Advanced manufacturing
A vibrant advanced manufacturing sector is emerging from the Hunter’s well-established traditional assemblage. Much of the advanced manufacturing aligns with the existing defence, aerospace, and mining industries but also incorporates chemical processing, construction, and energy generation and distribution. Advanced manufacturing in the Hunter comprises about 2000 regional businesses employing about 20,000 people and contributing $2 billion to the NSW economy. The sector’s priorities include improving engagement with international markets, accessing global supply chains, and increasing the engagement between research and industry. It is important the Hunter’s advanced manufacturers position themselves to maximise their potential to leverage government initiatives including the National Reconstruction Fund, the Future Made in Australia bill and Industry Growth programs among many others. The current ecosystem suggests the Hunter is well placed to build leading capability. Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA) recognises the importance of sharing the stories of the region’s advanced manufacturers on a national stage. HMA chair Jacqui Daley says it enhances “Brand Hunter”. Assisting advanced manufacturing businesses reach the stage where they have a worthy story to tell is The Melt, founded in 2017 as a spinoff from Australia’s most successful corporate accelerator, Slingshot. Brett Thomas is Director and Chief Operating Officer of The Melt’s Muswellbrook facility, which provides technical specialists, and investment funding via Melt Ventures, to help emerging businesses prove, prototype, pilot, and produce physical devices. “We help start-ups and scale-ups,” Mr Thomas says. “In particular, businesses creating new devices and products that are clean tech, climate tech, or advanced-manufacturing related. Most of those products have embedded IoT (internet of things) and software elements but the core of the products is a physical device.” MrThomas says the risk of failure for the founders, start-ups, and scaling businesses making physical products is much higher than it is for other start-ups. There are several reasons […]