MANUFACTURING AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE
Local Strength, Global Impact
In an era where global dynamics heavily influence local economies, the Australian manufacturing industry is poised to drive future economic prosperity. With the theme of Manufacturing Australia’s Future: Local Strength, Global Impact, the 2025 National Manufacturing Summit seeks to highlight the crucial role of local content and local government procurement in spearheading this transformation. The Summit is set to harness the vast opportunities within sectors critical to Australia’s future—renewable energy, infrastructure, defence, and critical minerals.
The historical significance of manufacturing in Australia, once accounting for 28% of GDP during its peak in the mid-20th century, contrasts sharply with its present contribution of just 5.9% (as at December 2024). This decline underlines the urgency for a strategic revival.
The Australian manufacturing landscape is at a critical juncture, marked by the potential to significantly impact national economic growth. There is a unique opportunity to revitalise Australia’s industrial base, ensuring that it not only survives but thrives in the forthcoming decades.
The Summit will focus on key issues like:
- Clear, enforceable policies and practices that ensure a minimum local content threshold in all governmental and significant private procurements.
- Enhanced collaboration across industry to boost innovation, training and technological adoption.
- Substantial investments in infrastructure and advanced technology to elevate the productivity, efficiency and global competitiveness of Australian manufacturers.
- The growing demand for skilled professionals, with a focus on strategies for workforce development, apprenticeships and training programs.
The 2025 National Manufacturing Summit invites industry leaders, policymakers, educators, and the workforce to unite in shaping a resilient and innovative manufacturing landscape.
Your participation and insights are invaluable in transforming potential into tangible growth and establishing a sustainable industrial future for Australia. Help actively shape the policies and practices that will define the landscape of Australian manufacturing.
Join us at the 2025 National Manufacturing Summit to contribute to a discourse that moves beyond survival strategies to a proactive transformation of the Australian manufacturing sector. Register today to help shape a robust, innovative, and prosperous manufacturing future.