A Wollongong firm developing materials for use in extreme environments like air travel and nuclear waste disposal will receive $1.5 million from the federal government’s scaleup program to expand its production facilities.
The Industry Growth Program grant for Gravitas Technologies was announced on Tuesday by Industry minister Ed Husic and by local member Alison Byrne, who foreshadowed the importance of the program for supporting SMEs like the company a year earlier.
Founded in 2016, Gravitas Technologies is developing complex materials georock, an advanced treatment of nuclear waste, and vulloy, a metallic ceramic capable of withstanding temperatures up to 2000 degrees Celsius.
Gravitas has worked with partners on its technology and will this year conduct a new study with several universities and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation on a high temperature, high pressure and high force materials characterisation suite with a separate $1.3 million research grant.
But the Industry Growth Program (IGP) grant announced on Tuesday is aimed at expanding production of vulloy and scaling up the early-stage business as part of the government’s new industry push.
IGP recipients must be operating in one of the government’s priority areas, like clean energy, Defence or value add in resources. The requirement is part of a more joined up approach to industry support, with the smaller firms potential future candidates for larger initiatives like the National Reconstruction Fund.
“Gravitas’ state-of-the-art alloys will be groundbreaking for growth industries like renewable energy and aerospace,” Mr Husic said.
“This investment will allow Gravitas to scale up quickly for maximum global impact.”
Ms Byrne said the $1.5 million grant will support mor manufacturing jobs and help the company respond to rising demand.
“The Albanese government is committed to building a stronger, more resilient manufacturing sector – and that starts in regions like ours. This investment backs local talent, boosts sovereign capability, and puts the Illawarra at the centre of Australia’s advanced manufacturing growth.”
The Member for Cunningham heaped praise on the local company in Parliament twice last year, including declaring it the type of local firm the IGP will “go a long way to support”.
The government’s announcement on Tuesday said the IGP grant for Gravitas was decided before the government entered a caretaker period last month.
Around $30 million in grants the IGP have been announced so far. The program was unveiled by the Albanese government in 2023 as its signature $400 million innovation program and began taking applications last May.
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