By CASEY NEILL
THE rail industry’s best and brightest are on track to achieve global growth.
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Science Karen Andrews officially launched the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) at Bombardier Transport in Dandenong on Tuesday 21 July.
Guests included representatives from CSIRO, government, universities and business, some who’d travelled from as far afield as Bendigo and Thomastown.
The Rail Manufacturing CRC stemmed from the On Track to 2040 – The Rail Technology Roadmap, which defined the industry’s vision and identifies opportunities.
The Federal Government committed $31 million to the new CRC and participants will contribute about $53 million in cash and in-kind contributions.
Ms Andrews said Australia’s rail industry was fragmented and had not previously collaborated effectively on technology development.
“The new CRC will create stability within the sector while also enabling Australia’s rail manufacturing firms to expand into overseas markets and global supply chains,” she said.
She said the CRC was also expected to boost Australia’s highly skilled workforce by turning out at least eight PhD students.
Ms Andrews said domestic freight rail had doubled over the past 20 years and was expected to grow by 3 per cent each year until 2030.
“Likewise, passenger rail is starting to return as a favoured mode of transport and cities like Canberra, Gold Coast and Sydney are all investing money in new light rail systems,” she said.
CRC business development director Tony Carney said now was the time to revitalise and reshape the sector.
He said innovation was key to the sector’s future and its challenges included reduced local content requirements in some states, the car industry departure and the need to globalise.
“The new CRC will help to create jobs, reduce supply chain costs and will also play an important part in making Australian exports more competitive,” Ms Andrews said.
CRC chairman Paul Johnson said the centre would co-ordinate collaborative research and foster partnerships and the key challenge was translating great ideas into market innovations.
“It’s not an innovation until it’s actually been used,” he said.
CRC managing director and CEO Dr Stuart Thomson said the launch came at a critical time for the manufacturing sector.
He said the centre would link the industry with research providers, help each understand the other’s capabilities and align their expectations.
CSIRO’s manufacturing flagship director Keith McLean has contributed to the Vision CRC and the CRC for Polymer.
“Both have delivered world-leading technology to the marketplace,” he said.
Mr McLean said Australia ranked poorly for innovation efficiency and collaboration.
He said the Rail Manufacturing CRC was in a position to make a profound impact on the rail sector, ensuring employment and exports.
Bombardier managing director Rene Lalande took the morning’s wild wind as a symbol for the brainstorming that would take place at the CRC.
“Our industry mission is to move people,” he said.
Mr Lalande said Bombardier’s founder invented the snow mobile when he encountered transport issues in Canadian snow.
“Our company is built on innovation,” he said.
State Industry Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the centre would enhance the local rail manufacturing centre’s capacity and competitiveness.
She said the State Government had provided the industry with certainty through a 10-year rolling stock strategy announced in this year’s budget, which included $2 billion in funding.
