4 minute read
FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA & THE NT
MANUFACTURING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA & THE NT
SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS READY FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY BOOM
Advertisement
By David Pisoni
South Australia boasts a highly skilled and educated workforce, a renewed focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, and multi-billion-dollar defence industry contracts.
The state’s world-class research institutions and universities, an investment in skills and the development of entrepreneurial education in high schools are giving young people the tools they need for the jobs of the future.
Under the Growth State plan, the Marshall Government is working with industry to identify areas of growth and unlock and accelerate business expansion and job creation.
Nine priority sectors have been identified as focus areas because of their strong potential to meet increasing interstate and global demand, attract investors and leverage comparative advantages: tourism, international education, defence industry, food, wine and agribusiness, high-tech, health and medical industries, energy and mining, space industry and creative industries.
South Australia’s size and agility means we can respond quickly to economic and social changes and grasp new opportunities.
We have leading capabilities in cyber security, underpinning defence intelligence, space and electronic warfare.
South Australia’s naval shipbuilding programmes and other major projects are creating enormous technological advances and business and employment opportunities that will have an impact for decades to come.
Recently, the $2.9 million Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) located at the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide’s south was officially opened. This CRC will develop and pilot cutting-edge manufacturing technologies for the Hunter class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy, to be built at the Osborne shipyard.
In partnership with Flinders University, BAE Systems Australia’s shipbuilding business ASC Shipbuilding and local businesses, the IMCRC will drive digital transformation through advanced robotics, assistive manufacturing and readiness for Industry 4.0 – both inside the shipyard and more widely across the Australian supply chain.
To continue to capitalise on these opportunities, unlock our full potential and stay ahead of the skills race, it is vital that South Australia has the right people skilled up and ready to step into these career opportunities.
We are committed to equipping South Australians with the right skills and qualifications to meet industry demands.
We’re designing and implementing secondary and vocational training that is modular, agile and responsive to technology. In schools, we’re providing young South Australians with high-level trade, STEM and entrepreneurial skills to prepare them for careers in advanced manufacturing and the defence industry.
Through Skilling South Australia, a $200 million partnership with the Australian Government, we’re focusing on increasing apprenticeships to make sure we’re supplying the skills required by industries.
We’re doing this by prioritising funding for apprentices and trainees, by introducing flexible apprenticeship pathways for school students, and by supporting group training organisations to enter new industries, including defence industries and the supply chain.
And we’re partnering with industry on innovative projects that increase apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities, such as the Australian
Industry Group’s Higher Apprenticeships Programme, which combines vocational and higher education, with a focus on emerging technologies such as robotic systems, cloud-based data and computer aided design tools alongside traditional mechanical engineering trade units.
And there are other projects that will advance the skills we’ll need in our advanced manufacturing and defence industries in the future, including a new, tailor-made cybersecurity traineeship.
Along with the pipeline of defence industries projects and jobs, developments like Lot Fourteen, the home of the Australian Space Agency and SmartSat CRC, South Australia is fast becoming a renowned leader in future industries and advanced manufacturing.
The Hon David Pisoni MP is Minister for Innovation and Skills in the Government of South Australia.
HONG KONG MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY LOOKS TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA FOR SAFETY
Over the past 30 years, Adelaide manufactured Floorsafe brand safety products have gained global renown amongst architects, builders and contractors for providing long lasting safety.
Now the company’s safety tread nosings have been selected for use by the Operations Division of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway.
According to Floorsafe MD Philip Zagni: “Having previously supplied safety treads to offshore oil rigs in Malaysia, we were delighted when the same contractor contacted us to provide enough stair nosings in order to complete the concourse and platform levels at the Tin Shui Wai station.”
The contract called for a tough, long wearing product manufactured to a required size and colour. Floorsafe’s RMN safety treads are completely anti-slip safe and chemical resistant.
Test reports show that the product exceeds the AS/NZS 4586-2004 slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials and exceeds the recommendations of the HB-197 slip resistance standard for external stairs. Says Zagni: “That’s why companies such as Shell, Esso, Qantas, Origin Energy, Thiess Black, Liebherr Australia and many other manufacturing companies are among those who are overcoming OH&S safety issues by using our quality made products.”
The RMN safety treads are made at Floorsafe’s Adelaide factory using 1.6mm galvanised metal. The plate is first prepared with a special primer coat, and after drying three coloured coats of chemical-resistant two-part polyurethane are applied.
aluminium oxide granule is incorporated, which provides both the anti-slip performance and the extreme hardness of the finished product.
Although safety yellow is the most popular colour, any Australian standard colour can be provided.
acetic acid, alkalis, animal vaccines, bacterial remediation treatments, bases and hydrocarbons, beer, biocides, biological broths, caustic soda, chocolate, chromic acid, cleaning chemicals, coagulants, copper
What are you pumping today?
sulphate, corrosive acids, dairy, diatomaceous earth, dosing lime, dyes and glue, equipment sterilisation, feed additives, ferric chloride, filter press feeds, flocculants, gelato, hexafluorosilicic acid, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, inks, lime mixing, paints, polluted streams, polymers, process chemicals, seed coating, silicate, sludge transfer, slurry transfer, sodium hypochlorite, sugar, thickener underflow, tomato paste, waste transfer, whiskey, wine ...
