Calls for a Silicon Valley-type hub for Brisbane

The Courier Mail has reported that a cluster of manufacturers in south-east Queensland are calling for a “Silicone Valley type” (sic) high-tech manufacturing hub for Brisbane.

Tingalpa’s Ferra Engineering makes about 100 parts for Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter, plus components for ­Boeing, Airbus, and Northrop Grumman, while nearby Wakerley’s trampoline and play company Vuly has gone global. Up-and-comers Tritium at Murarrie and Skyborne Technologies at Hemmant are proving their prowess in the fields of electric cars and drones.

Ferra Managing Director Mark Arthur said people did not realise how many high-tech manufacturing companies were based in Brisbane.

“Could they somehow work together to be more proficient and work as one to capture more difficult and complex work? I think we could,” said Arthur.

Vuly Chief Executive Joe Andon said bringing advanced manufacturing companies together would create a ‘beehive effect’.

“Engineers know they can go towards that kind of area and suppliers will gather in the area, because their clients are in the area,” said Andon. He said government would need to zone a “bunch of cheap land” to attract “innovative manufacturers” to move or establish there.

“You only need one company to be ridiculously successful for it to have a huge effect on the area,” he said.

The bayside would be a good contender for a hub because there was a lot of land available, and it was close to the city, Brisbane Airport and Port of Brisbane.

Councillor Ryan Murphy (Doboy) said the council was mapping business clusters to identify the city’s industry hubs. He said Ferra’s success showed that manufacturing had a strong future in Brisbane.

Skyborne Technologies is in a global race to develop a fast-flying, high-endurance drone, and its founder has an idea to attract talent like his to the bayside suburbs. Dr Michael Creagh said a hardware ‘incubator’ would establish the area as a place for start-ups to flourish. It would need mentors, links with industry and university, plus equipment such as 3D printers and machine tooling, so start-ups could make and develop prototypes. Skyborne itself came out of an incubator, iLab, based at the University of Queensland.

iLab Director Bernie Woodcroft said a hardware-based hub would cost more to establish than iLab, which focused on software, and would need corporate and community support. He was “not convinced” companies such as Vuly and Ferra provided the critical mass of companies to make it work.

Source: Courier Mail.

Image: Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter. Source: Department of Defence.