The first day of AMW 2025 launched with strong momentum at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to shape the conversation around the future of Australian manufacturing.
With more than 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies, advisory services, equipment solutions, and innovations, day one attendees of AMW2025 were treated to live demonstrations of machinery, 3D printing, precision engineering, automation robotics, laser cutting machinery and more.
Throughout the day, keynote addresses, and industry insights highlighted both the challenges and opportunities ahead, while the atmosphere reflected a sector eager to collaborate, innovate, and drive sustainable growth.
The morning was opened by CEO of AMTIL, Lorraine Maxwell, and Annette Syverus who delivered a welcome to country.
“It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you all here today to Australian Manufacturing Week, our biggest show ever. It’s bigger in every way,” said Maxwell. “You’ll see an enormous amount of work that’s gone into what you see here today.”
“We had the first manufacturing site in the world, in Australia, in Victoria,” said Syverus, as she drew comparison to the deep rooted history of manufacturing in Victoria. “Mount William… is a green stone quarry where we actually made green stone axes… and it was traded throughout the whole of Australia.”
This was followed by remarks from the minister for Industry and Advanced Manufacturing, The Hon. Colin Brooks MP, who officially welcomed attendees and underscored the Victorian Government’s commitment to supporting local manufacturing growth. Brooks said there couldn’t be a better place to hold Australia’s premier advanced manufacturing event than in the nation’s “manufacturing capital.”
“We are, of course, also home to the biggest employing manufacturing sector in the country, made up of more than 23,000 businesses and employing some 283,000 people,” he said. “Manufacturing is a driving force for the state’s economy — it contributes 6 per cent to our gross state product and exports nearly $26 billion worth of goods.
“Many innovative and forward-thinking manufacturers are thriving in Victoria, with employment in the sector growing by some 10 per cent in the two years to the end of 2024.”
Brooks also drew attention to several initiatives to address the challenges that exist .
“The Victorian Government is committed to backing a strong and resilient manufacturing sector — it’s the cornerstone to our economy and the key to delivering new opportunities and future growth,” he said. “The $21.2 million Manufacturing and Industry Sovereignty Fund is helping to build Victoria’s sovereign manufacturing capability.”
“Our Local Jobs First policy has delivered supply chain investment with a combined total of some $183 billion, supporting around 60,000 jobs.
“By working together, we can empower industry to innovate and grow, generating wide-reaching benefits for generations to come.”
Following the opening, Maxwell again took to the stage to deliver a pulse check on manufacturing technology in Australia. Maxwell provided an overview of the current state of the sector and pointed to emerging technologies that are reshaping the manufacturing landscape.
“One of the biggest challenges I’ve had since joining AMTIL is the number of people who say to me, ‘oh, manufacturing is dying, isn’t it?; No, it’s not. It’s not dying at all. It’s quite vibrant,” she said. “Manufacturing is transforming, and that’s what’s causing all the uncertainty.”
“The advent of Industry 4.0 isn’t merely about digitizing existing operations. It represents a fundamental shift… that creates hyper efficient self-monitoring production lines.
“Industry 5.0 shifts the focus towards a more human-centric approach… to combine the creativity, intuition and problem-solving ability of humans with the precision, speed and data processing power of intelligent machines.”
Representatives from the Victorian Government continued the momentum, discussing support initiatives and funding programs designed to bolster the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
“The introduction of an investment front door is going to make it much easier for businesses to come in, get one touch point and then be supported to navigate the government.” said Jonathan Reichwald, director, DJSIR.
There was also extensive discussion regarding emerging sectors set to emerge as a part of an ever evolving industry.
“Health technologies are a real driver of the Victorian economy… one of the key priority sectors.” — Scott Edwards, Speaker “MRNA is a new segment… the establishment of MRNA in Victoria… sets a really good scene for a whole range of opportunities and further development.” said Scott Edwards, director, DJSIR.
In the afternoon, CEO of BioMelbourne Network, Karen Parr, continued to explore the ever-evolving med-tech sector, exploring how fostering collaboration across the health technology industry can drive success, speaking on behalf of the Australian Medtech Manufacturing Alliance.
At AMMA, our vision is called Better Health Made Here —where a strong, connected ecosystem paves the way for local companies to supply our patients and health services.” said Parr .“Australia is fantastic at research, pretty good at development too, but we need support for our medical manufacturing.”
One of the standout sessions of the day came with the launch of the Manufacturing BLUEPRINT by SEMMA, presented by CEO, Honi Walker, and president, Peter Angelico. The Blueprint outlines strategies to revitalise and future-proof the sector.
“We are very proud to be able to release the launch our Manufacturing BLUEPRINT document today for manufacturers, and on behalf of manufacturers in Victoria and, of course, Australia,” said Walker.” Our why for this document is to increase our GDP from 5.9 per cent to 10 per cent… with the Australian manufacturers behind us and the government beside us.”
As the first day wrapped up, it was clear that AMW 2025 had set a confident tone for the days ahead with strong support from government, industry associations and sector leaders. As AMW 2025 continues, a schedule of conferences and demonstrations promises to keep the energy high and the conversations forward-looking.
The opening hours for AMW for the remainder of the week are:
- Wednesday, May 6: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Thursday, May 8: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Friday, May 9: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
For those who have not already registered and wish to visit one of Australia’s premier manufacturing industry events you can register online at AMW.