Backed by a $17.14 million investment from the Australian Government, Central Coast Food Manufacturing Innovation Hub provides food and beverage manufacturers with access to shared production space, equipment and expertise to support production scaling and expansion.
An initiative of Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), the region’s not-for-profit peak manufacturing network, the hub is located at 2–4 Brownlee Street. It includes a pilot plant and dedicated food and beverage manufacturing spaces.
The facility provides SMEs with access to shared production space, equipment and expertise. The hub supports businesses in scaling production and reducing the cost and risk of expansion. Three businesses have already signed on to operate from the hub, with additional space available for other businesses to join.
“The Hub represents years of vision, partnership and persistence, and is a major step forward for our $2 billion food and beverage manufacturing sector on the Central Coast,” said Frank Sammut, executive director of CCIC.
Ian Hemphill, chair of the CCIC Board, said the hub’s success would be built on its ability to turn collaboration between industry, government, researchers and the community into outcomes for the manufacturing sector.
According to CCIC, the hub will also support connections between manufacturers, suppliers, government, research organisations and education providers to develop workforce capability and retain manufacturing activity in the region.
Major food manufacturers including Mars Food and Nutrition, Sanitarium and Sara Lee are based near the hub.
CCIC said it will operate the hub in line with its vision of building ‘a vibrant, connected and innovative manufacturing sector that provides sustained employment and sector growth, now and into the future, for our community’.
- Further reading: AFGC urges stronger investment to secure food manufacturing growth.
