Australia’s place in the semiconductor world – Software may be eating the world, but software is nothing without semiconductors

Due to an unexpected number of high-quality contributions, @AuManufacturing’s Australia’s place in the semiconductor world editorial series has been extended again. Here Mike Nicholls writes that Australia has the opportunity to build a thriving semiconductor industry without investing $20 billion to build a fab. But we do need to get started.  It’s hard to imagine,…

Six commercialisation grants, new plant protein facility opened

Industry minister Ed Husic has announced co-investment into a further six projects under the final tranche of the Commercialisation Fund. The six from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia will share $2,120,496 in federal funding to bring their innovations to market and generate commercial outcomes. When paired with industry contributions and in-kind funding the final tranche…

Bronwyn Fox to head national robotics advisory body

Chief Scientist of CSIRO Professor Bronwyn Fox (pictured) will head a new National Robotics Strategy Advisory Committee to help guide Australia’s strategy for emerging automation technologies. The committee, which meets for the first time today, will work to develop a National Robotics Strategy that ensures Australia harnesses the opportunities from robotics and automation, from advanced…

Researchers see 14-fold improvement in hydrogen production by adding soundwaves to electrolysis

An RMIT University team that has developed a new technique using sound waves to greatly boost the output of hydrogen from electrolysers is currently seeking industry partners to scale up the invention. According to a statement from the university on Tuesday, the researchers had achieved a 14-fold improvement in hydrogen production through electrolysis.  The sound…