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UID:11628-1784723700-1784728800@greaterwhitsundayalliance.com.au
SUMMARY:QME and GW3 Conference Sessions: Building the Workforce for a changing industry
DESCRIPTION:QME & GW3 Conference Sessions\nOUR NEXT CHAPTER: Workforce at the centre of regional transformation\nGreater Whitsunday has long been defined by mining excellence. For decades\, mining has shaped our communities\, trained our workforce\, built our engineering and METS ecosystem\, and positioned this region as a global leader in operational capability. \nBut the next chapter is not just about what we mine — it’s about who we grow and what our businesses can deliver. The region’s future competitiveness depends on our ability to develop the workforce and the METS capability that will power emerging industries and new supply chain opportunities. \nWhen we partner with QME this year to deliver two sessions in the conference program\, Greater Whitsunday Alliance will explore one central idea: \nMining built the workforce and the businesses that built this region — now that combined capability is the platform for our future economy. \n \nImportantly\, we are shifting the narrative. \nWe are driving the conversation from “diversifying the economy” to “building the workforce and business capability that makes diversification possible” — with a strong emphasis on engaging the next generation and strengthening the ecosystem that supports them. \nAcross two sessions\, we’ll unpack how regional talent\, technology adoption\, commercial readiness and supply chain depth can position Greater Whitsunday to compete\, grow and lead in the opportunities emerging across resources\, advanced industry and future‑facing supply chains. \n  \nSESSION ONE – REGIONAL FUTURES (12:35pm – 1:15pm)\nRegional Futures: Building the Workforce for a Diverse and Connected Economy \nMining has provided Greater Whitsunday a highly skilled technical workforce — one of the region’s biggest competitive advantages. But the next decade demands a workforce that is more digitally capable\, more adaptable\, and more connected across sectors. This session focuses on what this shift means for businesses on the ground — how they attract\, retain and upskill the workforce needed to stay competitive\, win work\, and expand into emerging sectors. \n  \nSESSION TWO – FUTURE TECH (1:15pm – 2:00pm)\nFuture Tech: What You Need to Stay Competitive in a Digital Mining Industry \nThe technology curve in mining and METS is steepening fast. Automation\, AI\, autonomy\, electrification and quantum enabled optimisation are no longer future concepts — they are current operating realities. This session focuses on what technology adoption means for cost\, capability\, competitiveness and decarbonisation — and how businesses can prioritise and practically respond. \n  \nTHESE SESSIONS ARE FREE TO ATTEND – however you MUST register to attend QME separately.\nGo to: Home – Queensland Mining & Engineering Expo \nThose who also register for GW3’s two conference sessions via this platform will go into the draw to win a GW3/Decarbonisation Accelerated Tech Pack.
URL:https://greaterwhitsundayalliance.com.au/event/qme-and-gw3-conference-sessions-building-the-workforce-for-a-changing-industry/
LOCATION:Mackay Showgrounds\, 24 Milton Street\, Mackay\, Queensland\, 4740\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Diversification
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DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260224T120000
DTSTAMP:20260428T044333Z
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UID:11070-1771920000-1771934400@greaterwhitsundayalliance.com.au
SUMMARY:METS & MORE Diversification Forum 2026
DESCRIPTION:About the Forum\nThe 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. \nThis 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. \n  \nProgram Overview\nKeynote Address\nBeyond Raw Commodities: Securing Australia’s Future with High-Value Manufacturing\nDr 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. \nDrawing 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. \nUsing 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. \n  \nPanel Discussion\nDiversification Done Right – Lessons from the METS Front Line\nDiversification 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. \nFacilitated 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. \nThe 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. \nThis is a conversation for METS businesses navigating change — honest\, experience‑driven\, and focused on what actually works. \n  \nSpecial Presentation: From Minerals to Manufacturing\nPaul 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. \nPaul 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. \nThe 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. \n  \nThe De-risking Engine: Translating Critical Minerals Strategy into Regional Reality\nFollowing 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. \nJason 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. \nLooking 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. \n  \nActionable Steps\nLearn about the programs\, networks\, & resources that can help them take the next step. \n  \nBreakout Sessions\nSmall group short sessions to ask questions\, learn\, and sign up/register interest for various programs to support diversification. \n  \nWho Should Attend?\n\nMETS businesses looking to expand into adjacent sectors\nManufacturers exploring new markets\nRegional innovators and supply chain partners\nAnyone committed to building a resilient\, future-ready economy\n\n  \n* Program subject to change.
URL:https://greaterwhitsundayalliance.com.au/event/mets-more-diversification-forum-2026/
LOCATION:Resources Centre of Excellence\, 65 Crichtons Road\, Paget\, QLD\, 4740\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Diversification
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