Imagine a 9-metre simulated jet engine spinning above your head, robots assembling electronics, and 3D printers producing high-tech products all under one roof. This is what students, researchers, and local businesses can experience at Western Sydney University's Factory of the Future, officially opened today in the Bankstown CBD.
Set to transform advanced manufacturing in Australia, Factory of the Future is a national benchmark for innovation, bringing together advanced technologies, applied research, and workforce development in one integrated facility.
Located across the ground floor and level 1 of the Bankstown City campus, the facility will provide hands-on, immersive learning experiences in robotics, 3D printing, and advanced manufacturing systems for local students, researchers and the wider community.
Students and industry will benefit from the Immersive Training Hub, which includes AR/VR-driven training simulations, additive manufacturing equipment, high-precision measurement systems, and collaborative robotics with integrated advanced sensing technologies.
Factory of the Future will connect Western Sydney manufacturing businesses to advanced equipment, research expertise, and industry collaborations, helping manufacturers to rapidly transform their business to drive productivity and sustainability. Businesses will work with teams of students and researchers, including through the Collaboration Zone, a dedicated space for workshops, networking, and team-based problem-solving.
The facility was officially opened by Vice-Chancellor and President Distinguished Professor George Williams AO, alongside Federal Minister for Education, the Hon. Jason Clare MP, joined by Bankstown Chamber representative, Wally Mehanna, together with industry and community leaders.
"It looks like Star Wars has come to Bankstown," said Minister Clare. "Western Sydney University has brought the future to Bankstown. The things students will learn and use here will help create the country we are going to live in."
Professor Williams said the state-of-the-art facility would support the nation's transition to a smart, sustainable, and globally competitive manufacturing sector, while offering opportunities to Western Sydney students and researchers.
"Factory of the Future will give students hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing technologies, from collaborative robotics and 3D printing to immersive digital twins and simulation. It will prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow," said Professor Williams.
"This facility will bring together university expertise and industry to drive applied research, skills development, and workforce transformation, creating a future-ready workforce and supporting Western Sydney as a national leader in advanced manufacturing."
Factory of the Future is an integrated ecosystem bridging digital design, simulation, and advanced production, to drive improvements in quality, productivity and overall business performance. Its Discovery Space features a working smart factory building products such as drones utilising equipment, including 5-axis CNC machines, industrial robots, collaborative robotics (cobots), 3D printers, and an advanced electronics assembly line.
The facility will specialise in supporting businesses to transition to a smart manufacturing environment, whether they are upgrading an existing production facility or developing a new factory from the ground up.
Utilising digital twinning and a range of other software, system and hardware capabilities through partners such as Autodesk, Hexagon, Omron and Microsoft, the Factory of the Future will help manufacturers optimise smart products and processes, improve productivity, reduce operational costs and bridge workforce skills gaps to compete globally through advanced technologies.
