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Weld Australia and SEMMA Sign MoU to Amplify the Collective Voice of Australian Manufacturing

Weld Australia

Weld Australia and the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise an industry partnership focused on high-impact outcomes for industry. The agreement brings two leading organisations together to strengthen a unified voice on issues that matter to manufacturers—standards, skills, local capability and long-term competitiveness.

 

Signed by Ben Mitchell (Director, Strategic Partnerships, Weld Australia) and Honi Walker (CEO, SEMMA) the MoU creates a clear, practical framework focused on collaborating to represent, connect, and advocate for manufacturers.

 

Ben Mitchell, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Weld Australia, said: “This partnership is about the collective power of aligned organisations speaking and acting together for the benefit of Australian manufacturers. By focusing on issues like standards, skills and sovereign capability, we can deliver tangible, system-level benefits for workshops, fabricators and OEMs, lifting quality, productivity and safety across the board.”

 

“Manufacturers achieve more when industry representative organisations pull in the same direction. This MoU is about harnessing our collective power, aligning networks, events and expertise so members on both sides benefit, and our advocacy to government lands with greater impact. By partnering with SEMMA, we’ll make knowledge-sharing and practical training even more accessible across Melbourne’s manufacturing industry.”

 

Honi Walker, CEO, SEMMA, said: “SEMMA exists to deliver tangible outcomes for local manufacturers. Partnering with Weld Australia strengthens our advocacy on practical priorities as we have demonstrated through the launch of our Australian Manufacturing BLUEPRINT. Advocating for better policies around stronger local supply chains, and a pipeline of skilled people, while ensuring the region’s manufacturers contribute to national goals – like our Sovereign Capability are a core focus. It’s about getting things done together for the benefit of our members and the wider manufacturing industry.”

 

Australia’s manufacturing resurgence demands coordinated, cross-sector leadership. This partnership aligns the two organisations around shared priorities like strengthening Sovereign Capability, promoting local participation, championing high-quality standards, and supporting a skilled, future-ready workforce.  

 

What members can expect

• A stronger voice and outcomes: A united platform to progress standards, safety, local content and sovereign capability with government and major contractors, so member priorities translate into action.
• Access to expertise when it counts: Coordinated technical guidance on industry best practice, compliance and accreditation, plus visibility of proven approaches that lift quality, productivity and reliability.
• Capability and workforce uplift: Collaboration on practical skills pathways, helping members address shortages and build a future-ready workforce.

About us:

ABOUT WELD AUSTRALIA

Weld Australia represents the welding profession in Australia. Its members are made up of individual welding professionals and companies of all sizes. Weld Australia members are involved almost every facet of Australian industry and make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy. The primary goal of Weld Australia is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, both now and into the future. Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). For more information or to join Weld Australia, please visit: https://weldaustralia.com.au/

 

 

ABOUT SEMMA

SEMMA, the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance, is a membership-based organisation that represents the interests of manufacturing businesses in the South East Melbourne region. The South East region of Melbourne generates $54 billion in gross regional product, hosts 50% of Melbourne’s manufacturing jobs employing 232,903 people and provides 24% of Victoria’s overall $227b manufacturing output (Data from Remplan CGD 2024). For more information or to join SEMMA, please visit: https://semma.com.au

Contact details:

Sally Wood on 0434 442 687 or [email protected]