RESEARCH, INDUSTRY AND BANKING UNITE FOR MANUFACTURING SECTOR
St.George Banking Group, UNSW Sydney and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) are teaming up to advance Australian research and accelerate the introduction and commercialisation of new manufacturing technologies.
The alliance brings together three different strands of the national economy - research, industry and banking – in a concerted effort to help Australia unlock its competitive edge in manufacturing, easing the transition to the digital age to enable manufacturers to build their businesses and compete globally.
According to AMCG State Director Michael Sharpe: “To improve our country’s innovation and competitiveness, manufacturers need to become highly integrated, collaborative and export-focused so we can provide high-value, customised solutions to global supply chains.
“This complementary partnership will forge the industry ahead by helping manufacturers to think more laterally about how they can use the latest technology to scale their businesses and seek new opportunities both onshore and overseas.”
Matthew Kelly, Head of Manufacturing and Wholesale at St.George reinforced the global focus of the collaboration, saying: “Manufacturing is an export-focused industry, and digitisation, data, automation and new materials are driving the re-emergence of manufacturing in Australia.
“Our customers are forward-thinking and want to tap into research to differentiate their businesses and make their processes more efficient, such as using real-time data to drive better decision making.
“We have a very clear understanding of Australia’s potential in this sector, which is why St.George is backing manufacturers for the long-term through this partnership and other initiatives.”
Professor Gangadhara Prusty is Director of the ARC Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites at UNSW. He says that the new initiative will both open up access to Australia’s most advanced manufacturing facilities and provide new avenues for funding.
“This partnership will enable St.George customers and AMGC members to leverage technologies developed at UNSW and take advantage of the university’s skills and expertise in the engineering field,” said Prof Prusty.
“Using advanced manufacturing automation and innovative material solutions, we can assist potential partners in solving their real world engineering challenges. We are excited to collaborate with new industry partners to ensure Australian manufacturing remains competitive in the global market.”
One of the first St.George manufacturing customers to benefit from the new partnership is NSW-based Tacca Industries. “St.George has been backing us for years so we’re thrilled to be connected to UNSW and the AMGC to see how we can benefit from cutting-edge research and drive even greater efficiencies and scalability across our family’s business,” says company director Clem Tacca.