Registrations are now open for Weld Australia’s 2025 National Manufacturing Summit, set to take place on 24 July at the Shangri-La Sydney. This year’s Summit theme is ‘Manufacturing Australia’s Future: Local Strength, Global Impact’, coming at a critical time as rising costs and a shrinking skilled workforce increase pressure on the industry.
The Australian manufacturing industry stands at a crossroads. Once a powerhouse contributing 28 per cent of national GDP, the sector now accounts for just 5.9 per cent, signalling the urgent need for comprehensive reform and strategic investment. The 2025 Summit will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, educators, and the broader manufacturing workforce to set the agenda for transformative change.
By examining the policy and legislative frameworks required to support a thriving, globally competitive manufacturing sector, the 2025 Summit aims to push for clear, enforceable minimum local content thresholds across all significant public and private projects.
Weld Australia CEO, Geoff Crittenden, said the decline in Australian manufacturing is not inevitable – it’s a policy choice.
“With the right frameworks in place, our industry can not only recover but lead. This Summit is our opportunity to demand enforceable local content policies, invest in sovereign capability, and map a future built on innovation, skills, and sustainability,” said Crittenden.
“The time for token gestures is over. We need enforceable, specific local content policy – not empty targets – to ensure Australian materials and expertise are prioritised in the build-out of our future industries. The Summit is where those who care about the future of Australian manufacturing come to shape it.”
The Summit program will explore how Australian manufacturing can lead across five key national priorities:
- Renewable Energy – addressing the need for local production of wind and transmission towers, and reducing dependence on imported infrastructure that threatens jobs and safety.
- Infrastructure – highlighting opportunities for Australian manufacturers to contribute to large-scale national projects and the need for government procurement mandates to secure local participation.
- Critical Minerals – unlocking the potential of Australia's mineral wealth through local processing, securing supply chains, and driving technological innovation.
- Defence – showcasing the defence sector as a platform for manufacturing innovation and economic growth through sovereign capability.
- Workforce Development – exploring strategies to upskill the next generation of tradespeople and engineers, especially in welding and other technical fields.
A Welcome Dinner will take place on 23 July, followed by a five-session program of events on 24 July. The speaker line-up includes:
- The Hon Anoulack Chanthivong (New South Wales Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections)
- The Hon Tim Ayres (Federal Minister for Industry and Innovation, and Minister for Science)
- Richard Denniss (Executive Director, Australia Institute)
- Tim Buckley (Clean Investment Australia)
- David Shankey (CEO, Net Zero Economy Authority)
- Rod Henderson (Managing Director & CEO, AMP Control)
- Simon Terry (CEO, Dux Hot Water)
- Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia)
- Doug Luciani (President & CEO, CWB Group)
- Jim Sandford (Industry Professor of Economics, McMaster University, Canada)
- Amanda Sonntag (Executive Director, NSW Department of Education)
- Justin Spedding (Senior Project Officer, Corrections Victoria)
- MC Ellen Fanning (ABC Journalist)
The 2025 Summit is supported by Major Sponsor, Investment NSW, and Sponsor, the Queensland Government. For further information and to register visit manufacturingsummit.com.au.
