Tucked just off the M1, equidistant between Sydney and Newcastle, a new kind of industrial facility is taking shape in Ourimbah. The Central Coast Food Manufacturing Innovation Hub, a $17.14 million project fully funded by the Australian Government, is being built with an ambitious promise: to position the Central Coast as a premier destination for food manufacturing.
The project is being driven by Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), a not-for-profit organisation that has long argued the region’s food and beverage sector is being held back not by ambition, but by infrastructure. Located within the region’s $2 billion food and beverage industry, the Hub will offer eight production-ready tenancy lots equipped with pilot manufacturing facilities, intended to help small and medium-sized manufacturers scale production, refine processes and develop new products, while keeping operational costs manageable through shared resources.
For small operators – the kind who typically haemorrhage capital on compliance, equipment leases and production set-up – the proposition is compelling. The Hub offers production-ready, food-grade facilities, shared infrastructure to reduce costs, and technical and business development mentoring that helps SMEs scale faster, more efficiently and with less risk.
At the centre of the facility will be a newly created Manufacturing Advancement Centre. This centre will offer a holistic, pragmatic approach to business improvement for both food and non-food manufacturers. The Hub’s broader vision, according to CCIC, is to function as a collaborative ecosystem – bringing together manufacturers, researchers, educators and service providers to foster innovation across product development, packaging, supply chains and sustainability.
Frank Sammut, Executive Director of CCIC, has been candid about how long this moment has been in the making. “This is a long-time vision that we have had for the Central Coast, and it’s great that we are now on our way to making it happen,” he said.
Crucially, CCIC is not sitting on its hands in the interim. The team has already commenced the development and rollout of industry-led training programs, focusing on manufacturing leadership, product innovation and machine operation, and has established an interim Skills Hub at the University of Newcastle‘s Ourimbah campus. Training is already underway and is open to students, industry professionals, and small business operators alike.
The project is being delivered in partnership with Regional Development Australia Central Coast, Central Coast Council and the University of Newcastle – a coalition that suggests the Hub is designed as much as a long-term regional anchor as it is a short-term business accelerator.
Expressions of Interest for tenancy are open via Central Coast Industry Connect.