Industry leaders, community organisations and leading researchers from across the Illawarra will join forces in Canberra today to showcase the region’s capability at the Made in the Illawarra: Innovation, Energy and Manufacturing Expo at Parliament House.
Hosted by the Federal Member for Cunningham, Ms Alison Byrnes MP, in partnership with the University of Wollongong (UOW), the expo brings together 21 Illawarra companies and organisations alongside leading UOW researchers to showcase the technologies, products and research driving Australia’s energy transition and lower-emissions manufacturing future.
Ms Byrnes said the Illawarra is emerging as a national powerhouse shaping Australia’s future industries and workforce.
“The Illawarra helped build modern Australia, and today it is helping lead a Future Made in Australia – driving clean energy, advanced manufacturing and secure jobs for the nation’s future,” Ms Byrnes said.
“The Albanese Government has a proven track record of investing in the Illawarra as a clean energy powerhouse, providing millions of dollars to boost local companies’ capability, train our future workforce, and support households with the energy transition.”
“Through its research, partnerships and training, the University is helping position the Illawarra at the forefront of innovation and preparing the workforce Australia needs for the future.”
UOW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor G.Q. Max Lu AO said the expo reflects the Illawarra’s growing national influence and the University’s role in connecting regional capability with federal decision-makers.
“The collective capability brought together at Parliament House shows the immense strength of the Illawarra’s innovation ecosystem, driven by collaboration between university, government and industry, and united by a shared purpose to deliver impact locally and globally,” Professor Lu said.
"By assembling industry leaders, researchers and policymakers in the nation's capital, the University is ensuring the Illawarra’s expertise and capability is part of the national conversation on Australia’s future."
The event will connect Illawarra innovators directly with Federal Ministers, Members of Parliament, government officials, policy advisers, national industry leaders and members of the diplomatic corps. It will showcase the scale and impact of the region’s innovation – from advanced manufacturing and green hydrogen technologies to renewable energy systems, materials science and next-generation batteries – demonstrating how the Illawarra is translating research excellence and industrial capability into real-world impact.
For participants, the expo provides direct engagement with those shaping national policy and funding priorities, creates opportunities for new partnerships and positions the Illawarra within the broader national energy and manufacturing agenda.
