Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre

What Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre does

Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre, operating as Powering Australia, is Australia's federally funded Clean-Tech Industry Growth Centre. Established in 2024 under the Future Made in Australia Act, it received A$34 million over five years from the Australian Federal Government to coordinate the development of Australia's battery and clean-tech manufacturing sectors. The organisation operates five nodes across five Australian states, functioning as a national coordination body that connects miners, manufacturers, researchers, First Nations enterprises, investors, and government. Its stated purpose is to move Australia beyond raw mineral extraction into value-adding activities and domestic manufacturing, positioning the country as a competitive clean energy exporter with secure supply chains.

The entity's core offering is a portfolio of ten interconnected sector initiatives — battery manufacturing, critical minerals, First Nations business development, industrial decarbonisation, solar, transport, networks, wind, carbon, and battery training — complemented by three cross-cutting programmes: the Horizon 2035 strategic sector plans, the Battery Workforce and Training Grants, and the Supply Chain Navigator tool. It produces strategic reference documents, national safety guides (e.g., the lithium battery transport guide co-developed with ABRI and Standards Australia), and sponsors vocational training pathways (e.g., North Metropolitan TAFE's Certificate II in Electrotechnology). Underlying these outputs is no proprietary technology stack — the value is in convening authority and policy alignment rather than in commercialised intellectual property.

The business model is non-commercial. Powering Australia does not sell products or services; it is funded entirely through federal government grants and operates as a coordination, facilitation, and standards-setting body. Its customer base is therefore not end-buyers but ecosystem participants — including Pilbara Solar, ABRI, Standards Australia, SunCable, Blackstone Minerals, Australian Vanadium, Ecobatt, Lithium Australia, multiple universities, and over a dozen other industry partners. Leadership disclosed includes Chairman Tim Shanahan and CFO Derek Hall. Headcount is 11–50, consistent with a lean coordination body that outsources execution to its partner network.

Name

Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre

Legal name

Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre

Website

https://fbicrc.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre, operating as Powering Australia, is Australia's federally funded Clean-Tech Industry Growth Centre, coordinating miners, manufacturers, researchers, First Nations enterprises, investors, and government across five state nodes to commercialise battery and clean-tech manufacturing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean-Tech Industry Development & Coordination

NAICS

Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Second-Life & Refurbishment (Repurposing for Stationary Storage) (EUAMALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Structuring & Offtake (PPAs, CfDs, Corporate PPAs, Merchant Strategy) (EUAMAAAE), Renewable Monitoring, Controls & SCADA Hardware Manufacturing (Sensors, RTUs, Meters) (EUAMAHAJ)

Keywords

• Clean-tech industry development
• Battery manufacturing research
• Critical minerals processing
• Workforce training programs
• Industry growth coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Bentley

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Funding: Powering Australia receives $34 million over five years from the Federal Government as part of the broader Future Made in Australia Act, which commits $19.7 billion over ten years to address structural and strategic challenges in the economy. This funding supports industry development across clean-tech manufacturing, collaboration and partnerships, and First Nations business opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Powering Australia is a federally-funded Clean-Tech Industry Growth Centre that coordinates national efforts to develop Australia's battery and clean-tech manufacturing sectors. It operates a portfolio of sector initiatives (battery manufacturing, critical minerals, first nations, industrial decarbonisation, solar, networks, transport, wind, carbon) plus workforce training grants, Horizon 2035 sector plans, and a Supply Chain Navigator tool, connecting miners, manufacturers, researchers, First Nations enterprises, investors, and government across five state nodes.

Product overview

Powering Australia is Australia's Clean-Tech Industry Growth Centre, funded by the Federal Government ($34 million over five years under the Future Made in Australia Act). It operates as a platform of interconnected sector initiatives rather than a single unified product. The organization offers a portfolio of sector-specific programs (Battery Manufacturing, Battery Training, Critical Minerals, First Nations, Industrial Decarbonisation, Solar, Transport, Networks, Wind, and Carbon), complemented by workforce development grants, the Horizon 2035 strategic planning framework, and a Supply Chain Navigator tool. These offerings work together to Connect industry participants, Commercialise clean manufacturing technologies, and build Capability for the workforce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Battery Workforce and Training Grants Grant program that funds workforce capability building to support Australia's clean-tech manufacturing and the broader energy transition. Targeted at industry participants and training providers developing specialised skills for the battery and clean-tech sector.
• Horizon 2035 Sector Plans Strategic sector plans mapping Australia's path to clean-tech leadership across multiple sub-sectors including First Nations, Generation, Industrial Decarbonisation, Networks, Transport, and Carbon. Aimed at industry participants, researchers, and government planners seeking a coordinated national roadmap.
• Supply Chain Navigator Tool connecting participants across the battery and clean-tech supply chain to facilitate collaboration and partnerships. Serves miners, manufacturers, researchers, and other industry participants seeking supply-chain connections.
• Battery Training Program Workforce development initiative building specialised skills required for the energy transition and battery manufacturing sector. Aimed at workers, employers, and training providers across Australia's clean-tech sector.
• Used Lithium Batteries - Guidance on Safe Packaging and Transport (National Guide) National guide developed with ABRI and Standards Australia providing practical guidance on safe packaging and transport of used lithium batteries by road and rail. Targeted at battery industry participants, recyclers, and transport operators.
• First Nations Clean-Tech Business Resources Suite of resources developed in collaboration with Pilbara Solar to help First Nations business owners identify and pursue opportunities in the clean-tech sector. Targeted at First Nations-owned enterprises and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led businesses.
• Horizon 2035: Cleaner Energy Networks (Sector Plan) Sector plan mapping Australia's path to clean-tech leadership in energy networks. Aimed at energy networks industry participants, policymakers, and planners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Received $34 million over five years from Federal Government for industry development

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pilbara SolarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowering Australia collaborated with Pilbara Solar to develop a new suite of resources helping First Nations business owners identify and pursue opportunities in the clean-tech sector. This partnership focuses on First Nations business development and economic empowerment in the clean energy transition.
• Association for the Battery Recycling (ABRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowering Australia and ABRI are jointly funding the development of a new national guide to strengthen safety and consistency in battery recycling. They also collaborated on releasing the Used Lithium Batteries – Guidance on Safe Packaging and Transport by Road and Rail, addressing safety standards for lithium battery transportation.
• Standards AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowering Australia partnered with Standards Australia to release national guidance on lithium battery transport safety, contributing to standardisation efforts across Australia's battery industry.
• North Metropolitan TAFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowering Australia is proudly sponsoring North Metropolitan TAFE's Certificate II in Electrotechnology, delivered through Koomba Birdal for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This supports workforce development and training for First Nations students in the electrotechnology sector.
• AVESSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem, representing industry involvement in the clean-tech manufacturing sector.
• MGPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• WeldAustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing manufacturing and welding industry involvement.
• SunCableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing renewable energy sector involvement.
• Ellis JonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• ArdeaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• PrecisionOxycutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing manufacturing sector involvement.
• AFB (Australian Fertilisers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• Blackstone MineralsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing critical minerals sector.
• EcobattminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing battery industry involvement.
• AAAAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• Lithium AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing lithium battery sector involvement.
• UWA (University of Western Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing academic research involvement.
• TindominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem.
• UQ (University of Queensland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing academic research involvement.
• Australian Vanadium LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing critical minerals sector with focus on vanadium.
• Thorion EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a participant in the Powering Australia ecosystem representing energy sector involvement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Clean Energy Council: The Clean Energy Council is Australia's peak industry body for the clean energy sector, representing hundreds of member organisations. It operates broadly across the same sectors Powering Australia coordinates (solar, wind, storage, networks) and provides an established industry-body parallel.
• CSIRO: CSIRO is Australia's national science agency and a major funder of battery and clean-tech research. It overlaps with Powering Australia's research-commercialisation mandate and is a critical upstream participant in the same innovation pipeline the entity coordinates.
• Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA): ARENA is the Australian Government's primary vehicle for funding renewable energy R&D and deployment. While it operates at larger scale and is a funding agency rather than a coordinating body, its mandate overlaps significantly with Powering Australia's clean-tech industrial development goals.

Direct peers

• MTPConnect: MTPConnect is Australia's Industry Growth Centre for the medical technologies and pharmaceuticals sector. It operates the same growth-centre funding model with government backing, industry collaboration, and commercialisation facilitation, providing a directly analogous governance and operating template.
• Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL): FIAL is the Industry Growth Centre for the Australian food and agribusiness sector. It shares the federally-funded growth centre mandate, sector coordination role, and commercialisation focus that defines Powering Australia's operating model.
• Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC): AMGC is one of Australia's other federally-funded Industry Growth Centres, operating a similar model of national coordination, capability building, and commercialisation support. It is structurally and operationally the closest comparable entity to Powering Australia, just focused on advanced manufacturing rather than clean-tech.
• METS Ignited: METS Ignited is the Australian Industry Growth Centre for mining equipment, technology and services. It shares the same federally-backed industry growth centre mandate, national node structure, and ecosystem-coordination model as Powering Australia, making it a direct functional peer.

Others

• Standards Australia: Standards Australia is a direct partner of Powering Australia (they jointly released the national lithium battery transport guide). As the national standards body, it is an adjacent enabling organisation whose work directly shapes the regulatory environment for the battery sector Powering Australia coordinates.
• ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program: ANU's energy research programs are a leading academic research effort in battery storage and grid integration in Australia. While operating as a university research entity rather than a coordinating body, it is a critical adjacent player in the same R&D ecosystem Powering Australia helps commercialise.
• Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA): The CRCA is the umbrella body for Australia's Cooperative Research Centres. Powering Australia operates under the CRC model and participates in this ecosystem, making CRCA a relevant structural peer for governance and funding model comparability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fbicrc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre