The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) is marking ten years of industry-led impact, having helped transform Australian manufacturing through commercialisation, collaboration, and global competitiveness.
Since its establishment, AMGC has supported 170 co-invested projects involving more than 500 collaborators across industry and research institutions.
These projects have delivered over AUD 170 million in combined funding and are expected to return more than AUD 1.72 billion to the national economy.
Dr Jens Goennemann, managing director of AMGC, said: “Over the past ten years, our engagement model has shown that when good ideas are backed by well-informed knowledge and rather modest funding, we can create manufacturing jobs and prosperity. From critical minerals to space, health to clean energy, we can build, scale, and sell Australian innovations to the world.”
AMGC projects have created or upskilled more than 4,400 advanced manufacturing roles, strengthening communities and long-term industrial capability.
The organisation has also contributed to the emergence of two Australian unicorns: Alpha HPA Limited, which adds value to critical minerals and advanced materials for batteries and electronics, and Gilmour Space, which has taken Australian rocketry and space systems to the global stage.
The centre has overseen a diverse range of projects, from autonomous waterway mapping vessels and hydrogen-powered aerospace systems to advanced medical diagnostics, renewable energy components, and high-performance composite manufacturing.
“Every AMGC project shares one common outcome – Australian inventions have been commercialised to serve local and export customers,” Dr Goennemann said.
Paul Cooper, chair of AMGC, highlighted the organisation’s role in unlocking latent potential among small and medium manufacturers.
“Australia has more than 47,000 manufacturers, yet 90 per cent employ 20 or fewer people. Our goal is to help businesses scale and innovate so they can become the next big Australian companies,” he said.
AMGC has also been a trusted advisor to governments at federal, state, territory, and local levels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it coordinated the rapid development of a locally made invasive ventilator, mobilising 35 manufacturers to deliver Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved devices for the National Medical Stockpile.
Nationally, AMGC has mentored over 120 manufacturers in less than a year, delivered capability-building workshops, and helped remove barriers between firms to lift competitiveness.
Regional programs include the Wind Energy Manufacturing Co Investment Program in Western Australia and advanced manufacturing initiatives in the Northern Territory.
Kelly Godeau, chief operating officer of AMGC, said: “For ten years, AMGC has put industry first and delivered tangible results.
We have worked side-by-side with manufacturers to turn smart ideas into world-class products, create thousands of jobs, and add over a billion dollars to the Australian economy.”
Over its first decade, AMGC has conducted roughly 5,000 on-site visits, facilitated international delegations, delivered 500 industry events, produced more than 20 major research reports, and participated in over 100 government advisory sessions.
Today, the organisation represents more than 4,500 network members, demonstrating its central role in building Australia’s advanced manufacturing sector.
