X-Ray Company makes the move to Tonsley

The developer of an ultra-lightweight x-ray machine is the latest medical device company to make the move to South Australia’s innovation district – Tonsley.

Micro-X has moved to South Australia to take advantage of the State’s growing medical device sector, and Health Industries Minister Jack Snelling said Tonsley was the ideal location for the company.

“Tonsley provides important connections between companies, researchers, grant programs, and market opportunities, with medical devices emerging as one of the leading lights in advanced manufacturing in South Australia,” he said.

“Through an emerging cluster of research organisations and successful companies based at Tonsley, we’re seeing the development of a series of exciting health and medical technology devices. Micro-X will add to this further with the development of its innovative range of x-ray products.”

The company’s investment will create 12 new jobs initially with management, engineering, and final assembly activities underway at Tonsley, while the bulk of early manufacturing activity is sourced from local Adelaide suppliers – contributing to more jobs.

Micro-X expects this will create as many as 70 jobs in the local supply chain within three years.

Manufacturing and Innovation Minister Kyam Maher said the State Government has assisted Micro-X to set-up production at Tonsley with a $3 million loan.

“The company currently has a temporary office and test accommodation at Tonsley while their permanent facility is being constructed. Here they’ll develop, assemble, and export x-ray products to be sold through partnerships with multinational companies around the world,” he said.

“Micro-X has also installed a radiation-safe pod at Tonsley where it has started pre-production testing of its first ultra-light weight x-ray machine.

“South Australia is creating an environment that encourages collaboration and innovation to grow our life sciences industry. We hope the support for Micro-X to build an accredited medical device supply chain in South Australia will help attract other medical device companies to establish operations in the State and Tonsley more specifically.”

Micro-X Managing Director Peter Rowland said the importance of clusters in helping to develop new industries was often underestimated.

“For us the big attraction for a move to Tonsley was the vision of co-locating in an open and collaborative environment of like-minded companies,” he said.

“In a cluster of similar, innovative engineering companies suddenly what you are doing seems normal and that helps everyone involved to learn and grow.”