The new Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) Growth Centre, was launched yesterday at the Queensland University of Technology.
The Centre, to be known as METS Ignite, was established by the Australian Government to ensure Australia’s mining equipment, technology and services sector is well placed to provide innovative solutions to the global resources sector.
The tender to host the centre, part of the Federal Government's $225 million four-year plan to lift innovation and competitiveness in areas of industry strength, was won by QUT in collaboration with CSIRO, CRC Mining and CRC Ore.
QUT’s Professor Rachel Parker said the university had a proven track record of ground-breaking research relevant to the METS sector.
"QUT has strong capability in the Mathematics and Engineering disciplines in data analytics, visualization and robotics which are fundamental to the future competitiveness of the sector. QUT's combined strength in business and engineering and technology based disciplines makes it the ideal location for the Growth Centre headquarters," she said.
"Brisbane is also ideally placed to serve as the headquarters of the METS Growth Centre, with a survey from Austmine showing Queensland as having the largest number of METS companies of any state, generating revenue of around $21 billion a year."
The Centre was officially opened by Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne who said the future prosperity of the mining equipment, technology and services sector will depend on its ability to remain globally competitive and seize these global opportunities.
“The resource sector’s continual drive to increase efficiency and productivity means there is a demand for improved equipment, technology and services,” Mr Pyne said.
“This new Growth Centre will ensure this very important sector of Australian industry receives the support it needs to prosper in an increasingly competitive and globalised market.”
From left: QUT Professor Peter Coaldrake, METS Growth Centre Chair Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, Minister Pyne and Professor Rachel Parker. Image: Erika Fish, QUT.