to accelerate the growth of the carbon fibre industry in Geelong.
The funding has been allocated to the Advanced Fibre Cluster Geelong.
“This will support joint projects by businesses and researchers on carbon fibre, advanced fibre and composite manufacturing,” Minister Hunt said.
“These projects will raise the region’s technology leadership resulting in new products and processes making the region more globally competitive.”
Examples of project outcomes will include: reduction in energy consumption; new products for automotive and defence industries; other new industrial applications for carbon fibre; and improved carbon fibre recycling.
Federal Member for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson MP, said the $14 million Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre is an incredibly important initiative for our region.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre sends a very strong signal to our nation that Geelong and Corangamite are at the forefront of advanced manufacturing,” Ms Henderson said.
“This just shows how much the Turnbull Government is investing in the jobs of the future and, of course, in advanced manufacturing.”
“The investment today will strengthen Geelong’s well-established leadership amongst Australian manufacturers and researchers, and reflects the types of investments and strategies that will be recommended by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre’s Sector Competitiveness Plan.”
Members of the Advanced Fibre Cluster include carbon fibre wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution, CSIRO, Austeng and Quickstep. The cluster is supported by the Geelong Manufacturing Council.
Geelong is also the location of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre’s National Carbon Fibre Manufacturing Collaboration Hub, created with Deakin University and CSIRO Fibres of the Future Laboratory.
Highly successful manufacturing and research businesses like Carbon Revolution, Marand Precision Engineering, and Carbon Nexus are well established in the region.
The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre is part of the Government’s $250 million Industry Growth Centres Initiative, an industry-led approach to driving innovation, productivity and competitiveness through investing in key industry sectors.
Further information about the Industry Growth Centres Initiative is available at: www.industry.gov.au/industry/Industry-Growth-Centres/Pages/default.aspx
(ENDS)