Congratulations to the Advanced Fibre Cluster Geelong on its AFCG Machine Sharing Portal which was approved for funding by the Australian Composites Manufacturing CRC.
The Machine Sharing Portal is being developed in partnership with the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), as a collaborative, cost-effective digital platform that broadens access to specialised composite manufacturing equipment.
The portal directly addresses barriers that limit innovation, slow prototyping, and narrow opportunities for growth by allowing equipment owners to list machines and make them available through a transparent, secure, and structured system.
By improving visibility of available equipment and widening access, the platform strengthens engagement between industry, research, and training providers and enables collective investment and shared capability development.
The project carries clear national significance by enhancing industry competitiveness, innovation capacity, and sovereign manufacturing capability. The ACM CRC team has indicated that contracting will begin shortly. Congratulations to David Buchanan (CEO AFCG) and all contributors who helped bring this proposal to life.
This approval marks a major step forward for the Cluster’s ongoing mission to increase capability, collaboration, and competitiveness across the advanced fibre and composites sector.