Australia's future economic security depends on emerging technologies such as bio-manufacturing, says QUT Professor John Bell who will chair a session at the Advanced Manufacturing Summit in Sydney this week (November 17-18).
"We have bemoaned the loss of Australia's traditional manufacturing sector but we are on the cusp of a bright new era of high-value, high-skilled manufacturing," said Professor Bell, who will chair the session Industrial biotechnology and additive bio-manufacturing at the summit.
"Bio-manufacturing includes technologies that produce sustainably derived and renewable feedstock and pharmaceuticals, and bio-remediation services.
"The 3D bio-printing market, of which QUT is a leader, is estimated to be worth $3 billion by 2025.
"We are finding more applications for industrial biotechnology and additive bio-manufacturing all the time and these processes are becoming more established internationally."
A key research speaker on the panel, Professor Dietmar Hutmacher, from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, is a world authority on the 3D printing of replacement human tissue using bio-inks, a process known as additive bio-manufacturing.
"Australia is already well ahead on research and development of medical bio-printing, a strong facet of this emerging 'fourth industrial revolution' of bio-manufacturing.
"Additive bio-manufacturing has the potential to become a pillar of Australia's advanced manufacturing landscape and we must ensure we develop the talen and infrastructure to continue our lead in this area," Professor Hutmacher said.
"It is a multi-disciplinary area requiring understanding of chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, robotics and computer science.
"QUT has already partnered with the University of Wollongong and universities in the Netherlands and Germany to offer the world's first dual Master of Biofabrication and is taking applications for the second intake of young scientists keen to make bio-printing their career."
Professor Bell said the panel would include Andrew Lawson from MBD Energy, an example of an Australian firm exporting bioremediation services to Asia as well as operating in Australia.
"MBD is an example of a firm using biological processes, in this case algae, to clean up wastewater from aquaculture. The algae are then used to manufacture a range of high value products ranging from fertilizers and feed to high value nutrition products.
"Bioremediation services are growing into an important industry for Australia and one that is expanding rapidly into Asia.
"High value products and long term sustainable investment and jobs are a great outcome from advanced manufacturing."
Professor Bell said another thriving area for Australia to capitalise on was industrial biotechnology.
"This includes new and improved methods to manufacture a range of molecules with medical and industrial importance such as antibiotics, pain relievers and anti-cancer drugs or items like fuels and the building blocks for plastics and paints," he said.
"Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Australia) is an example of a major global manufacturer of medicinal opiates for pain relief earning millions of export dollars.
"The company's Head of R&D, Tim Bowser, will speak during the session on industrial biotechnology and its part in Australia's future."
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT Media, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson
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