A new Growth Centre established by the Australian Government will ensure Australia’s mining equipment, technology and services sector is well placed to provide innovative solutions to the global resources sector.
The centre, known as METS Ignite, was launched today at the Queensland University of Technology by the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne.
“The resource sector’s continual drive to increase efficiency and productivity means there is a demand for improved equipment, technology and services,” Mr Pyne said.
“The future prosperity of the mining equipment, technology and services sector will depend on its ability to remain globally competitive and seize these global opportunities.
“This new Growth Centre will ensure this very important sector of Australian industry receives the support it needs to prosper in an increasingly competitive and globalised market.”
The centre, established under the government’s $225 million Industry Growth Centres initiative, is designed to boost Australian industry’s competitiveness, productivity, and capacity to innovate.
The Growth Centres will set long-term strategies and priorities to boost the capability of their sectors, increase productivity and skills, create jobs, reduce red tape and engage internationally.
“The METS Growth Centre, like the other Growth Centres, will unite business acumen with the intellectual rigor of scientists, researchers and universities,” Mr Pyne said.
“Improving and encouraging the engagement between business and researchers will drive innovation across the sector and ensure it maintains its competitive edge.”
Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said the centre will help the resources sector to remain globally competitive.
He said the move was testament to Queensland’s growing reputation as a hub for collaboration and would help develop long-term strategies to ensure that jobs continued to be created and
export dollars continued to be generated by the resources sector.
‘The QRC acknowledges the confidence that the Federal and Queensland Governments have shown in the Queensland resources sector in basing the METS Ignite Centre at QUT in Brisbane,’ Mr Roche said.
“We think it’s an entirely appropriate choice of location given that Queensland has more than 400 METS companies employing about 60,000 people, which cumulatively is more than any other
state.
Mr Roche said it was disappointing but predictable that the Greens Senator for Queensland, Larissa Waters, had denigrated this joint Federal-State initiative as a “handout for mining
companies.”
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