Collaborative project yields “world-first” geotechnical sensor

Manufacturing News, Technology

A project between Geoinventions Consulting Services and Griffith University has yielded a multi-function connected sensor for geotechnical monitoring, which has been patented ahead of production on Queensland’s Gold Coast. The new product “revolutionise traditional geotechnical monitoring,” said David Chuter, Managing Director of the Innovative Manufacturing CRC, which sponsored the collaborative project through its activate program.…

Battery gigafactory set for Geelong

Manufacturing News

New-York-based Recharge Industries is to build a lithium-ion battery gigafactory in Geelong, Victoria to generate up to 30 gigawatt hours of storage capacity. The company announced that it had engaged advisers Accenture as its engineering provider to move forward on building what it envisages as one of the world’s largest gigafactories. At full capacity, the…

NIOA enters US manufacturing with firearms buy

Defence

Privately owned Queensland defence contractor NIOA has entered US military manufacturing with the 100 per cent acquisition of the Tennessee rifle design and manufacturing company, Barrett Firearms. The purchase price was not revealed. Revealing the company-changing move, NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa (pictured) said the two family-owned companies came together out of a shared commitment…

First Graphene and Suvo partner for low emission concrete

Manufacturing News, Technology

First Graphene and Suvo Strategic Minerals have signed an agreement to jointly develop graphene-enhanced metakaolin solutions for the production of low emission concrete products. Technologies from the graphene manufacturer and the producer of  metakaolin, a pozzolanic material derived from fine kaolinite clay, will be used to partially replace traditional clinker which is the binding element…

Australia’s productivity problem part 1, the big issue – by John Sheridan

Analysis and Commentary, Manufacturing News

Australia faces major economic problems, with boosting productivity foremost. Here, in the first part of a two-part series, John Sheridan identifies the major issues. Former Treasury boss Ken Henry said ‘something is desperately wrong’ with Australia’s economy, which is beset by ‘structural deficiencies’ that cannot be fixed by interest rate cuts or government largesse. Dr…

The A$30 billion Sun Cable crash is a setback but doesn’t spell the end of Australia’s renewable energy export dreams

Manufacturing News, Technology

By Bruce Mountain, Victoria University Sun Cable – considered to be the world’s biggest renewable energy export project – announced last week it had entered voluntary administration following “the absence of alignment” with shareholders. Sun Cable is expected to cost over A$30 billion. It proposes to build an enormous, 12,000 hectare solar farm in the…

Why review the Productivity Commission, just ditch this industrial dinosaur

Analysis and Commentary, Manufacturing News

By Peter Roberts The federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has announced an overhaul the economic advisory body, the Productivity Commission, by broadening and deepening its work on economic policy and keeping a central focus on boosting productivity. Well good luck with that. Labor attempted to reform this bastion of neo-liberal economics once before – by moving…

Boost for Townsville green hydrogen hopes

Manufacturing News

The federal government has announced a major boost to the development of a green hydrogen production sector, earmarking $70 million to support the development of a hydrogen hub in Townsville. The Government released guidelines for the competitive Townsville Region Hydrogen Hub programme, which will deliver $70 million towards projects that accelerate the development of a…