Industry and government will unite today to mark the launch of the Rail Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (RMCRC), a powerful collaboration between industry bodies, leading research universities and Australia’s largest industry research organisation the CSIRO.
Officially launching the RMCRC will be the Hon Karen Andrews MP, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Industry and Science along with Victorian Minister for Industry the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio and industry Chief Executives.
Chairman of the RMCRC, Paul Johnson, said the objective of the event is to strengthen, deepen and broaden the ties between Australia’s rail industry and leading R&D providers and to encourage key stakeholders to work in partnership to achieve growth through innovation and collaboration.
“Collaboration between industry and R&D providers is a result of having a shared agenda driven by the ‘On Track to 2014 Technology Roadmap’ aligned with national research priorities in advanced manufacturing,” he said.
“This launch comes at an important time when global supply chains are at a turning point and where innovation is allowing rail manufacturers to access new and emerging projects with local and international partners.
“There is little doubt that Australian rail manufacturers will reap the benefits of innovative funding and commercialisation models offered through the RMCRC,” Mr Johnson concluded.
Acting Chief Operating Officer of the ARA, Phil Allan, said the industry supports the establishment of RMCRC and believes it will lead to increased capability and a global competitiveness for the Australian rail industry.
“Australia’s geography and geology lends itself to requiring world class rail capability, one that is economically efficient and environmentally friendly and that improves urban amenity,” said Mr Allan.
“The Australian rail industry can demonstrate world’s best practices in terms of design, innovative technologies, signalling, and the infrastructure that underpins it; however in order to impact the supply chain, industry must engage in collaborative research to generate innovative outcomes in technology and to address its advanced manufacturing requirements.
“The RMCRC presents a significant opportunity for the industry to bridge this gap, providing a clear direction to build capability and avoid duplication, therefore strengthening the overall performance and productivity of our local manufacturing industry,” Mr Allan concluded.
The RMCRC was established as a result of the ‘Technology Roadmap’ with the Federal Government pledging $31 million over six years to create it, which has been more than matched by industry contributions.
The RMCRC has attracted key industry participants such as Faiveley, Downer, Bombardier, OneSteel, Sigma, Simplex CNC Systems and the world’s largest rolling stock manufacturer China Rail Rolling Stock Corporation.
