The Morrison Government is backing advanced manufacturing and South Australia’s defence sector, through a new industry-research collaboration.
The Government-funded Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) will inject $1.45 million into a project to help develop and pilot cutting-edge manufacturing technologies that will be used to build nine anti-submarine warfare frigates.
BAE Systems Australia’s shipbuilding business, ASC Shipbuilding, will jointly fund the research project and use the technologies to build the Hunter class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy at its world-class digital shipyard at Osborne.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the investment would allow seven new researchers to join nine others working at the collaboration lab at Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide’s south.
“The building of these frigates is a true project of the digital age and these new researchers will significantly increase the firepower of the research effort already underway at the collaboration lab,” Minister Andrews said.
“This project is an example of my determination to bring business and researchers together, to do things better and drive industry forward.
“The ideas and new practices developed as part of this research will not only benefit the frigates project but the Australian manufacturing sector in general.”
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall said that the $90 billion investment from the Coalition Government is creating an unprecedented pipeline of jobs and business opportunities right here for generations to come.
