Pushing for Australian manufacturing

An automotive CEO event to push for Australian manufacturing

Bremar, a supplier to the automotive industry, held a special industry breakfast at the end of May to bring together key players across the Australian automotive sector. As an integral part of the sector, SAE-A was invited to attend the event which featured presentations, panel discussions and round table dialogues to highlight the emerging dynamic evolution of Australia’s automotive industry.

The event kicked off with a compelling presentation by Bremar’s Managing Director, Brett Longhurst, who showcased Bremar’s advanced automotive engineering, simulation and manufacturing capabilities, including the company’s ability to 3D print metal and carbonfibre reinforced parts.

“The Automotive CEO Breakfast event has reinforced our belief that Australia’s automotive industry is vibrant and full of potential. By fostering innovation, collaboration, and advocating for supportive government policies, we can ensure a bright future for the modern automotive manufacturing industry in Australia,” Mr Longhurst said.

His address was followed by an insightful talk from Shai Terem, CEO of Markforged, who shared his expertise on the transformative impact of additive manufacturing within the automotive industry and its applications across various sectors globally.

Markforged is an American company based in Billerica, Massachusetts, an additive manufacturing company that designs, develops, and manufactures The Digital Forge, an industrial platform of 3D printers, software and materials that enables manufacturers to print parts at the point-of-need.

The company has remote teams and partners across the US, Canada, Europe, UK, Asia, and Australia. These teams work with customers onthe-ground to transform their operations.

Additive manufacturing is being recognised and adopted by OEMs as a process capable of producing production quality end-use parts, tooling, jigs and fixtures.

Other well-known industry players such as Stuart Charity, CEO of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association and Geoff Gwilym, CEO of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce attended and were a part of a panel discussion that explored the current and future directions of the industry in Australia.

This was followed an in-depth discussion where attendees addressed the challenges and the opportunities facing the industry. This conversation revealed an automotive industry in Australia that is thriving while it evolves from a traditional model dominated by local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to a diverse ecosystem of innovative businesses.

These companies now focus on converting, modifying and customising OE vehicles to meet specific local requirements and applications.

As a result of this there is an emergence of bespoke manufacturers like Premcar, now producing niche vehicles with unprecedented levels of engineering and build quality.

Other companies such as Jaunt in Scoresby, Melbourne remanufacturers iconic cars into premium electric vehicles implementing engineering solutions to transform them into modern day vehicles. These vehicles range from the Issigonis Mini to the Porsche 911.

Another is Renner Auto that offers customers modern replicas of the classic Porsche Speedster from the 1955-57 era. The company uses 3D CAD design tools and modern manufacturing technologies wrapped in an older body but atop a custom engineered semi unibody chassis that accommodates a modern fuel injected four-cylinder boxer engine with a 5-speed transaxle.

In order for Australia to foster this growth there is a need for financial support from government, in particular government grants and funding which must be made more accessible to small business in order to drive innovation. And while such support would be beneficial the consensus was that reducing regulatory red tape and developing national regulations are of even greater importance to boost business confidence and encourage investment.

The discussions underscored the necessity of generating industry support at the government policy level and attracting new talent to the sector.

A broader public awareness campaign was also raised as being crucial to dispel the misconception that Australia’s automotive industry has declined due to the absence of local OEM manufacturers. In reality, the country boasts world-class design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities that remain largely unrecognized by the public.

Andrew Somers 1,*

1 Transoptim Consulting, Upwey, Australia

* Corresponding author: andrew.somers@transoptim.com.au