Several of the nation’s leading manufacturers were present at Parliament House as part of the Industry Growth Centre Showcase. ANCA, Evolve Group and Tradiebot, joined by Australia’s baby essentials company B.Box, were on hand to demonstrate how local manufacturing continues to thrive and export.

The Showcase is part of the Industry Growth Centre Initiative formed by the Federal Government to drive an industry-led approach toward greater innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), one of six growth centres, was established in 2015 to help steer Australian manufacturing in lifting its global footprint while driving the demand for high-paying jobs.

Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director, AMGC, recognises the Showcase as an important way to reinforce the positive message to Parliament on manufacturing’s bright future, “this showcase demonstrates that Australia’s manufacturing industry is producing a diverse range of unique and valuable products – from commercial robots and toddler sippy cups to virtual reality auto repair. These manufacturing success stories have really challenged and redefined industry expectations about what is possible to produce here in Australia for the global market”.

Ty Hermans, Managing Director, Evolve Group, praises AMGC’s support, ‘for helping support the reshoring of manufacturing back to Australia. The biggest thing AMGC has done is its proactivity and backing up what it said it would do. We went from co-funding to commercialisation within 18 months – from turning $250K into $25 million.’

The Industry Growth Centre Showcase coincides with the announcement from the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews on the formal extension of the Growth Centre Initiative.

Recognising the valuable impact and assistance Growth Centres provide industry, the Initiative maintains broad support across government. To date, the AMGC has helped hundreds of local manufacturers in their transition to become smart, export-focused businesses.