It starts with a 'why?' That's the philosophy of Green Gravity founder and CEO Mark Swinnerton.
"I'm worried about climate change and what our kids are going to inherit … but I couldn't complain if I wasn't doing everything I could to help."
It is this vision that drives Green Gravity, one enterprise Wollongong City Council is pleased to throw the spotlight on in launching the #MadeInWollongong Business Leader Series, a new initiative highlighting local business leaders who are putting Wollongong on the global map.
Monday's launch saw Mr Swinnerton take Lord Mayor of Wollongong Tania Brown on a tour of Green Gravity's Gravity Lab, providing insight into the company's innovative approach to generating clean energy through repurposing disused mine shafts.
"In simple terms, when the sun shines, we produce renewable solar energy, but we need energy at night too," he said.
"Our simple technology lets us store excess energy by lifting heavy objects up a mine shaft during the day, then releasing that energy by lowering them down at night. The energy just changes its form from potential energy when we lift the object, to kinetic energy when we lower the object.
"We've spent two years here in Wollongong developing a technology that we are now increasingly convinced can make a radical change to our future climate. Everybody in our company is aligned around one simple mission; we are here to knock climate change out of the park, and we measure ourselves on that every day."
The mission has extended the company's reach well beyond its Wollongong base.
"We are servicing national and international markets from the comfort of Wollongong," Mr Swinnerton said.
"We're working with the federal government of Romania to help the transition of coal mining regions using our technology, right through to far North Queensland where we are working with the city of Mount Isa and Glencore to understand how we can repurpose mine shafts in that region to bring renewable energy to northwest Queensland.
"We've been able to show that clean energy technology can be developed in regional Australia, can be deployed in regional Australia, and ultimately we can change the world with these technologies."
Cr Brown said the eye-opening visit highlighted the ambitious vision driving many of our local businesses.
"Wollongong is teeming with inspiring business leaders who are driving our local economy forward and making Wollongong a competitive player on both the national and international stages," Cr Brown said.
"As we approach the five-year midpoint review of our Economic Development Strategy, it's the perfect time to celebrate Wollongong's business achievements and the unique advantages of establishing a business here – from a skilled workforce, to the incredible quality of life our city offers."
Wollongong City Council General Manager Greg Doyle added: "There are remarkable companies in Wollongong solving complex challenges, and this series will help showcase them to a broader audience.
"From clean energy to tech start-ups, Wollongong's business ecosystem is thriving, and we're excited to provide a platform to celebrate, inspire and connect Wollongong's business community."
The #MadeinWollongong series will see one business leader profiled every month, with interviews to be published on the Invest Wollongong website and promoted to a national audience on LinkedIn.
