Industry leader and former Federal Industry Minister The Honourable Ian Macfarlane has been appointed to the Board of METS Ignited, the mining equipment, technology and services sector’s Industry Growth Centre.
METS Ignited Chair Lyle Bruce said Mr Macfarlane’s decision to join the METS Ignited board is a boost to the capability of an already impressive group of directors, and will assist METS Ignited in its drive to enhance collaboration and commercialisation opportunities for the Australian METS sector.
“On behalf of METS Ignited, I am delighted to welcome Ian to the Board. Ian brings a wealth of experience and skills to METS Ignited and will be a great contributor to the success of the Growth Centre as it continues to deliver outcomes for the Australian METS sector.
“Ian has been a long-time champion of Industry Growth Centres and an advocate for collaboration and commercialisation opportunities. His experience within the resources industry and in development and implementation of industry policy will support METS Ignited’s role in continuing the growth and prosperity of the Australian METS sector,” Mr Bruce said.
Mr Macfarlane is also an industry advocate as Chief Executive of the Queensland Resources Council, an industry and innovation leader as a Non-Executive Director of Woodside Limited and Chairman of the Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre, and a community champion as a Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Board Member.
METS Ignited Chief Executive Officer Adrian Beer welcomed Mr Macfarlane’s appointment. “The Industry Growth Centres, including METS Ignited, were an initiative of the Australian Government when Ian was Federal Industry Minister. We are proud to welcome Ian to the Board and look forward to his contribution as we work to improve the global competitiveness and productivity of the Australian METS sector,” Mr Beer said.
“The pivotal role of the METS sector has been highlighted in the response to COVID-19 and the drive for economic recovery. METS companies have not only kept the resources sector and hundreds of thousands of Australians working during COVID-19, individual METS businesses have contributed to the manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers.
“Economic recovery plans have already identified the METS sector as one of the key contributors to the COVID-19 economic recovery,” he said
ENDS
Headquartered at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, METS Ignited works with Australian suppliers to the mining industry, global miners, research organisations and capital providers to improve the global competitiveness and productivity of the Australian METS sector.
The METS sector contributes $92 billion to the Australian economy each year or the equivalent of $250 million a day. METS businesses employ 300,000 Australians directly, and another 200,000 jobs are employed by supporting businesses.
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