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The South Australian government has committed to investing $5 million in the development of a new facility used to support ASC Shipbuilding’s Hunter Class frigate program.
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As part of its 2020 budget, the South Australian government has announced that it would invest $5 million in the development of the Line Zero facility in the state’s Tonsley Innovation District.
This is in addition to Flinders University’s $5 million co-investment, helping to fast-track the construction of the facility.
Line Zero, dubbed the “factory of the future”, will be used to test and manufacture technologies to support BAE Systems subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding’s Hunter Class frigate program.
“Flinders University welcomes the SA government’s funding announcement and is proud to co-invest $5 million in the new facility at our Tonsley campus,” Flinders University president and vice-chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said.
“A crucial element in research that makes an impact is taking research out of the lab and applying it in the real world, and this facility will do exactly that.”
Professor Stirling continued: “This announcement reinforces Flinders University’s growing contribution towards placing Australia at the cutting edge of industry 4.0 and will support the application of new technologies in advanced manufacturing.
“The Line Zero ‘Factory of the Future’ enables our students and researchers to interact with business to transform manufacturing processes.”
Professor John Spoehr, pro-vice chancellor, research impact and director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute added that the investment would enable technologies and processes tested by Flinders University and ASC shipbuilding to be “honed and refined in a real-world manufacturing site”.
“It also affords an opportunity for supply chain companies to work with Flinders and ASC Shipbuilding to harness the benefits of advanced manufacturing, enabling improved performance and growing their contribution to the sector and to the state and national economy,” Professor Spoehr said.
ASC Shipbuilding’s managing director, Craig Lockhart, said the development of the Line Zero facility would build on the firm’s commitment to collaborating with local industry.
“Line Zero provides us with the exceptional opportunity to work with Flinders University researchers and academics as well as industry partners, to test and trial advanced manufacturing technologies and techniques in a factory environment, before adapting them to the shipyard.”
[Related: Hunter Class program expands Australian industry participation]
