Australian manufacturing and advanced technology innovations will be among hundreds of projects showcased at Parliament House in Canberra on 12 October, as industry, research and government organisations highlight the outcomes of collaborative research and development.
According to Cooperative Research Australia, the Built Here Parliamentary Showcase brings together innovative businesses, Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs), universities, national research infrastructure facilities and Rural Research and Development Corporations to demonstrate how Australian research is being translated into products, technologies and industry capabilities.
Cooperative Research Australia CEO Jane O’Dwyer said the showcase highlighted the importance of sustained investment across the research and innovation system.
“Built Here makes the value of sustained investment visible. What is on display today is not a collection of isolated successes,” O’Dwyer said.
“It is the result of Australia investing in the connected institutions, infrastructure, partnerships and businesses that turn research into capability, products and impact.”
Among the initiatives on display are developments in advanced manufacturing, including an Australian facility built at Stärke-AMG that houses the country’s only commercially operational Electron Beam Melting (EBM) system. The technology is designed to produce complex, high-performance components for space and defence applications.
Other projects include an Australian capability in power-electronic design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and lifecycle support, as well as a new production system for lab-grown red blood cells intended to support future transfusion options and develop expertise in advanced biomanufacturing.
The showcase will also feature an inaugural national additive manufacturing capability map, intended to identify Australia’s strengths, weaknesses and future priorities across sectors including defence, aerospace, maritime, mining, medical technology and energy.
Additional projects span automated drilling systems, 3D-printed concrete construction, quantum technologies and sustainable industrial processes. One drilling system has recorded approximately 38 per cent more metres drilled per shift, 11 per cent lower water consumption and 47 per cent less core loss per metre compared with conventional drilling, according to the showcase material.
Participating organisations include TechnologyOne, AIBUILD, BioCina, Quantum Brilliance, Liquid Instruments, New Frontier Technologies, Diraq, Bosch, Magellan Power, Gap Drone, First Quantum Minerals, E-HUALA and Inventia Life Science, alongside their research partners.
O’Dwyer said Australia’s productivity and economic resilience depended on support across multiple research and innovation programs, including the CRCs Program, national research infrastructure and funding through the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council.
“This is not the work of one portfolio. It requires sustained investment and coordination across government,” she said.
Cooperative Research Australia said the showcase was intended to encourage policymakers to provide consistent, long-term support for Australian research and innovation, with the displayed projects illustrating potential benefits for industry, regional communities and the broader economy.
