The Australian automotive sector is undergoing a transformation, according to the minister for industry, innovation, science and research, Senator Kim Carr, which is good news for process control vendors supplying to automotive manufacturers.
According to Carr, though Australian vehicle production volumes for 2009 fell to the lowest level since 1957, car manufacturers in Australia have emerged as survivors from the global recession.
“The transformation the Australian automotive sector is undergoing gives us cause for great optimism about future economic growth and environmental sustainability in the industry,” said a notice from Carr’s office.
“The strength of the partnerships developed by the Government with companies and unions has allowed the Australian automotive industry to pull through the crisis with productive capacity in place and workforce substantially intact — and this is a cause for celebration.”
According to Carr, annual 2009 vehicle sales in the United States and Japan were down 21.2 and 9.3 per cent respectively on the previous year, compared to only a 7.4 per cent drop in Australia over the same period.
Carr also said that automotive markets locally and overseas are showing signs of rejuvenating with end-of-year increases in sales, including record-highs for Australian vehicle sales in December.