Australia-based Quickstep Holdings has signed a manufacturing partnership agreement with Italy’s ATR Group to jointly develop advanced composite parts and components for the aerospace sector.

Components will also be manufactured to cater to the automotive industry.

This agreement is part of Quickstep’s three-tiered approach to growth.

The first tier includes the delivery of all existing contract growth and new defence and aerospace business at Bankstown, Australia.

New business opportunities in aerospace, automotive and other industries are intended to be gained using the company’s Qure and the Quickstep Production System (QPS) in the second tier.

“The partnership will primarily focus on establishing sales and parts manufacturing opportunities with customers in both the aerospace and automotive sectors.”

The third tier aims to secure a large programme or inorganic growth opportunities in commercial aerospace, defence, and automotive sectors.

In addition, the partnership will primarily focus on establishing sales and parts manufacturing opportunities with customers in both the aerospace and automotive sectors.

It will also emphasise on commercialising Quickstep’s Qure and QPS technology for the manufacture of advanced composite components and assemblies in the European market.

Quickstep CEO and managing director Mark Burgess said: “Europe is at the forefront of composite material and process technology and our continued investment in that market means it will be a significant growth driver for Quickstep over the next five years.

“Our proprietary out-of-autoclave process technology, Qure, and the Quickstep Production System have been extremely well received by prospective automotive and aerospace customers, as well as leading raw material suppliers.”

ATR Group is currently engaged in the development of advanced composite components for the automotive, aerospace and other industrial markets.

With nine plants in Italy, the company has developed advanced technologies and experience for processing composite materials, using both traditional and innovative production methods.