Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) update
01 April 2003
A 3-D diagram of how the ACE may look like in the built form.
Significant steps are being taken to affirm the shared understanding of what the Automotive Centre of Excellence means to Kangan Batman TAFE, Fox Trust and to the Government Departments of Education and Manufacturing.
A small interim board has been formed to bring the stakeholders together to achieve this commonality of purpose. The group is led by Ivan Deveson (Chairman) and includes David Charles (Allen Consulting and author of the ACE feasibility report), Bill Kelty (Fox Trust), John Parish (Kangan Batman TAFE), John Modra (DIIRD) and Dom Valeri (Department of Education).
Perspective
The Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) is intended to be an important piece of the infrastructure to support the development of the automotive industry and to strengthen its capacity to compete successfully in the 21st Century.
The essence is to identify areas of collaboration between the key players in the industry - car manufacturers, component suppliers, specialist service providers, education and training bodies and governments.
The ACE is also designed to bring about a recognised central focus for the automotive industry.
In the study undertaken for Kangan Batman TAFE, the ACE was identified as operating at the point of overlap between two sectors. One relating to education and training and covering the range from TAFE and industry–based training to higher education and advanced degrees and the other relating to R&D/technology diffusion.
Subsequent to the completion of that report, the Victorian Government has committed itself to the development of the ACE at Docklands and to shifting Kangan Batman TAFE’s automotive elements to that site in co-location with the Fox Collection. Space is available to locate other elements at the Docklands site.
Proposed Elements of the ACE
- Kangan Batman TAFE’s relocation of Coburg and Richmond automotive activities with state-of-the-art facilities that respond predominantly to the Retail, Service and Repair sector (RS&R). Provision for services to areas such as manufacturing, motor sport, and engineering will also be planned.
- Fox Trust arrangements incorporating at least the present Queens Trust museum and the workshop activities.
- An Automotive Management Education Centre to be operated by either a single university or a consortium of universities.
- An Automotive Design Centre with a primary focus on education and training but also providing capacity to be part of the showcase for the automotive industry.
- An Automotive Industry Showcase with two main dimensions:
• a showcase of the industry to students, parents and the community
• a showcase of the industry for international automotive investors and automotive buyers. - An Automotive Industry Centre which would bring together a broad range of activities relating to the automotive industry such as:
• the co–location of relevant automotive industry associations and;
• industry conferences and seminars.
Looking further into the future
A more complex element that will be considered is the establishment of an Automotive Research and Technical Diffusion Centre. Given that such a centre would require support from a consortium of universities, the CSIRO and companies, planning for it would inevitably take two to three years to complete.
Where to from here?
Funding has been clarified to move to develop a Masterplan for the site with the knowledge that not all elements will be developed concurrently.
Attached is a draft diagram of how some of these elements may look like in the built form.
The relocation of Kangan Batman TAFE automotive facilities allows for the Retail, Service and Repair sector (RS&R), manufacturers and component suppliers to input into the training needs and equipment of the apprentice/technician/diagnostician of the future. This process is to commence soon and will be overseen by Kangan Batman TAFE staff members.
Non - TAFE facilities will be the subject of a project that the Interim Board will undertake in a number of contact sessions with individuals and groups. The next steps in this area are on the agenda for the Interim Board at present.
Contact
John Parish (Director, Kangan Batman TAFE): Phone: (03) 9279 2434
John Nicholas (Manager Capital Development): Phone: (03) 9279 2621
Phillip Murphy (General Manager – Automotive): Phone: (03) 9353 1833
