Green iron production could boost Australia’s economy by up to $295 billion annually: new report

Producing iron using renewable hydrogen is Australia’s best pathway to remain competitive as the global steel industry decarbonises, according to research published by Deloitte and WWF-Australia on Wednesday. The report, titled Forging Futures: Changing the nature of iron and steel production, assessed different approaches for Australia to support steelmaking decarbonisation in the Asia-Pacific region, which…

Australian company develops vaccine ‘patch’ that could replace needles

Brisbane-based biotechnology company Vaxxas published new research on Wednesday showing promising results for its needle-free vaccine delivery technology. The company’s high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) – a small patch containing thousands of tiny projections coated with vaccine – successfully delivered a DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine in animal testing, according to research published in the science journal Heliyon.…

NSW government releases industry policy, setting manufacturing growth targets up to 2040

The NSW government has released its industry policy, linking three missions: Housing, Net Zero & Energy Transition, and Local Manufacturing, with the latter including what it says are “ambitious” targets around growth in value added and local content in rolling transport stock. According to a statement from trade and industry minister Anoulack Chanthivong on Wednesday,…

Alpha HPA expands supply to the semiconductor sector

Alpha HPA expanded its capability to supply high purity alumina materials to the semiconductor industry, according to a statement released by the company on Tuesday. The company reported recent customer test results and a new Letter of Intent to meet demand from AI-driven data centres and next-generation power electronics. Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) testing confirmed…

Fabricated wood sector tipped to slump 1.4 per cent this financial year

The nation’s $1.7 billion fabricated wood manufacturing industry is expected to return to growth after a decline in revenue of 1.4 per cent in 2024 – 25, though it faces difficulties including plantation tree availability and competition from imports. According to market research firm IBISWorld’s Fabricated Wood Manufacturing in Australia – Market Research Report (2015-2030),…

UQ biotech innovation partnership forges a second startup

A new startup aimed at discovering and developing anti-inflammatory disease medicines has been formed by The University of Queensland’s commercialisation arm UniQuest and global biotech company Molecule to Medicine (MTM), according to a statement released on Tuesday. Curlew Bio will leverage expertise from the Queensland Emory and Drug Discovery Initiative (QEDDI) and research developed by…

Whyalla steelworks was ‘relying on luck for safety’ before administration

The Whyalla steelworks was losing $1.5 million per day before being forced into administration, burning through nearly $320 million in seven months, administrators KordaMentha revealed at a creditors meeting on Monday. The administrators outlined total debts exceeding $1.34 billion, including $189 million in outstanding employee entitlements and $40.2 million owed to the South Australian government…