BlockTexx wins top prize at the 2025 Banksia Awards

Textile recycler BlockTexx has taken top prize at the long-running Banksia Awards, which were held on Thursday night. The annual Banksia National Sustainability Awards have been running since 1989, and celebrate “innovative, impactful solutions to the sustainability challenges of our times.” BlockTexx was recognised at a gala ceremony in Melbourne for its development and implementation…

Australian exports to US slapped with ten per cent tariff in Trump’s “Liberation Day” address

US president Donald Trump has announced a ten per cent tariff on Australian exports to his country, “starting at midnight tonight”*, with barriers to US beef exports singled out in his justifications. In a “Liberation Day” address on Thursday morning (Australian time), the president said there would be a broad-ranging tariff on all Australian goods…

Defence research projects awarded $3 million in funding

Seven research projects described as delivering “ground-breaking” technologies, ranging from underwater charging stations for uncrewed underwater vehicles to better understanding online communities, have received a total of $3 million in funding from the Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP). The funding, announced on Wednesday, is through DIP’s Activator Fund and Collaborative Research Fund, and is aimed at…

Manufacturing sector struggles continue in March amid uncertainty

Australian manufacturing conditions deteriorated further in March as political uncertainty and global trade disruptions weighed on business confidence, according to the latest Ai Group Australian Industry Index released on Tuesday. The Australian manufacturing PMI fell by 17.8 points to -29.7, deepening the sector’s contraction. This stands in contrast to the S&P Global Australia Manufacturing PMI,…