The Illawarra manufacturing industry of the future is likely to be more focused on clean energy and biomedical products, according to a senior University of Wollongong academic.
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Professor Geoff Spinks, who heads the university’s Manufacturing Innovation – Global Challenges Program, said proper research and development gave ‘‘every opportunity’’ to support local businesses that ‘‘could grow into the next big thing’’.
‘‘There are lots of opportunities for new manufacturing businesses to get going, particularly in areas like the Illawarra where we have lot of competitive advantages... [such as] a world classed university, a skilled workforce, infrastructure like a port, and quality roads and rail,’’ he said.
Robotics and automatic systems were also likely to change the face of manufacturing.
‘‘The trends for manufacturing in the technology space are all about improving productivity through access to better communications and using information technologies,’’ he said.
Prof Spinks’ comments come as questions continue to be raised over the future of the Illawarra’s manufacturing industry, following the recent closure of the Corrimal Coke Company, industrial unrest at Helensburgh Metropolitan Colliery and Gujarat NRE mines and last week’s luke-warm BlueScope annual general meeting.
During the meeting, BlueScope investors were told ‘‘unprecedented difficult trading conditions’’ were affecting the steel industry and current construction and manufacturing demand was as the ‘‘bottom of the cycle’’.
But Prof Spinks said it was not all doom and gloom for the Illawarra’s more traditional manufacturing businesses, and said macro-economic conditions were slowly improving.
‘‘Particularly improvements of the exchange rate take a lot of pressure off companies suffering from import competition,’’ he said.
‘‘There’s a lot of opportunities for improvements and I think companies that explore those opportunities and look for ways to continue to innovate... these are the companies best placed to survive into the future.’’
Approximately 700 companies are involved in manufacturing or engineering in the Illawarra, with the majority classed as ‘‘small to medium enterprises’’ meaning they have less than 20 employees.
‘‘When you’re a small company it’s hard to engage with universities and research providers because you don’t have a lot of spare human resources to invest in those activities,’’ Prof Spinks said.
