Gekko founder to chair mining centre

Gekko Systems co-founder Elizabeth Lewis-Gray has been appointed chair of a new 'mining growth centre', which is part of a $189 million federal government initiative designed to encourage commercially-focused research and development activity.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane today named the chairs for three out of five industry growth centres.

Ms Lewis-Gray will chair the mining equipment, technology and services growth centre on the back of her work as co-founder and managing director of Gekko Systems, which develops equipment for the resources sector including gold processing technology and energy-efficient modular plants.

Gekko Systems is based in Victoria, with offices in Perth, Johannesburg and Vancouver.

Ms Lewis-Gray is also managing director of Austmine, the peak industry body for the mining equipment, technology and services sector.

Andrew Stevens has been appointed chair of the advanced manufacturing growth centre, while Peter Schutz will chair the food and agribusiness growth centre.

Appointees are yet to be named for the energy resources and medical technology growth centres.

The non-profit centres are designed to encourage commercial research and development partnerships between industry and research organisations.

Mr Macfarlane said the chairs of the industry growth centres would provide Australian businesses with an extended reach into expanding international markets.

“Australia is well served by a strong business community with business men and women who have both the experience and the international reputation to guide Australian industry into a new era of opportunity based on our areas of competitive strength,” he said.

“These chairs will work with their sectors to develop a proposal for their respective growth centres.”

Mr Macfarlane said the growth centres would set strategies and deliver outcomes under four themes of encouraging collaboration and commercialisation, enhancing workforce skills, indentifying opportunities to reduce regulatory burden, and improving capabilities to engage with international markets.

“I expect these growth centres to be up and running by the middle of the year,” he said.