Canberra’s submarine flip flop has left industry and key manufacturers high and dry with questions raised about the extent of Australian content in an imported nuclear submarine, and manufacturers with existing contracts with the French Naval Group facing an uncertain future. The former head of Australian Submarine Corporation, which built the Collins submarines, Hans Ohff…
Dominic Spooner founded Brisbane battery casing design company Vaulta in response to the looming environmental disaster of batteries from electric vehicles. Currently they mostly go to landfill, a massive waste of resources and an environmental menace. Here Spooner outlines a design-led solution.
Outdoor recreation infrastructure company Grillex has officially opened a new headquarters in Bundaberg’s Kensington industrial area, and plans to expand by another 25 per cent over the next five years. Grillex was established in 2006 as Unisite and manufactures products such as furniture, bike parking, barbecues, fountains and shelters (pictured) for parks. Around 30 jobs…
By Brent Balinski The 1990s to mid-2000s were a dark era for people who wanted to build worthwhile things, believes Jefferson Harcourt. The Executive Chair of Grey Innovation mentions LA Law on TV and a popular “McKinsey way of axing R&D, a race to the bottom on product, price and features” in companies, and contends…
Mining company Rio Tinto is to more than triple the local electricity network’s solar generation capacity at its Weipa bauxite operations in Queensland as decarbonisation accelerates in Australia’s mining sector. Announcing a new solar farm and battery storage at Weipa today a Rio general manager Michelle Elvy said: “The new solar farm and battery storage…
The federal government has awarded a $2 million grant under the Strategic University Reform Fund (SURF) program to La Trobe University for a regional advanced manufacturing hub at Bendigo.
The reorganisation and diversification of Perth mining equipment manufacturer Austin Engineering under its new CEO, former shipbuilder and Austal boss David Singleton is paying off with the award of a contract to construct five underground mine chute structures (pictured) for PT Freeport Indonesia The work is part of $30 million in contract wins in August…
By James Riley At a time when the economy is reeling from pandemic-related stress, when geo-strategic tensions have put a premium on building sovereign capability, and when the pace of technological change has accelerated, Australia finds itself without an Industry minister. In reality, the Industry portfolio has been rudderless for most of the year, ever since…
Comment by Peter Roberts It has been a long weekend for defence industry watchers but here’s Australia’s submarine decision fallout so far: it is clear we have double crossed Japan; we double crossed France; we ignored our neighbours such as New Zealand and Indonesia; we have enraged China; and made an enemy of the leading…
Author and China watcher, David Thomas looks at the origins of Australia’s foreign policy stance in opposing China, the damage it has already done to our manufacturers and its implications for the economy. It is not good news. By David Thomas Back in April 2020, the Foreign Minister of Australia, Marise Payne, announced on the…
