List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.65The Committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a federal-level National Advanced Manufacturing Commissioner to facilitate nationwide advanced manufacturing policy and program coordination. The Office of the National Advanced Manufacturing Commissioner could also serve as a single, high-profile ‘shopfront’ for federal and state government opportunities and support programs for manufacturers, and provide a concierge service to assist small manufacturers, in particular to identify and access suitable opportunities.

Recommendation 2

3.66The Australian Government should introduce production incentives for Australian advanced manufacturing. The incentive scheme should reflect Australia’s strategic priorities including, but not limited to, sovereign capacity in medical manufacturing and the transition to net zero emissions.

Recommendation 3

3.153Building on the Buy Australian Plan, the government should review federal procurement legislation and guidance. In order to enable decision makers to make more sophisticated assessments, revisions should emphasise the importance of local economic benefits in assessing value for money and outline methods for estimating those benefits. The guidance should introduce regular reporting by government agencies on the use of Australian suppliers. In partnership with the states and territories, the government should identify further steps it could take to increase locally manufactured content in renewable energy infrastructure and equipment installations, medical and health supplies, and other areas where governments are major customers.

Recommendation 4

4.86The Committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has the resources it requires in order to prioritise activities that improve industry–research collaboration and commercialisation in Australia.

Recommendation 5

4.88The Committee recommends that the Australian Government commit to establishing a series of significant government-owned advanced manufacturing common user facilities in strategic locations across Australia, to make it simpler for manufacturers to access the advanced technologies and infrastructure they need to excel in national priority areas. To be piloted at the Williamstown dockyard in Melbourne, such facilities should align with local industry capabilities and needs. As with other recommendations in this report, programs to support common user facilities should consider the specific requirements of SMEs.

Recommendation 6

4.91The Committee recommends that the Australian Government commission a report on specific opportunities to invest in common user advanced manufacturing facilities and innovation precincts nationally, in collaboration with state and territory governments. The report should:

map areas of disused or underutilised land, including in outer suburban and regional areas, and in places currently reliant on carbon-intensive industries

identify existing industrial capabilities and needs in candidate locations that could be served by locally appropriate common user facilities or precincts.

Recommendation 7

5.128The Committee recommends that the Australian Government review existing examples of education and training programs specifically to support SMEs to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, and explore opportunities to support and scale up the most successful models.

Recommendation 8

5.131The Committee recommends that the Australian Government consider implementing:

a fast-track process for visas for certain specialist advanced manufacturing workers that come to Australia for six months or less for the purposes of delivering training or skills transfer

clearer pathways to permanent residency for certain specialist advanced manufacturing workers.

Recommendation 9

5.135The Committee recommends that, when developing policies and programs aimed at improving women’s participation in advanced manufacturing, the Australian Government should take note of initiatives in the field with a track record of success attracting and retaining women workers—such as female- and family-friendly ‘model’ worksites to attract and retain a critical mass of female employees, and re-entry or re-acclimatisation pathways for skilled women after a prolonged career break.

Recommendation 10

5.136The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

assess the barriers to currently under-represented groups—including women and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds—pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing

develop a national strategy, in collaboration with industry and education and training organisations, to improve the participation of currently under-represented groups.