Reactions to the federal budget

A welcome focus on growing Australian capability Industry-research collaboration advocate Cooperative Research Australia (CRA) has praised the focus on growing Australia’s science and technological performance, continued support for Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) funding, and plans to transform Australian R&D. Budget 2024 “has put education, research, manufacturing and industrial transformation at its core” said CRA CEO…

Towards 3% R&D – A future made feeding Australia by Allen Roberts

A loss of sovereign control of industry is a key issue raised in our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – Here, Allen Roberts examines innovation in the critical food manufacturing sector. The recent declaration of ‘A Future Made in Australia’ by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has put the…

Alpha HPA grows first synthetic sapphire used in LED lights

Aluminium chemicals company Alpha HPA’s Alpha Sapphire has successfully grown the first ~300kg of synthetic sapphire crystal boules (pictured) in maiden growth runs from the company’s first two sapphire growth units at the facility in Gladstone, Queensland. The facility, which recently achieved its first small scale commercial production of high purity aluminium nitrate (Al-nitrate,) produced…