Aviation Manufacturing Looking to Fill Holes Left by Car Industry’s Departure

As the car industry drives off into the Australian sunset, planes are taking over the manufacturing market in some parts of Australia. The manufacturing and aviation industries have formed an alliance to allow manufacturing ventures to continue as the local automotive industry shuts down.

META, a collaborative network of engaged manufacturing businesses and researchers, and Aviation/Aerospace Australia (A/AA) have crafted an initiative, META National Commerical Aerospace Hub, to transition automotive parts suppliers in Victoria and South Australia to aviation manufacturing.

Zoran Angelkovski, managing director, shared his insights into the industry, saying that commercial aircraft production rates look like they will double in the next 15 years.

“The hub’s central goal is to facilitate connections between Australian manufacturers, researchers and industry experts to take advantage of huge untapped opportunities within the global aerospace market,” Angelkovski said.

There’s a huge opportunity for growth in the manufacturing industry for Australia. Currently, the country only has $200 million of an estimated $50 billion global market for metal components in aviation procurement.

"We see great potential for transition from the significant capability we had in the automotive industry to take that expertise, capabilities and investments into the aviation industry," Aviation/Aerospace Australia deputy chairman Paul Fox said.

Initial funding is being provided by META, with the specific purpose of studying where Australian firms should focus their efforts to obtain work in the sector. This initial research grant is $100,000.

As a country with high safety standards, Australia will be able to play toward this strength while developing the industry. It’s a high-cost country for manufacturing, but as Angelkovski pointed out, that has not slowed down similar industries in Germany or Switzerland.

"We may not be able to compete on price but we can certainly compete on innovation and quality and reliability of supply," he said.

“Australia has the right skills, abilities and regulatory standards to capitalise in the aviation sector. Our manufacturers have a strong ability to innovate, solve complex problems and provide solutions for this burgeoning market,” A/AA’s Fox said.

Information sourced from META.