Circuitwise is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Australian Government in Round 2 of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF). A grant of $277,771 was awarded to assist the company to upgrade its facilities to keep it at the cutting edge of electronics manufacturing technology.
The MMF is part of the Australian government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy which aimed at helping Australian manufacturers scale up, compete internationally and create jobs. This aim is achieved through co-funding capital investments in new technologies and processes.
Circuitwise’s application included upgrades of key equipment in our manufacturing process including advanced reflow ovens, optical inspection, automated testing and final product assembly. These investments will provide a step-change in our capability, enabling the company to keep pace with the ever-increasing complexity of Printed Circuit Boards, driven by technology advances around the Internet of Things and the quality demands of the medical devices industry.
The reshoring of manufacturing from Asia to Australia is another big driver in the investment. Circuitwise is collaborating with a number of companies that want to manufacture with us in Australia but only if we are competitive. Continual investment in electronics manufacturing technology is key to building this competitiveness, particularly in reducing labour intensive bottlenecks around testing and final assembly. Our upcoming investments aim to reduce testing and assembly times by an order of magnitude.
Under the grant agreement, the government contributes 25% of the project cost, which totals just over $1.1 million. Circuitwise is making this significant investment in order to be an attractive manufacturing partner for companies that previously outsourced their manufacturing to Asia. Such companies want a manufacturing partner that is a trusted extension of their own business, allowing them to focus on their core capabilities.
You can learn more about the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund Round 2 here: https://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/manufacturing-modernisation-fund#grant-recipients
The full list of the grant recipients is available at https://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/manufacturing-modernisation-fund/grant-recipients