Manufacturing News

Queensland a sunny state for manufacturing

Queensland has marked the Month of Manufacturing in its state by highlighting the capabilities of the manufacturing sector in that state.

Manufacturing has grown in Queensland over the past decade to be 19.3 per cent of the national total, according to Minister for Manufacturing, Cameron Dick.

“Queensland continues to be a leading manufacturing state because our businesses keep innovating and adapting to secure new national and global markets,” he said.

Queensland has become a growing hub for manufacturing to supply products both in Australia and overseas, and is the base for companies such as Boeing, which is headquartered in the state, and advanced manufacturing research centres such as the Advanced Robotics and Manufacturing Hub at the University of Queensland.

“As our manufacturers gain expertise in new practices, such as robotics and automation, they can supply high-value goods and services and create skilled jobs,” said Dick.

These initiatives have been supported through grant programs such as the Made in Queensland (MiQ) grants, which according to Dick has created 190 jobs, and $92 million in private sector investment.

“Manufacturing directly employs around 170,000 Queenslanders, a total of 6.6 per cent of the state’s workforce, making it the state’s sixth largest employment industry, according to September quarter 2019 figures.”

Manufacturing metrics such as the Ai Group’s Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) have shown growth in Queensland, which has been positive since March 2016.

“Queensland’s score on the national PMI, on a 12-month average to the end of September 2019, is now 53.7 points, above the national average of 52.4, and at a level indicating solid growth,” said Dick.

Ai Group Queensland head, Rebecca Andrews, noted that the state was well poised to continue this growth.

“Queensland manufacturing is well placed to have the most prosperous period of its history given our proximity to the growth economies of Asia, rich mineral deposits, high-quality food industry and an emerging advanced manufacturing and high-technology sector,” said Andrews.

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