Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, tonight announced the establishment of the Future Manufacturing Industry Innovation Council and the appointment of Mr Philip Binns as its Chair.
The Council is the second of a series of Industry Innovation Councils to be established by the Rudd Government to help transform and improve the competitiveness of Australian industry.
Speaking at the Advanced Manufacturing Australia annual dinner in Melbourne, Senator Carr said:
"Australia's manufacturing industry contributes around 10 per cent to GDP and employs over a million people. But it's under pressure from the rise of low wage economies.
"To secure manufacturing's future we need to boost our competitive advantage, with more focus on high-tech, high-skill and innovation-intensive manufacturing. The Council will work with companies to develop innovative strategies.
"Philip Binns will play a leading part in this critical work and I am extremely pleased he has agreed to chair the Council.
"His extensive experience with Varian Australia in all areas of high-tech, precision manufacturing from product development to sales and exports as well as his background in science, give him the credentials to provide the Council with strong leadership and vision.
"Varian Australia is strongly export-focused, with around 95 per cent of product from its Melbourne facility exported to major economies around the world."
Representatives from business, unions, professional organisations, the science and research community and government will be appointed to the Council soon, with the inaugural meeting to take place before year's end.
Media contact: Patrick Pantano, Minister's Office, 0417 181 936
BIOGRAPHY - Mr Philip Binns - Managing Director, Varian Australia Pty Ltd
Mr Binns has held a number of management positions in product development, marketing, operations and sales within the Varian Global organisation since he joined Varian Australia in 1994.
He was appointed Managing Director of the Australian operations in 2004. He became General Manager of Varian’s operations throughout the Pacific Rim in 2005. This extended his responsibility to subsidiary operations in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan and operations throughout South-East Asia.
Varian Australia is a subsidiary of Varian Inc, a California based multinational corporation specialising in high technology scientific instrumentation and associated products. Varian Australia employs more than 400 people in the research, development, marketing and manufacture of scientific instruments that are key tools in bio-molecular and academic research, pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing, and industrial R&D and quality control applications. It exports over 95 percent of production from its Melbourne facility and won the 2007 Victorian Export Award for Innovation Excellence.
Mr Binns has an Applied Science degree and post-graduate qualifications in Marketing and an MBA from the University of Melbourne.
He is a member of the University of Melbourne's Industry Advisory Group and CSIRO's Niche Manufacturing Flagship Advisory Committee.
A copy of Senator Carr's address at the Advanced Manufacturing Australia Annual Dinner and Innovation Excellence Awards can be viewed here.