SPEE3D launched Phase One of NodeZERO in Darwin on 9 November 2026. It is the first of 50 planned small factories, called CriticalSPEE3D, that would make critical metal parts close to mines, ports, gas plants and defence bases. The aim is to avoid waits of months for parts shipped from overseas.
What is NodeZERO and CriticalSPEE3D?
CriticalSPEE3D is a planned network of 50 rapidly deployable factories, each about the size of a basketball court, placed near bases, mines and ports. NodeZERO in Darwin is planned as its hub for training and qualification. Phase One is open to founding members, meaning organisations needing critical parts in Northern Australia and beyond.
Why local production?
Facilities such as gas plants, mines, ports and defence bases can be halted by one missing part, and overseas supply can take months. SPEE3D cites an ABB survey from 2023 putting unplanned downtime for a typical Australian industrial business at A$350,000 an hour.
Process and workforce
At the launch a part was made with Cold Spray Manufacturing. SPEE3D says its technology has been used in 70 deployments worldwide and makes parts in hours. The plan includes Territory-based roles such as operators, CNC machinists, quality assurance and application engineers, trained with Charles Darwin University and TAFE NT, including Indigenous recruitment.
What it means
The concept treats metal AM as distributed spare-part infrastructure rather than a machine purchase, which fits the supply chain logic EU manufacturers also face with long lead times. It remains a plan: only Phase One has launched, and no qualification schemes, prices or delivery dates are given. For adopters, the open questions are how parts get certified for critical use and who staffs such sites. It continues SPEE3D's earlier announcement of the 50-factory plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is CriticalSPEE3D?
It is SPEE3D's planned network of 50 rapidly deployable advanced manufacturing factories across Asia Pacific, making critical metal parts near where they are used.
Who can join NodeZERO Phase One?
It is open to founding members, organisations with a need for critical parts in Northern Australia and beyond, who can register on SPEE3D's website.
