The Banana Shire Future Industries Demonstration Region (FIDR) is a long-term initiative led by the Strategic Industries Alliance to position the Banana Shire as Australia's leading regional destination for the development, demonstration, validation and commercialisation of future industrial technologies.

Rather than being a traditional industrial estate, the FIDR is designed as a living demonstration environment where companies, researchers, manufacturers and investors can collaborate to solve real-world challenges using advanced technologies.

The Banana Shire offers a unique combination of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, energy and regional infrastructure within a single location. This enables companies to design, manufacture, test and demonstrate new technologies without relocating projects across multiple sites around Australia.

For example, a company developing an autonomous vehicle can:

• manufacture prototype components at Advanced Manufacturing Technologies – Biloela (AMT Biloela);
• integrate systems with local engineering expertise;
• test the vehicle in agricultural, mining or industrial environments;
• demonstrate the technology to customers and investors; and
• refine and commercialise the product—all within the one region.

The Demonstration Region will support innovation across a broad range of sectors, including:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Autonomous Systems
• Robotics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Precision Agriculture
• Mining Technologies
• Renewable Energy
• Circular Economy
• Industrial Automation
• Defence and Dual-Use Technologies
• Smart Infrastructure

The FIDR is designed to attract Australian and international companies seeking to:

• develop new technologies;
• demonstrate products under real operating conditions;
• validate systems before commercial deployment;
• establish regional manufacturing capability;
• collaborate with industry and researchers;
• access skilled workforce development; and
• accelerate commercialisation.

Every organisation that comes to Biloela creates opportunities for local manufacturers, engineers, technology companies, training providers and regional businesses.

Rather than waiting for opportunities to come to the region, the FIDR is designed to bring the companies that create those opportunities to Biloela.

The first major initiative within the Demonstration Region is Advanced Manufacturing Technologies – Biloela (AMT Biloela).

Developed by AUKUS Forum together with Callide Manufacturing Company and SkillsTrain, AMT Biloela will establish Australia's first nationally scalable model for industry-led advanced manufacturing and workforce development.

Initially focused on welding and CNC machining, the model is designed to expand into additive manufacturing, autonomous systems, robotics and other advanced manufacturing technologies while providing the blueprint for future AMT centres across regional Australia.

The Banana Shire Future Industries Demonstration Region is more than a single project.

It is a long-term regional economic development strategy that seeks to attract investment, strengthen sovereign industrial capability, create highly skilled regional employment and establish the Banana Shire as Australia's leading regional destination for future industries.

Our vision is simple:

Make Banana Shire the place where Australia's future industries are developed, demonstrated and commercialised.