Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Australia’s AI momentum examined A new report prepared by Forrester Consulting and released by the National AI Centre (NAIC) has identified the potential of AI for Australian businesses as well as current implementation challenges. Australia’s AI Ecosystem Momentum report took feedback from over 200 business decision-makers and AI service providers. The top three benefits were…

If we perfect cultivated meat, we could hedge against food shortages as climate chaos intensifies

By Bianca Le, The University of Melbourne It didn’t get much attention when US President Joe Biden launched a biomanufacturing initiative last September. But it should have. Biomanufacturing is about harnessing nature’s factories – cells – to make just about anything. That includes food. As Biden pointed out, biomanufacturing could boost food security at a time when…

AIM Defence buys high-altitude drone company NearSat

AIM Defence, a company specialising in applications using directed energy and artificial intelligence, has acquired high-altitude long-endurance drone maker NearSat, in a move that AIM says brings together complementary technologies and sees it “bucking the trend of innovative Australian companies being taken offshore”. In a statement on Monday, AIM said it represented a “natural fit”…

What the AUKUS submarine deal means for Australian industry

The three AUKUS leaders, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have emphasised the industry building aspects of the tri-lateral plan to jointly develop and build nuclear powered submarines. The three leaders said in a joint statement: “Together we will deliver SSN-AUKUS – a trilaterally-developed submarine based…

Australia to buy three Virginia class N-submarines, then build 8 in Adelaide

Australia is to purchase three US-made Virginia class nuclear powered submarines and follow on by building eight nuclear powered submarines to a new design designated SSN-AUKUS in Adelaide. To fill a capability gap with the retirement of the Collins class submarines Australia will host American nuclear-powered submarines on a regular basis as early as 2027.…

Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – report card on our capability sectors

Yesterday in our series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – Lance Worrall argued that sovereign capability is about a nation making things it needs, and policy with purpose. Today he identifies Australia’s priority sovereign capability sectors, and reveals where we are falling short. Over 30 years Australia overdosed on neoliberalism. The patient’s disorders include deindustrialisation…

Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – how Covid created opportunity for Key Tubing and Electrical

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Just as this drove manufacturers to new heights during during the Covid-19 pandemic, the same urgency is needed today as the nation rebuilds sovereign capabilities. Today our editorial series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – looks at the fortunes, and future, of one manufacturing SME.…