2019 S Fusion Capital - Business SA Design for Export Awards
Celebrating
South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
Celebrating
South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
Celebrating
South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
Celebrating
South Australia's
Design-led
Exporters
Main menu:
AWARDS > 2019 Gallery
2019 FINALIST
BUSINESS:
Fusion Capital Advanced Mobility Hub
PRODUCT or SERVICE:
Products - Automotive/Transport
AWARD CATEGORY:
Design Strategy
INDUSTRY SECTOR:
Automotive/Transport, Industrial/Commercial
DESIGN:
Fusion Capital
EXPORTING to:
6 Countries
1: Entry Introduction
The creation of an enterprise focused on advanced design, engineering and manufacturing opportunities where each division not only feeds from, but also supplies to, each other division, utilising horizontal capabilities across different industry verticals including the manufacture of public buses and the design and manufacture of a supercar.
2: Design Challenge
Against the demise of automotive manufacture in Australia, the challenge was to construct a design led enterprise which had the capability of working across different industry verticals in the transport and mobility solutions sectors, harnessing the latent capacity and capability of the South Australian market. We constructed an agile and multi skilled workforce which could work across the entities within the group, and a supply chain to each business which had an opportunity to be leveraged across the group from an efficiency perspective, reducing piece cost and overhead contributions but more importantly encouraging collaboration on existing and future projects.
3: Design Solution
We acquired a contemporary facility to house all of the projects and IP under one roof encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing across the group, establishing our own “mobility hub” which is design and product focused. The development of a supercar as a “halo” project demonstrated the capacity and capability of the group and encourages engagement across the group through the confidence it engenders from both a design and engineering perspective. The facility layout has been deliberately set out to encourage collaboration and exchange of knowledge as well as an efficient movement of product between divisions.
4: Design Impact
The model works on three levels; first, to deliver products which are innovative and globally relevant; secondly, to attract additional opportunities which are complementary to the current product suite; third, to attract resources who are leaders in their fields who can work across the business divisions as required. Socially we have provided a platform for future development in an area which was hardest hit by the deconstruction of the Australian automotive sector. Environmentally we are very much focused on different driveline technologies, with a focus on lightweight materials to support both vehicle engineering structure and resultant fuel load efficiency.
5: Other Key Features
The genesis of the Fusion group was the joining of two workforces which had previously both been part of tier one suppliers to Automotive OEMs. By combining the best of advanced metal fabrication capabilities from one entity with the mechanical and electrical engineering and assembly capabilities of the other the core team was established to continue to manufacture in Northern Adelaide. This team was taken out of its comfort zone from the safety of commodity supply to an environment where disruption rather than conformity is at its heart. We innovate in our design ethos to create a platform for future growth. Sharing ideas and collaborating both from within our organisation and with third parties is the key to our growth. Integrated within our corporate DNA is the intent to drive engineering performance and design solutions, recognising the value of our people as our most valuable asset to drive value in the business and its performance. We have developed a sustainable manufacturing operation supporting state procurement policy and private customers. We have been able to transfer automotive manufacturing competencies to parallel industries with high growth potential creating R&D partnerships for global supply chain opportunity.
