Industry in focus: Construction and Manufacturing
Infrastructure Science Engineering Education and Research
Sydney is the heart of Australia’s construction and manufacturing industries, and environmental sustainability is a key core value that is driving growth in both sectors.
Backed by a State Government that is committed to future proofing the city and the state of New South Wales (NSW) with world-leading environmental sustainability practices, Sydney is home to construction and manufacturing research and development facilities housed in new precincts that have been purpose-built for innovation, creation and collaboration.
In 2026, a new international airport will open in Sydney’s west - the Nancy Bird Walton International Airport - accompanied by the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis which will leverage complex supply chain capabilities as operations gear up.
Foundation partners in the aerotropolis include the CSIRO – the Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research – the Australian Space Agency, BAE Systems Australia, DB Schenker, GE Additive, Hitachi Ltd, Sydney Markets, Vitex Pharmaceuticals, Western Sydney University, the NUW Alliance and Samsung SDS.
At the core of the aerotropolis will be Bradfield city centre, named in honour of John Bradfield, the engineer who oversaw construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city's original rail network. The new development will catalyse the growth of advanced industry in the Western Parkland City, building an industrial base that will initially focussed on aerospace, aviation and defence industries.
An Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility will provide infrastructure for collaboration, incubation and innovation, allowing businesses to test, prototype and rapidly scale advanced manufacturing processes; and an Agribusiness Precinct will feature state-of-the-art, digitally enabled freight and logistics hubs to support the growth of Australian import and exports.
The NSW Government’s vision for the Western Parkland City will see it emerge as a catalyst for employment, investment, industry development and economic growth. It will harness world-class capability in areas such as:
- advanced electronics
- composite manufacturing
- additive manufacturing
- power and energy storage
- modelling and simulation
- reliability engineering
In addition to advanced industry and infrastructure, Sydney is also home to incredible people working in the sector who are changing the world. Like Business Events Sydney Ambassador, Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla, an international award-winning scientist and engineer dedicated to research and development in manufacturing environmental sustainability. An inventor and visionary at heart, Veena’s passion has led to her pioneering world-first green manufacturing technologies – creating products, including steel, using recycled and waste products – which she firmly believes are the way of the future.
Veena and her team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT), are focussed on using waste and end-of-life products and turning it into valuable raw materials for other products. And they are not thinking small. Working with industry partners, Veena has ensured her vision has become a reality. In partnership with One Steel, the team has developed a process to make green alloys with end-of-life rubber tyres. To date, two million passenger vehicle tyres have been diverted from landfill in Australia, with the technology now used in Australia and overseas.
Collaboration is vital to innovation and discoveries of new technologies, and partnerships between research and development across academia and industry is critical to success, and many companies in Sydney, such as One Steel, actively seek out and foster opportunities to trial technologies enabling the platform for green manufacturing to become standard practice globally.
Sydney is home to ambitious and inspiring thinkers, who work at the forefront of their sectors to solve some of the world’s greatest problems for a sustainable future; and New South Wales’ expanding innovation economy benefits from investment and commitment from government, academy and industry across sectors including manufacturing, aerospace and defence, healthcare, freight and logistics, agribusiness and education.
A city that thrives on collaboration, innovation and creativity, Sydney is a destination with world-class venues and event delivery partners, where you can be inspired by 22nd century innovators and network with industry leaders. Moreover, the knowledgeable BESydney team is highly experienced, intellectually curious and ready to support associations to deliver global meetings that inspire, motivate, educate and connect sector leaders. Its network benefits from strong connections to government and a Global Ambassador program that comprises world leading experts who lend their support to confirm Sydney as one of the world’s premier locations for global industry meetings.
Better yet, Sydney is open, COVID Safe and welcoming international visitors, so why not contact us to learn more about how we can help you stage your next global meeting.
