Universal Biosensors receives R&D tax incentive rebate Diagnostic test systems manufacturer Universal Biosensors has announced the receipt of $3.9 million in cash as a federal government R&D tax incentive rebate for the 2021 financial year. The company has been widening the capabilities of its flagship Sentia test system for winemaking which is used by winemakers…
Rio Tinto has proven the effectiveness of its low-carbon iron-making process using ores from its mines in Australia in a small-scale pilot plant, and is now planning a larger-scale pilot plant to further assess its potential to help decarbonise the steel value chain. The company’s BioIron process uses raw biomass – wheat straw, canola stalks,…
R&D by RMIT University and Microtec Engineering Group has resulted in a way to convert starches – including from food waste – into a smooth, tasteless fibre that can make foods healthier when used as an additive. According to a statement from the university on Wednesday, “FiberX” can resist digestion in the gut, like normal…
Today our Australia’s place in the semiconductor world series looks at ways Australia can address its precarious dependence on overseas chip suppliers, and the role of defence in this. There is no time to waste, argues Martin Hamilton-Smith. In March 2023 the Albanese government’s Defence Strategic Review will be handed down by Sir Angus Houston…
By Peter Roberts Now that the federal government has released the review into the six Industry Growth Centres, the big question remains – what will be their replacement and will they become true application-oriented innovation organisations we see in the UK’s Catapult Centres and Germany’s Fraunhofer institutes? The recommendations of Industry Growth Centres Initiative: initial…
By Peter Roberts The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has mapped out a pathway to achieving net zero emissions in the alumina refining sector by 2050. The Roadmap provides a framework for future policy and investment decisions and is a call to action for a transition of this ‘hard-to-abate’ sector into an industry capable of…
Mining services group Perenti and automation and robotics specialist ABB has signed an agreement to collaborate and explore approaches to support net zero emissions targets for underground and open-pit mines. Experts from the two companies will work together to address electrification in mine hauling operations, power distribution, energy efficiency and power management. They plan to…
Building products group Brickworks has opened the way to export Australian bricks to the United Kingdom, according to a company investor update. Managing Director Lindsay Partridge said the company’s supply agreement with UK building products distributor Brickability would see the sale of the Sydney company’s bricks in the UK market. Partridge said: “This supply agreement…
