ATSE welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources’ inquiry into Developing Advanced Manufacturing in Australia. Australia, while not a traditional manufacturing powerhouse, has the opportunity to become a world leader in advanced manufacturing, particularly in areas that boost our sovereign capacity and protect our national interests.
The changing nature of industry, as the world transitions to a net zero carbon future, provides opportunities for Australia to become a leading circular economy, leveraging our skills and expertise in mineral extraction to become a leader in critical mineral recovery and remanufacturing. Taking advantage of these conditions will require a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce that necessitates high quality education and training across core STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills.
To develop Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector, ATSE makes the following recommendations for the Australian Government to implement:
Recommendation 1: Use the National Reconstruction Fund to invest in building Australian manufacturing that increases sovereign capacity.
Recommendation 2: Use the National Reconstruction Fund to invest in building Australia’s green energy manufacturing industry.
Recommendation 3: Develop standards for reused and remanufactured goods to develop consumer confidence.
Recommendation 4: Target manufacturing grants and incentives towards waste avoidance or minimisation and the sustainable use of recycled content.
Recommendation 5: Provide greater assistance to small and medium sized enterprises within medical manufacturing to progress through regulatory approvals processes.
Recommendation 6: Support education providers to establish priority STEM training programs, quality assessed against a national skills assessment framework.
Recommendation 7: Develop a national strategy to optimally utilise international migration to boost Australian manufacturing.