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A new manufacturing facility in Darra, Queensland has opened to help small local businesses capitalise on advanced manufacturing opportunities across defence projects.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who opened Products For Industry's new Darra facility, said PFi is one of 111 small and medium enterprises that form the Queensland branch of the Australian Industry and Defence Network (AIDN) that will benefit from the LAND 400 Phase 2 project.
"The federal government chose Rheinmetall’s Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle because it is the best option to keep our service men and women safe," the Premier said.
"Rheinmetall chose Queensland as its location to build the Boxer over four other states because of our long association with defence industries, our advanced manufacturing capabilities, and because of companies like Products For Industry."
PFi provides a wide range of products and services, including custom-designed machinery, robotics, machine automation systems and safety systems.
Premier Palaszczuk added that opportunities abounded for defence-related enterprises, from manufacturers and vocational trainers to electricians and engineers, as the state government rolls out its suite of industry roadmaps as part of the signature Advance Queensland initiative.
"We have released our aerospace and defence 10-year roadmaps to accelerate the pace of growth and create sustainable jobs of the future," the Premier said.
A key part of aerospace and defence roadmaps will be unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The Australian Army is currently exploring multiple projects across the UAS sector, with the Army recently announcing it will start rolling out the Black Hornet Nano UAS.
"We are also establishing Queensland as an international hub for unmanned aerial systems, and we are pursuing supply chain opportunities within major international projects such as deep maintenance of RAAF aircraft," Premier Palaszczuk
"The technologies and machinery we need to pursue these opportunities are here at PFi’s new facility, and so are the bright minds – 100 of them – that can design and install, service and repair them."
