Geelong manufacturing, research and education leaders will travel to South Korea this week, 15 – 19 May, to meet with businesses and City officials in Changwon, Geelong’s sister city in the south-east of the country.
The business mission will take part in a series of site visits and discussions in the highly industrialised nation, with the aim of building collaboration towards clean energy and defence opportunities for the Geelong region.
The high-level delegation is an initiative of the Geelong Manufacturing Council and carries the message that Geelong is home to significant manufacturing and research capabilities, including a highly skilled workforce and world class industrial infrastructure.
It follows significant investments being made in Geelong in support of Australia’s defence industry, by Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA), a subsidiary of South Korean-owned conglomerate, Hanwha Group.
HDA was selected by the Australian Government for a $1 billion project to manufacture defence equipment at a new, state-of-the art manufacturing and R&D facility in the Avalon Airport precinct. The facility is scheduled to be completed in Q3 2024.
“Hanwha is making a major investment that will grow our regional capabilities and enable a new generation in Geelong to develop high tech skills,” CEO of the Geelong Manufacturing Council, Jennifer Conley, said today.
“The company is already well advanced in building a smart Australian supply chain and will bring vital technology and skills transfer opportunities.
“This visit is not only to connect with the company’s leadership and show our support for their investment, but also to investigate the potential for a huge range of adjacent business opportunities for our small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular in the development of hydrogen.”
Geelong’s Gordon Institute of TAFE CEO, Joe Ormeno, is a delegate on the mission.
“Education is the cornerstone of innovation and economic growth.” he said.
“At The Gordon, we are committed to ensuring Geelong’s workforce is equipped with the skills needed to excel in a rapidly changing world. Our mission to Changwon, South Korea, represents a critical step in fostering global connections, building international partnerships, and driving advancements in emerging sectors like clean energy and defence. We’re particularly excited about the vast potential the evolving hydrogen industry presents.”
Exploring opportunities for the Geelong region in the growing hydrogen space is of particular interest to delegate Professor Tiffany Walsh, Deakin University’s most senior hydrogen research leader.
“Hydrogen is going to be a reality and we need to understand how best to use it to reach our net zero goals,” said Professor Walsh.
“We have established very constructive relationships with our neighbours – including in Korea – in the area of exporting green hydrogen and derived products such as ammonia for hard-to-abate sectors. “
“The people who are doing the serious work of decarbonising our energy are working together on new hydrogen technologies – collaboration is the only way forward,” she said.
The delegation will visit hydrogen refuelling stations, conduct site tours at Doosan Enerbility, world leaders in hydrogen development, and explore opportunities with Changwon University, Hanwha Aerospace and others.
The Geelong leaders in South Korea this week are:
• Jennifer Conley, CEO, Geelong Manufacturing Council
• Elias Anastasiou, General Manager, Commercial, GeelongPort
• Rebecca Bartel, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Deakin University
• Lyn George, Co-owner, and Corporate Director, Austeng
• Matthew Backwell, Director, IXL Group
• Michael Johnston, CEO, Committee for Geelong
• Joe Ormeno, CEO, The Gordon
• Associate Professor Michael Johnstone, Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation, Deakin University
• Professor Tiffany Walsh, Research Director, Hycel, Professor of Bio/Nanotechnology, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University
• James Sandlin, Head of New Capability, DMTC Ltd
• Mikel Dean, International Trade Program Facilitator, Geelong Manufacturing Council
Unfortunately City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Trent Sullivan, was unable to attend the mission. He provided this message for the City of Changwon, expressing his gratitude for the friendship between the cities.