METS & MORE Diversification Forum 2026

About the Forum

The Greater Whitsunday region is home to world-class METS (Mining Equipment, Technology & Services) and manufacturing capability. But as global markets shift, resilience means thinking beyond mining. The METS & MORE Diversification Forum is designed to help regional businesses explore practical pathways to new markets, modern manufacturing, and emerging sectors like critical minerals.

This half-day event, brought to you by Greater Whitsunday Alliance and the Queensland Government’s Manufacturing Hubs Program, brings together industry leaders, innovators, and government representatives to share insights, strategies, and actionable steps for diversification. Expect candid conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and how to leverage existing strengths to unlock new opportunities.

 

Program Overview

Keynote Address
Beyond Raw Commodities: Securing Australia’s Future with High-Value Manufacturing

Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), will unpack what modern manufacturing really looks like – and why diversification is now essential for Australia’s industrial future. Rather than treating manufacturing as just another “sector”, Dr Goennemann reframes it as a national capability – a system that turns ideas into physical value by combining design, engineering, materials, data and skilled labour across every part of the economy.

Drawing on AMGC’s deep insights, Dr Goennemann will challenge outdated notions of production versus manufacturing and show how today’s industry is defined by complex value chains, intermediate goods trade and regional capability. With a particular focus on the METS sector, he will explore how Australia’s economy remains heavily skewed toward raw mineral extraction – and why moving up the value chain is critical to long-term resilience.

Using Harvard Business School’s Economic Complexity Index, he will compare Australia with advanced economies and map practical pathways for diversification through short jumps into adjacent industries. Real-world AMGC case studies – from road tankers to space, plumbing to medical devices, and gas turbines to wind – will illustrate how firms are already transforming. The session concludes with clear, actionable tips to help businesses start their own diversification journey through niche focus, collaboration and innovation.

 

Panel Discussion
Diversification Done Right – Lessons from the METS Front Line

Diversification is rarely a straight line — and for METS businesses, it’s often shaped as much by operational reality as by strategy. This panel brings together three experienced practitioners who understand METS from the inside out: business owners and advisors who have lived the challenges of scale, capability stretch, new markets, and changing customer demands.

Facilitated by Deb Allan, Manager of the Mackay Manufacturing Hub, this discussion will focus on practical, real‑world experiences and lessons learned from working with METS businesses every day. Panelists will share candid insights into the systems, decisions, and trade‑offs that matter most when METS businesses look to expand into adjacent sectors, manufacturing, or new supply chains.

The session will examine common pitfalls, enablers of success, and the practical steps businesses can take to build resilience without over‑extending. Attendees will gain grounded perspectives on how to align strategy, operations, and capability to support sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape.

This is a conversation for METS businesses navigating change — honest, experience‑driven, and focused on what actually works.

 

Special Presentation: From Minerals to Manufacturing

Paul Holden, Lead for Critical Minerals Queensland, will deliver a special address exploring the rapidly evolving critical minerals landscape and what it means for Queensland and regional diversification. His presentation will provide a clear “lay of the land,” examining current global and domestic political dynamics shaping critical minerals supply chains, investment decisions, and national priorities—and how Australia is positioning itself within this shifting environment.

Paul will connect these broader forces to what is happening on the ground here in Greater Whitsunday and across Queensland, with particular reference to opportunities emerging in Townsville, the Isaac region and the North West. Grounded in the realities of the current political climate, he will reflect on the importance of regional strengths and coordination as the critical minerals “jigsaw” comes together.

The presentation will conclude with a forward-looking positioning piece, highlighting future opportunities for local value-adding, downstream processing and manufacturing, and what the critical minerals agenda could mean for long-term economic diversification and resilience in regional Queensland.

 

The De-risking Engine: Translating Critical Minerals Strategy into Regional Reality

Following Paul Holden’s overview of the critical minerals landscape, Jason Sharam will provide a deep dive into the physical infrastructure now driving this diversification in the Greater Whitsunday region.

Jason will update the forum on the activation of the RCOE FlexiLab pilot plant. Now operational, the FlexiLab serves as a critical bridge for METS businesses, allowing for the technical demonstration and “de-risking” of mineral processing technologies at TRL 4-6. This is where the theoretical opportunity of critical minerals meets the practical capability of Mackay’s engineering and technical sector.

Looking over the horizon, Jason will introduce Stage 3 of the RCOE—the Isaac Resource Excellence Precinct (IREP). He will outline how IREP is being designed as a dedicated precinct for mineral reprocessing and circular economy innovation. By providing the facilities to test and scale value-add processes right here in the region, the RCOE and IREP are ensuring that local METS businesses aren’t just observers of the critical minerals boom, but are the primary architects of the downstream value chain.

 

Actionable Steps

Learn about the programs, networks, & resources that can help them take the next step.

 

Breakout Sessions

Small group short sessions to ask questions, learn, and sign up/register interest for various programs to support diversification.

 

Who Should Attend?

• METS businesses looking to expand into adjacent sectors
• Manufacturers exploring new markets
• Regional innovators and supply chain partners
• Anyone committed to building a resilient, future-ready economy

 

* Program subject to change.