Australia’s place in the semiconductor world: repositioning Australia’s chip industry

Today’s edition of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world takes a look at the growing importance of compound semiconductors. Stef Winwood argues that if Australia invests strategically, with a view to the future, it could carve out a logical niche and realise compound returns The global semiconductor industry is currently a $US 600 billion a…

Six SMEs win naval missile contracts

BAE Systems Australia has announced ‘significant contract awards’ to six Australian SMEs as part of the delivery of hardware and software sub-assemblies for the global Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) programme. BAE Systems and Australian industry partners will deliver sub-assemblies into Block 2 of the ESSM programme under a new three-year full rate production contract with…

Navy to acquire Ocius Bluebottle drones

The Royal Australian Navy has signed contracts to acquire five Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels (USVs) from Australian manufacturer Ocius. In the last 15 months, five Bluebottles under a Defence Innovation Hub contract have already completed nearly 23,000 nautical miles at sea , the equivalent to around the world at the equator. The deal to deliver…

WA and Canberra sign skills agreement

The Australian and Western Australian Governments have signed a 12-month Skills Agreement to address the current skills shortage and deliver Fee Free TAFE and more vocational education places for Western Australians. The Agreement will inject more than $112 million into the Western Australian skills and training sector, and includes approximately 18,800 Fee Free TAFE and…

Australia’s place in the semiconductor world — tech wars and factory floors

Beginning week three of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Sercan Altun considers the role of chips in enabling a nation’s self-sufficiency goals in manufacturing, and the implications for Australia. The seeds of the current “Cold War 2.0” discussions were laid due to a rising China on the global stage, with massive economic and military…

Mars Bars go for paper based packaging

Mars Bars, Snickers and Milky Way will debut locally-created sustainable packaging in 2023 with the launch of recyclable paper based wrappers. Manufacturer Mars Wrigley Australia today committed to transition all chocolate bars made at its Ballarat, Victoria site to a new paper-based packaging that can be recycled via traditional kerbside recycling. In a world first…