Construction has begun on a precision manufacturing facility at at Stärke Advanced Manufacturing Group company, QPE Advanced Machining, which it is hoped, will enable the company to participate in large precision machining and manufacturing projects with Defence and prime contractors supporting AUKUS.
“We have implemented a series of strategic upgrades that significantly enhance our capability, capacity, and competitiveness within the Australian and International defence sectors also allowing us to scale up our production efficiently to support the increasing demands of our industrial base,” Stärke-AMG Co-founder & Group CEO, Al Jawhari, stated.
The $2 million, 500m² facility at the QPE Advanced Machining site in Gillman near Port Adelaide will be prepped to accommodate an array of large, advanced machining equipment which will enable high performance and complex multi-face machining incorporating the use of advanced materials. Construction is expected to be complete in early 2026.
“Stärke can now deliver very complex, high-precision components for major defence programs which will help reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and we are most grateful to the Commonwealth Government and the CDIC Strategic Industry Capability Program for strengthening our role in sovereign defence manufacturing and allied global supply chains,” Jawhari said.
This capability will allegedly allow QPE to support current and upcoming defence projects in maritime, land, air and space including Collins Class and Submarine through-life and future SSN AUKUS work.
According to the company, the facility has undergone extensive site and structural works, including electrical, hydraulic, and fire safety infrastructure, to support the safe operation of the new equipment and expand QPE’s advanced manufacturing footprint.
Through the support of the CDIC Strategic Industry Capability grant, QPE has gained membership for the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP).