Breaking News Factory of the Future to Accelerate Growth of Advanced Manufacturing BAE Systems Australia welcomed the South Australian Government’s funding announcement in the 2020 State Budget, which will fast track the development of the Line Zero – Factory of the Future.
Defence Jobs Focus of New Naval Shipbuilding College Agreement South Australian defence jobs are at the forefront of a new Cooperation Agreement signed between the South Australian Government and the Federal Government’s Naval Shipbuilding College (NSC).
Premier Steven Marshall visited the site for the construction of Stage One of the Line Zero – Factory of the Future facility to see first-hand some of the advanced technologies and processes that will be supported by the State’s $5 million commitment, matching Flinders University’s investment in the initiative. The Line Zero - Factory of the Future will be a world class manufacturing accelerator, embedded within South Australia’s Tonsley Innovation District.
The agreement will expand the highly skilled naval shipbuilding workforce to deliver on future naval shipbuilding projects. More than 4,000 workers will be needed over the next four years to meet the construction and sustainment requirements of the future Hunter class frigate, future Attack class submarine and Collins class submarine in South Australia, as well as thousands of additional jobs in supply chain and supporting industries.
Driven by Flinders University, it began with a temporary pilot ‘pop up’ factory developed in collaboration with BAE Systems Maritime Australia. The $10 million co-funding enables a permanent Factory of the Future to now be built.
Premier Steven Marshall said the agreement demonstrates his government’s fierce commitment to create thousands of defence jobs in South Australia.
BAE Systems Maritime Australia Managing Director, Craig Lockhart, said “Digital shipbuilding is all about connectivity – not just within the physical and digital shipyard but with our supply chain and customer – and the partnership between BAE Systems Maritime Australia and Flinders University at Tonsley is creating a digital and advanced manufacturing test environment to improve productivity, quality and safety outcomes at Osborne. It is our ambition that the digital and technological advancements demonstrated by the supply chain will lead to improved productivity, safety and quality outcomes, equipping our highly-skilled workforce with Industry 4.0 technologies that support activities undertaken in a modern digital shipyard.”
Image: The Hunter Class Frigate. Courtesy of BAE Systems.
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Australian Welding
“This collaboration with the NSC is a crucial step for our state’s shipbuilding future,” Premier Marshall said. “It demonstrates a clear commitment to grow our local talent pool by establishing and developing new workforce pipelines in South Australia.” “South Australia will be home to over $90 billion in continuous naval shipbuilding projects, with a projected lifespan of more than 50 years, resulting in thousands of skilled and professional jobs. Meeting demands of this scale are only achievable through steadfast collaborative effort and dedicated programs, and that’s what our partnership with NSC represents,” Premier Marshall said.
Image: The Hunter Class Frigate. Courtesy of BAE Systems.
