Industry Sectors
Just 15 minutes from Henderson and 25 minutes from Perth, Fremantle is on the doorstep of the trade coast and home to some of Australia’s biggest suppliers to WA’s growing manufacturing and logistics sector.
EDUCATION
With a major national university, TAFE WA, specialist maritime training and several other educational institutions all within the city centre, Fremantle is a powerhouse in research and education.
The nationally recognised University of Notre Dame Australia sits within the heart of the historic West End neighbourhood. The campus is a hub for research with ground breaking thought leadership through the Institute for Health Research and Collaborative Research Network.
South Metropolitan TAFE is at the forefront of technical and vocation training and is critical in ensuring the necessary skill base for Perth’s South West Metropolitan Region. The campus specialises in delivering skills to the Aerospace, Maritime and Logistics industries, engineering and mining and building and construction among many others.
MARITIME
The Port of Fremantle handles almost all container trade (more than 800,000 containers PA) for Western Australia. It also provides facilities for livestock exports, motor vehicle imports, other general cargo trades, cruise ships and visiting naval vessels.
Perched on the edge of the Indian Ocean, Fremantle is also home to the Western Australian Maritime Museum, symbolic of Fremantle’s past, present and future as a coastal city and port.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
In 2020 Fremantle was identified by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as a creative and cultural hotspot–one of 18 around Australia:
‘Fremantle has a kind of New Orleans cultural DNA, where live music is cheap and affordable. Fremantle has a unique socio-cultural fabric that has contributed to the city’s large arts community and its reputation as an energetic creative city.’
The creative industries are well represented in the port city. Fremantle Theatre Co, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, Fremantle Arts Centre, Circus WA, Fremantle Chamber Orchestra, DADAA, Artsource, PSAS, Kidogo Arthouse, Art on the Move, Fremantle Press and Fremantle Literature Centre call the city home.
It can be seen in the many supporting businesses and arts organisations based here including film makers and production companies, artists and designers, musicians, performers AR/VR, gaming, architects, and photographers.
SUSTAINABILITY
A long historical relationship with environmentalism born out the working-class port town has flourished into a forward thinking, sustainably minded, environmentally conscious city.
Fremantle sets the gold standard for sustainability not just in Australia, but globally. The City of Fremantle was awarded Global Leader in One Planet City status in 2021–by One Planet Living-BioRegional, UK.
The city boasts diverse sustainability businesses and organisations including a not-for-profit co-working space dedicated to sustainable start-ups and entrepreneurs; a vegan restaurant with an adjoined shop selling Perth’s largest range of zero waste and plastic free products and the Plastic Free July Foundation – a worldwide initiative – was founded by a Fremantle resident.
INNOVATION HUB
Innovation in Fremantle spans many sectors and includes start-ups and entrepreneurs taking their first steps toward idea/product realisation all the way through to innovation focused companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Many of the innovation service providers collaborate, and in conjunction with the City of Fremantle, are working on a project that aims to attract more start-ups & scalable businesses from the blue economy, sustainability, and immersive technology sectors. These sectors represent areas of strength and huge potential for the Fremantle innovation ecosystem.
BLUE ECONOMY
According to the World Bank, the Blue Economy is the ‘sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.’ It involves many ocean activities including tourism, conservation, climate change, waste management, fisheries, maritime transport, and renewable energy.
The National Marine Science Plan 2015-25 projects the sector will contribute $100 billion per annum to Australia’s economy by 2025.
The blue economy in Fremantle spans conservation, tourism, renewable energy, engineering, fisheries, maritime transport, and waste management and supports approximately 1,400 jobs.