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…
An ACIL report commissioned in 2019 by the previous federal government evaluating the impact of the Industry Growth Centres initiative has finally been made publicly available. Industry Growth Centres Initiative: initial impact evaluation was published on the industry department’s website on Tuesday. The previously-buried report – which Labor unsuccessfully tried to force the release of…
CSIRO spin-out company Chrysos Corporation has been recognised for the successful commercialisation of PhotonAssay technology, as recipients of the Prime Minister’s 2022 Prize for Innovation. Led by Dr Nick Cutmore, Dr James Tickner and Dirk Treasure the company’s PhotonAssay technology delivers faster, safer, more accurate and environmentally friendly analysis of gold for the minerals industry.…
Latrobe council calls for transition support following paper mill uncertainty Latrobe City Council has said it wants partner with the federal and state governments on “a collaborative transition for the region” required due to the “decline of large industry in past years”. The decline had been exacerbated by a warning from Opal, owners of the…
Gilmour Space Technologies and Macquarie University have announced a partnership to develop and manufacture infrared sensors to be included on a satellite scheduled for launch in late-2023. In a statement on Tuesday, Gilmour said Macquarie’s Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) team was internationally-recognised for its work on precision instrumentation for telescopes. AAO Project Lead Dr Lee…
