Prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced $20.7 million in funding for a new Future Industries Facility at the University of Newcastle, with a focus on “accelerating resource sustainability, workforce training and productivity solutions”.
According to a statement on Monday, funding for the centre is through the regional Precincts and Partnerships program, and will see two industrial scale spaces for technology innovation constructed.
“Our investment will train the next generation in the latest practices in energy, resources and manufacturing, preparing them for a net-zero future,” said infrastructure minister Catherine King.
The announcement came soon after a visit to Tomago aluminium smelter on Monday morning, during which the PM announced $2 billion allocated to aluminium industry production credits over the next decade.
The government aims to “accommodate up to 16 academic-industry partnerships for rapid technology co-development” through the Newcastle hub, which will focus on “sustainability, workforce training and productivity solutions” and is one of seven such precincts planned for NSW under the program.
“This project will boost education, employment and training opportunities for Newcastle and the surrounding region,” said Albanese.
The site will also provide students experience “working on prototyping products for manufacture, and give small to medium sized enterprises the ability to collocate and test technology.”
Picture: credit University of Newcastle
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