Analysis

The young New South Wales government perplexed many when it axed the role of Commissioner for Modern Manufacturing. Here manufacturer Julie Harrison asks ‘where are we headed?’, and offers a way forward. The decision of the New South Wales government to axe the role of Commissioner of Modern Manufacturing just weeks ago came as a…

Manufacturers could be hit by restrictions on the export of fairly commonplace items that could end up in the hands of Russia, now engaged in a brutal invasion of Ukraine, writes Amy McDonnell. In a world first, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States – collectively referred to as the Export…

@AuManufacturing’s Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers campaign has returned, and will culminate with an awards event at Australian Manufacturing Week 2024. Brent Balinski speaks to Martin Ripple from ANCA CNC Machines and Ian Lowrey from Wireman about an always-important topic. Innovation requires a lot. High up on the list are a conviction that things can…

By Peter Roberts Something old and something new has gone into the recipe for the federal government’s new $392 million Industry Growth Program which was announced yesterday. Ostensibly the programme is a replacement for the Industry Growth Centres (IGCs) which saw the establishment of six industry growth centres, now at, or past the end of…

By Brent Balinski The Industry Growth Program, offering grants between $50,000 and $5 million to SME and startup commercialisation projects, started accepting applications on Monday. It will no doubt be useful to a long list of companies. However, the replacement for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme does nothing to address some bigger, more immediate problems.  The mood…

By Peter Roberts As if it is not enough of a slap in the face for Australian technology companies the fact that carbon fibre wheel maker Carbon Revolution was bought by American investors for a song, the next step according to media reports is to manufacture in Mexico. According to Automotive News, the company born…

By Tony Wood, Grattan Institute On Thursday Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced a scheme to underwrite the risk of investing in new renewable energy generation and storage. The expansion of the national Capacity Investment Scheme follows a successful pilot study with New South Wales. The government paid A$1.8 billion for just over a gigawatt…

By Peter Roberts The Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic is to visit Jakarta to further cooperation and collaboration with Indonesia on battery technologies and electric vehicles. Husic’s two-day trip is a long overdue ramping up of Australia’s industrial relationship with our close neighbour – one that has often seemed neglected in recent decades…

Australia’s wine industry recorded the lowest wine production in 15 years in 2022-13, with total sales exceeding wine prodiction, according to new figures from Wine Australia. Total sales of Australian wine were 11 per cent above production in 2022–23 – not enough to substantially reduce pressure on historically high national wine inventory levels Wine Australia’s…

By Peter Roberts Drone manufacture is part of a surprisingly large cohort of robot manufacturers uncovered in a survey of robotics providers in Australia. The survey identified 466 robot and automation suppliers, and while most were essentially service businesses, the study identified 19 percent were manufacturers of robots, including drones. Of the rest 57 were…

Researchers led by UniSA and Swinburne University are searching for companies wanting to develop surface processing capabilities in a planned Surface Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. Here, we explain how Titomic benefitted from collaborative research at Swinburne. Australia boasts one of the world’s largest reserves of titanium, so it follows that incorporating this abundant raw material…

Researchers led by UniSA and Swinburne University of Technology are searching for companies wanting to develop surface processing capabilities in a planned Surface Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. Here, Atif Majeed explains how SMEs can elevate their technological capabilities and develop competitiveness through involvement in a CRC. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are vital catalysts for…

The advent of the National Reconstruction Fund offers the Federal Government an opportunity to learn from past industry programme mistakes, and make the whole process of industry support more efficient, writes Damon Cantwell. The $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund programme is not offering grants, but a mixture of concessional loans, guarantees and some equity positions.…

Researchers led by UniSA are searching for companies interested to develop surface processing capabilities in a planned Surface Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (SMCRC). Here, Tony Peacock explains the seven benefits of the highly successful CRC programme. The Cooperative Research Centres programme is one of Australia’s longest running and most successful R&D schemes. Tens of billions…

Ben Sorensen explains the recently-launched Big Dipper Challenge, and its role as a doorway to the burgeoning space economy and its supply chain. In a bold leap for the Australian manufacturing sector and space exploration, the ELO2 Consortium has launched the Big Dipper Lunar Regolith Acquisition Challenge, a national initiative designed to propel Australia and…

The groundbreaking Australian-made Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal (SpIRIT) nanosatellite has arrived in California for launch in November. This article, adapted from one from the Australian Space Agency, details the technology and the companies behind this achievement. SpIRIT is a joint industry mission led by the University of Melbourne and supported by the Australian Space…

@AuManufacturing’s social media discussion and networking group, the Australian Manufacturing Forum on Linkedin, has passed an important membership milestone. The Forum, Australia’s largest professional social media group of Australian manufacturers, jumped past the 14,000 member mark last night with the admission of new members, bringing membership late yesterday to 14,012. New members in past days…

By Peter Roberts Tired of hearing that manufacturers are rent seekers asking for handouts from the government? Tired of paying tax? Well, now you don’t need to – in Australia corporate tax is somewhat voluntary depending on who you are. Instead of being in the difficult-to-make-a-buck manufacturing sector perhaps you should think about getting into…

By Peter Roberts In the face of criticism that Australia is building the wrong type of naval vessel in a time of rising tension, BAE Systems Australia has revealed a more lethal, attack version of the Hunter class frigate it is building in Adelaide. Conceived as a largely anti-submarine vessel, the nine Hunter class frigates…

By Peter Roberts Shares in carbon fibre road wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution disappeared from the ASX this week as the company’s shares began trading on the US NASDAQ exchange as Carbon Revolution Inc. The US listing was the culmination of a drawn out fight for survival which will see the company continue to manufacture at…

By Peter Roberts Homer called olive oil liquid gold, but to one Australian company its qualities have morphed an idea into an emerging global force in an age old and seemingly unchanging industry in only 25 years. When horticulturalists Rob McGavin and Paul Riordan planted an initial 200 hectares of olives in 1998 it is…

By Reuben Finighan, The University of Melbourne This article is part of a series by The Conversation, Getting to Zero, examining Australia’s energy transition. In Australia’s race to net zero emissions, nuclear power has surged back into the news. Opposition leader Peter Dutton argues nuclear is “the only feasible and proven technology” for cutting emissions.…

By Zdenka Kuncic, University of Sydney and Ruomin Zhu, University of Sydney The world is infatuated with artificial intelligence (AI), and for good reason. AI systems can process vast quantities of data in a seemingly superhuman way. However, current AI systems rely on computers running complex algorithms based on artificial neural networks. These use huge…

Earlier in the week Allen Roberts wrote that Australian owned food products faced extinction in the aisles of Australia’s duopoly supermarkets. Peter Roberts went on the hunt. I am always on the lookout for Australian made and owned products when I go shopping, but even I was not ready for the desert of genuine Australian…

By Peter Roberts It is not surprising that talks for a Europe Australia Free Trade deal have fallen over as Australia has little to give up to the EU and Europe has everything to lose from anything resembling free trade. Australia has systematically dismantled industry protection since the 1980s when there were quotas on imports…

Sara Lee has been billed as the latest Australian food brand to go to the wall – it is actually New Zealand owned. Nevertheless, here Allen Roberts explains why it is next to impossible to find an Australian owned food brand on the shelves of our supermarket duopoly. When I was a boy in this…

By Rod Sims, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Australia has three ways it can help reduce world greenhouse emissions, the only reduction that matters in tackling climate change. First, we can remove emissions from our economy. This will reduce global emissions by just 1.3%, but it must be done so we share…

@AuManufacturing rarely reports the plethora of surveys and studies promoted by vendors who have a vested interest in gaining attention for their products. But occasionally we come across a study such as that from global technology company SafetyCulture, that reveals some uncomfortable facts about how workers feel about their workplaces. SafetyCulture is a company which…

By Peter Roberts The Chairman of Perth international shipbuilder John Rothwell has celebrated a year of massive ups and the occasional down in an upbeat address to the company’s annual general meeting. Rothwell first and foremost celebrated the growth in Austal’s order book to $11.6 billion, if all contract option agreements are exercised. Driven by…

State and territory government expenditure on vocational education and training (VET) totalled $10.9 billion in 2022, according to the latest data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). This expenditure was an increase of $0.4 billion or 4.1 percent from 2021. NCVER’s Government funding of VET 2022 report found that the main expenditure…

Eminent Australian political leader Kim Beazley has weighed in on the AUKUS submarine debate, writing that the submarines were necessitated by Australia’s strategic position in our region. Beazley, a former Governor of Western Australia, Ambassador to the United States and federal opposition leader, said Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines would be worth the wait, and the cost.…

By Bruce Mountain, Victoria University Last night ABC’s Four Corners investigated the problem-plagued Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro power station, focusing on a bogged tunnelling machine, toxic gas and an unexpected volume of sludge. While these specific problems are new, we have criticised this project since 2019 and outlined six key problems even earlier elsewhere. How…

@AuManufacturing’s latest online webinar – Your Digitisation Journey – is now available online for you to view via our YouTube channel. Hear how Christopher Janssen, Managing Director at GPC Electronics, harnessed technology to become Australia’s largest electronics manufacturer. Vanessa Katsanevakis, Director of Sussex Taps talks of the sophisticated manufacturing, materials tracking and storage and metal…

By Peter Roberts ATCO and global gas giant BOC Linde have been selected by the South Australian government to construct a world-first hydrogen power station at Port Bonython, near the industrial city of Whyalla on Spencer Gulf. BOC Linde was seen by many as the front runner among the 29 companies competing to build the…

Cori Stewart and a group of eminent Australians have just returned from Europe and the Middle East, discussing growing manufacturing in a fast decarbonising world, and accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption. In the second part of a two-part series, she visits Germany and the Middle East. The Australian mission spent several days were spent with Germany’s…

Cori Stewart and a group of eminent Australians have just returned from Europe and the Middle East, discussing growing manufacturing in a fast decarbonising world, and accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption. In the first part of a two-part series, she shares insights into the implications of EU decarbonisation, and the growth of manufacturing hubs in Belgium.…

Apprentice and trainee commencements appear to be returning to levels seen before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The Apprentices and trainees 2023: March quarter report shows that apprentice and trainee commencements increased steeply during the pandemic. While they have declined…

By Adam Bartley, RMIT University and Matthew Warren, RMIT University A 12-tonne fishing boat weighs anchor three kilometres off the port of Adelaide. A small crew huddles over a miniature submarine, activates the controls, primes the explosives, and releases it into the water. The underwater drone uses sensors and sonar to navigate towards its pre-programmed…

By Peter Roberts Fortescue plans to make a final investment decision in December on its ambitious plans for large scale hydrogen electrolysers to be sited at Incitec Pivot’s Gibson Island plant in Brisbane. The company issued a statement that US supplier Plug Power was preferred supplier for the proposed 550 MW (megawatt) PEM (proton-exchange membrane)…

By Tony Wood, Grattan Institute Australia has a legislated target to reduce greenhouse emissions, a federal government with commitments to increase the share of renewable electricity and reduce power prices, and a globally important economic opportunity at its feet. In the second half of the government’s current term, delivery looks hard across the board. All…

Former coalition minister for defence industry Christopher Pyne has revealed his dismay at the closure of the car industry which came after a challenge from then Treasurer Joe Hockey for GM Holden to leave the country. Pyne did not express misgivings publicly at the time, but according to an interview in the website of the…

By Peter Roberts Australian economists have long been seen by manufacturers as the enemy as, led by those staffing the Productivity Commission, they have vigorously fought against any form of activist industry policy by government. The view is that policing backing even new industry such as green energy technologies, 3D printing or critical metals processing…

Infection control and dental manufacturer Dentalife has tripled in size over three years and is using collaboration as the catalyst to scaleup even further. Here Brett Henderson profiles the company, and how collaboration in business works. Dentalife is a 25-year-old family business under second generation management that manufactures infection control products and dental materials in…

In the final part of our The New Reinventors editorial series, we hear from BioCarbon. Brent Balinski speaks to co-founder and Director John Mellowes, whose focus has shifted from agricultural clients to those manufacturing steel.   This website regularly reports on the attempts to reduce the greenhouse gas output of steelmaking, which according to the World…

By Alan Finkel, The University of Queensland This article is part of a series by The Conversation, Getting to Zero, examining Australia’s energy transition. Just over a year since US President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, it’s becoming clear this strangely named piece of legislation could have a powerful impact…

The UK government has awarded £3.95 billion to BAE Systems to further design and engineer the UK’s and potentially Australia’s next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine, SSN-AUKUS. With critical decisions being made on sourcing Michael Slattery looks at the difficulties faced by Australian industry to have a meaningful role in the programme. The latest AUKUS contract for…

On Saturday @AuManufacturing reported that with Saudi Arabia inaugurating its first car factory, Australia is now alone among the G20 in not having it own car industry We said: “An outside observer looking in at Australia might surmise that our recent vision has been to consciously de-industrialise.” Here @AuManufacturing readers and members of our Australian…

By Peter Roberts The news from Saudi Arabia is great for the world car industry but marks a new low for Australia’s automotive sector. California electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors has opened the first car manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, as the country makes good on its promise of making automobiles as well as other…

By Muhammad Rizwan Azhar, Edith Cowan University Picture this: you’re cruising down the Great Ocean Road in your brand new electric vehicle (EV), the ocean to your left and the wind in your hair. But what if I told you this idyllic drive could turn into a nightmare, with the faint smell of something burning?…

By age 22, the highest qualification completed for just over a quarter (26 percent) of young Australians is a vocational qualification, while a further quarter (25 percent) had completed a university degree, according to data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). Generation Z: life at 22 uses results from the Longitudinal Surveys…

By Alan Labas, Federation University Australia; Benjamin Matthew Long, Federation University Australia, and Dylan Liu, Federation University Australia Food waste is a global problem with approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted each year throughout the food lifecycle – from the farm to food manufacturers and households. Across the food supply chain, Australians waste around…

By Peter Roberts News that Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance is pushing ahead with its move towards green steel production at the Whyalla steelworks comes as it is clear that the first mover producers of seriously low carbon products can expect strong market demand for their products. GFG’s Liberty Primary Steel over the weekend extinguished its…

By Flavio Macau, Edith Cowan University and Deepa Bannigidadmath, Edith Cowan University As Australia’s housing affordability crisis worsens, governments are spending more on housing. Victoria’s Andrews government has announced a suite of reforms (such as boosting social housing and making planning processes faster) in an effort to get 800,000 extra homes in Victoria over the…

While ABC Bullion is the official manufacturer of the Melbourne Cup, the making of the cup is a true team effort for precious metals producer Pallion Group and manufacturing silversmiths W.J. Sanders. The manufacturing journey starts with the doré (golden) bars, blocks of semi-pure gold and silver produced at the Newcrest Cadia Mine and then…

By Peter Roberts The LIBERTY Primary Steel steelworks at Whyalla in South Australia has unloaded its last-ever consignment of coal as the company continues its transition to green steel production. Owned by GFG Alliance, Liberty set mid September as the closure of its coal-fed coke-making ovens and the transition from a coke-fed blast furnace to…

While Australia talks the big talk about being a critical minerals and battery metals superpower, backed by the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, Australian metals companies continue to be lured overseas by deeper financial markets and more supportive government policies. Element 25 has become the latest to site in the United States where the Biden…

It comes as a surprise to learn that Austrade no longer provides a readily accessible directory of Australia’s manufacturer exporters. Here John Sheridan explains how his new trade showcase is a model for showing Australian capabilities to the world. The Australia – India Export & Trade showcase is a Business to Business (B-to-B) platform designed…

By Elizabeth Thurbon, UNSW Sydney; Alexander M. Hynd, UNSW Sydney, and Hao Tan, University of Newcastle This week, a diverse group of organisations called on the Australian federal government to establish a A$100 billion, ten-year policy package to turbocharge Australia’s green energy transition. Proposed by groups including the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Conservation…

The AROSE consortium and the EPE and Lunar Outpost Oceania consortium are each designing early-stage prototypes of a semi-autonomous Moon rover to be transported to the Moon via NASA. In this contributed article, AROSE outlines the challenges and industry opportunities. When Australia’s Trailblazer lunar rover arrives on the Moon, the remotely operated vehicle will confront…

By Bruno Vicari Stefani, CSIRO and Matthew Wright, University of Oxford Solar panel technology has made enormous progress in the last two decades. In fact, the most advanced silicon solar cells produced today are about as good as the technology will get. So what’s next? Enter “tandem solar cells”, the new generation in solar technology.…

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 5) Neo-Bionica launches onshore critical medical manufacturing process Advanced MedTech contract manufacturer Neo-Bionica has revealed the expansion of its manufacturing services with the launch of its new hermitization capability – a first for Australian industry. Hermitization is a critical…

By Peter Roberts The news that contract manufacturer Neo-Bionica has established Australia’s first facility capability of hermetically sealing implantable medical devices brings to mind the story of how Cochlear’s manufacturing skills in the area kept it from going offshore – and remain a secret of its success. The process of hermitization which Neo-Bionica is now…

By Paul Cureton, Lancaster University Innovative design choices can have a massive impact in the theatre of war, so it is important to understand the principles behind their development. Recent use of low-cost cardboard drones by Ukraine, supplied by Australia, to attack targets in Russia is a good example of how this can work. Australia…

By Tony Wood, Grattan Institute “To ensure Australian consumers continue to have access to reliable electricity supplies, it’s critical that planned investments in transmission, generation and storage projects are urgently delivered.” This week, we heard one of the strongest warnings yet from Daniel Westerman, head of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). So far, media…

By Peter Layton, Griffith University The United States military plans to start using thousands of autonomous weapons systems in the next two years in a bid to counter China’s growing power, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced in a speech on Monday. The so-called Replicator initiative aims to work with defence and other…

Green hydrogen company Hiringa Energy and agricultural and pastoral enterprise Sundown Pastoral Co are creating a world’s first Good Earth Cotton farm which will produce its own renewable ammonia and green hydrogen to decarbonise its operations. Here David Heard explains the implications for agriculture and wider industry. As Australia inches closer to our legislative target…

Renewable power generation’s share of the National Energy Market is showing a sudden and rapid rise in importance with renewables now playing a bigger role in Australia’s energy mix than ever before. The federal government’s March 2023 Quarterly Update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory showed that renewables accounted for 39 per cent of generation…

Australian markets are being flooded with non-compliant products that threaten both consumers and manufacturers alike. Here Neil Clout argues that weak regulations, rarely enforced are eroding Australia’s industrial and skills base. In the vast landscape of global commerce, the competition is fierce, and the stakes are high. For Australian manufacturers, the challenges are particularly daunting.…

A S M Monjurul Hasan asks why we hesitate to embrace the immense potential of energy in industrial progress, and explains why lower power prices are just the beginning. In the realm of industrial energy efficiency, the prevailing narrative has long centred on energy savings, and rightfully so. After all, reducing energy consumption is a…

By Peter Roberts It seems a long time ago that Australia was in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic and novel mRNA technologies were hot news. Though the technology had been around for decades it was the pandemic which saw the first major vaccines made using the genetic technology approved for public use in 2020,…

By Peter Roberts The news was inevitable in a way – the Army has confirmed that it has fired a weapon system at a simulated enemy remotely from an autonomous uncrewed vehicle (see here for full details). The confirmation came in a blandly worded post by the Australian Army on social media that included pictures…

Malware in manufacturing is a bigger problem than many would assume. Here Tony Burnside looks at how cyber criminals leverage the cloud to mount their attacks, and what can be done to protect manufacturing organisations. Most of the headlines around cybercrime and data loss in Australia in recent months – and there have been plenty…

By Peter Roberts It is becoming clear that the Albanese Government is not the panacea many had hoped to see leading to a reversal of the downward slide in the fortunes of Australian manufacturing. While the government is way ahead of its coalition predecessor in tackling the key issues holding back manufacturing – it is…

BAE Systems Australia turned 70 this month, making it one of Australia’s oldest, largest and fastest growing defence manufacturers. Here Ben Hudson reflects on the contribution of the defence sector in Australia to national security and prosperity. All too often I believe we have made a point of focusing on major programme challenges, without reflecting…

On Monday we published part one of this article, concerning what a scaleup company is and why they matter. Today we conclude by looking at what they need. By Brent Balinski. There are 25,000 tonnes of wet wipes thrown out by Australians every year, all made of polyester or polypropylene and therefore non-biodegradable, and almost…

There is something particularly cruel for Australian manufacturing in China’s continuing targeting of wine exports as part of its – failed – attempt to force Australia to toe a more Beijing friendly policy line. With China’s recent move to remove crippling trade sanctions on Australian barley holding up hopes for wine, nothing is sure and…

ADVERTISING FEATURE By Stéphane Marouani The automotive field has historically been a rich area of innovation, with increasing vehicle complexity and tight production schedules requiring the adoption of new tools and techniques to build a differentiated product. More recently, automotive engineers are faced with new obstacles as they are tasked with integrating AI into vehicle…

Following last week’s 2023 National Manufacturing Summit in Canberra, Weld Australia has issued a call for transformative national policy that delivers secure supply chains and a diverse renewables and clean energy economy, sustained by the manufacturing industry. Here Geoff Crittenden writes that Australia must take inspiration from the United States, and their Inflation Reduction Act…

By Peter Roberts Queensland, a state only a few years seemingly totally committed to coal fired electricity generation as well as fossil fuel export, is putting on a greener front as investments in green energy reap quick results. According to the government the state is halfway to achieving its 2030 renewable energy target with a…

By Sarah Wilson, University of Technology Sydney and Rachael Wakefield-Rann, University of Technology Sydney There’s growing global concern about potential risks to human health and the environment from a group of industrial chemicals commonly known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals”. While the full extent of harm from PFAS is still emerging, the fact these chemicals…

We know that increasing manufacturing production in Australia would bolster employment and GDP growth. But as Trent Bagnall argues, this won’t change when most venture and development funding is directed to areas other than hardware. Historically, Australia’s manufacturing sector has struggled to secure key funding necessary for growth. This is despite many of our core…

By Peter Roberts It was back in the 1980s in Sydney that I met an obscure professor of biomedical engineering from the University of New South Wales, Peter Farrell (pictured). He had most recently headed the Baxter Center for Medical Research in Australia and even then you could tell he was destined for something big…

In the first part of a two-part series we consider the importance of scaleup manufacturers. Brent Balinski spoke to some fast-growing manufacturers and other experts about the subject. Adam Gilmour describes himself and his team as “super-busy” assembling an orbital launch vehicle and launch site when asked. Gilmour Space Technologies has been focussed on rockets…

By Peter Roberts The news has been full of worrying stories of late that the climate might be at that dreaded tipping point where runaway climate dislocation is really going to start affecting us in our everyday life – including the ability to carry on business as normal. From Australia’s terrible bushfires only a few…

Australian battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance believes Australia is now at a point where it’s equally cost-effective for SME businesses to harness the power of the sun and store it in batteries as it is to tap into the grid. Based on the default market offers (DMO) recently announced by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), this…

The manufacturing sector has continued its trend towards contraction in July, with the Ai Group Australian Industry Index losing 2.8 points to -14.7 points – the broad gauge of industry conditions has been negative for the past fifteen months. Meanwhile the Australian PMI indicator which focuses more closely on manufacturers fell to -25.6, indicating contractionary…

By Melita Jazbec, University of Technology Sydney; Andrea Turner, University of Technology Sydney, and Ben Madden, University of Technology Sydney Most Australian food waste ends up in landfill. Rotting in the absence of oxygen produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. While some facilities capture this “landfill gas” to produce energy, or burn it off to…

The latest Harvard Kennedy School Economic Complexity Index (ECI) rating has seen Australia’s ranking plummet to 93rd, placing us between Uganda and Pakistan in the bottom third of monitored nations for economic complexity. Here Jeffrey Lang points to the root of the nation’s industrial problems. The problem is Australia’s sovereign capabilities is centric to still…

Gas manufacturers have reacted strongly against moves by Victoria to ban new gas connections. Here Jon Seeley, whose company manufactures the Braemar range of gas appliances and Seeley air coolers, attacks the decision for driving up emissions. The Victorian Government’s foolish and short-sighted ban on gas in new homes will only push emissions higher and…

Australia’s overreliance on exporting largely undifferentiated commodities has been laid bare in data released by the Harvard Kennedy School which shows that the country’s Economic Complexity Index (ECI) rating has plummeted to 93rd, down 12 positions in the past ten years. The Harvard Index systematically ranks 133 countries by their ability to manufacture and export…

Will artificial intelligence replace human beings? Could it turn against its creators? Does it represent a danger for the human race? By Patrice Caine. These are just some of the questions that have been stirring up public debate and the media since the mass deployment of generative AI tools and the sensationalist statements of a…

By Roy Green, University of Technology Sydney This week’s appointment of Wayne Swan’s former chief of staff Chris Barrett to head the Productivity Commission puts the annual Trade and Assistance Review it released this month under a more searching spotlight than usual. Remarkably, the Commission used the review to target one of the key policies…

In recent days @AuManufacturing readers have critiqued federal governments efforts to ‘reform the Productivity Commission (see below). Here in our final part of a series, Tim Buckley argues Australia cannot afford more of the same from the PC, which continued to misread profound societal and economic change underway globally. Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ announcement yesterday of…

The federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has given the new chair of the Productivity Commission Chris Barrett an impossible job, argues John Sheridan. If we can no longer measure productivity in a digital age – and we can’t – how can any amount of reform of the PC help boost national productivity? Workplace productivity comparisons mean…

The scale of the renewables boom facing Australia is becoming clearer, with the task emerging as a vast one which carries with it vast opportunities. According to the Head of Policy with the Australian Constructors Association Robert Sobyra: “The renewables boom has just begun. “The 12 months to March 2023 saw a record $20 billion…

By Louise Dorignon, RMIT University and Trivess Moore, RMIT University Huge sporting events come with substantial public investment in housing. After Melbourne hosted the 1956 Olympics, about 600 houses in the athlete village became public housing in West Heidelberg. After Melbourne hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athlete village in Parkville was largely sold off,…

By Peter Roberts The Treasurer Jim Chalmers has opted for gradualist reform of the much criticised Productivity Commission, appointing a former Labor Party staffer to be the commission’s new chair. Chalmers appointed Chris Barrett (pictured) as the new Chair and said ‘to build a stronger economy, we need to build stronger economic institutions – and…

The local space sector was shocked when the federal government cancelled the National Space Mission for Earth Observation (NSMEO). However, industry understands the government’s pivot, and still has a critical role to play in lessening Australia’s dependency on foreign countries for our space services, writes Andrew Mannix. Space underpins our technologically advanced way of life.…

The federal government recently cancelled a number of key space initiatives, including funding for the Access to Space and National Space Mission for Earth Observation programs. Rather than assess the merit of these decisions, I’d rather emphasise the importance of space to our country. By Adam Gilmour. You’ve probably heard this before… but space technology…

By Peter Roberts Sydney vitamin manufacturer Blackmores has fallen victim to foreign takeover and will be removed from listing on the ASX. Japanese company Kirin Holdings, best known as a beer and beverage group, is to buy the company in a takeover valuing the business at $1.8 billion. The friendly takeover by the member of…

By Peter Roberts It seems state governments are back in the venture capital game, and brazenly so. Provision of venture capital with its inherent risks and risky lending by state banks was on the nose only recently with the collapses of government ventures ranging from the Victorian Economic Development Corporation to the South Australian State…

This week’s report from the Productivity Commission targeted Australia’s energy policies as a form of industry assistance – anathema to the dry economic policy group. Here, Roy Green finds the Commission out of touch with Australia’s needs. This is another tiresomely predictable and formulaic report from the Productivity Commission. Ironically it takes issue with the…

MicroBioGen is breeding world-renowned microorganisms, and believes these could be useful in everything from baking better bread to deep space travel. Brent Balinski visited the company’s lab and heard about how baker’s yeast is ancient and ubiquitous, yet remains full of untapped potential. Based in Northern Sydney’s Macquarie Park is a company dedicated to extending…

By Peter Roberts That old industrial relic the Productivity Commission has released its latest Trade and Assistance Review, 2021-22 (TAR), and you have to hand it to them, they are really on the ball. Having spent past decades searching out the evil of tariffs and non tariff trade barriers, they have now woken up to…

The Australian PV (photo voltaic) Institute (APVI) will examine opportunities in Australia for the development of elements of solar PV supply chains. The APVI, a non for profit member body that provides data analysis and collaborative research, has already conducted a market assessment report which expressed concern about Australia’s reliance on China for solar PV…

By Peter Roberts The Minister for Climate Change and Energy has celebrated a year of achievement on tacking climate change, lambasted the climate ‘fantasy’ of the former Morrison government and outlined his next task – the creation of sector specific decarbonisation plans. In a major speech to the Clean Energy Council Bowen said he would…

By Peter Roberts There is a huge amount of hype around new energy sources to replace fossil fuels and none more so than the phenomenon of small modular nuclear reactors (SMR). But the hype remains just that according to the latest GenCost 2022–23 study released today by CSIRO and Australian Energy Market Operator. While SMRs…

Australia and New Zealand metals distributor and processor Vulcan Steel has further pared back its full year earnings forecast following higher than expected costs for the integration of the Ullrich aluminium businesses. The Australian and NZ listed company said EBITDA for the 12 months to June 2023 would be between NZ$205 to $209 million, down…

By Peter Roberts The Queensland government has celebrated further progress on two of what the state says are two of more than 50 green hydrogen projects currently underway across the state. The progress in Queensland, and other states, confirms that exports of green hydrogen and ammonia promise a new commodities boon, though this time of…

By Lauren Sanders, The University of Queensland The AUKUS partnership between Australia, the US and the UK isn’t just about nuclear-propelled submarines. It also includes an information exchange agreement related to a number of new advanced technologies. These include cyber capabilities, electronic warfare, quantum technology, hypersonics, artificial intelligence and autonomous military capabilities. Although the partners…

By Tien Huynh, RMIT University; Everson Kandare, RMIT University, and Nattanan Chulikavit, RMIT University Australia is no stranger to fire-related disasters. The country experiences more than 17,000 residential fires each year. Each winter brings an increase in potential fire hazards due to the use of heaters and candles. Couple this with our already fire-prone vegetation,…

Liberty Primary Steel (LPS) the operator of the Whyalla blast furnace has announced another step in its journey to lower emissions from its primary steel making operation in South Australia. The company, owned by Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, has started post-coke oven operational trials at the steelworks as the transition to low carbon steelmaking continues.…

By Peter Roberts One of the most recurring themes in defence media nowadays is that Australia should build more Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyers (picture). Hardly a week goes by without a story appearing somewhere of Spanish shipbuilder Navantia who designed the ships ‘ramping up their campaign’ to build more of the vessels to add…

By Peter Roberts Defence, space and communications manufacturer Electro Optic Systems has beefed up its finances achieving a net cash balance of $42.2 million as at June 30 as it expands to cater for a raft of major new orders. On 30 June the Canberra company received a $17.2 million tax refund from the federal…

Australian manufacturing has the opportunity to restructure, grow and prosper if it can harness the power of data to power up operations. Utilising the cloud opens the way for increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved productivity, writes Warren Zietsman. The year is 1948. Australia is three years into its post-great war recovery, and a local…

Australians were rightly aghast when the titanium and composites underwater vehicle Titan failed during an inspection tour of the wreck of the Titanic. This story on the voyage to the bottom of the deepest part of the oceans by film maker James Cameron, first published in June 2012, illustrates the efforts that go to making…

@AuManufacturing concluded its Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers campaign this week with an event at the Clayton Hotel on Tuesday. Below is the introductory speech, reflecting on what came out of our four-month effort.  I thank everyone in this room for coming out to this breakfast event, to meet with your peers, and to celebrate…

When @AuManufacturing and the Australian Manufacturing Forum embarked on a quest to identify and celebrate Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers, we weren’t sure what we would find. Well, we have been overwhelmed with nominations from many companies we report on regularly, and from many we had only ever heard about but had never heard from…

By Peter Roberts Federal, State and Territory Skills and Training Ministers met on Friday to progress key reforms to vocational education and training (VET) and the development of a new National Skills Agreement (NSA). Afterwards they put out their usual post-meeting statement listing what was discussed – a long, rather dry but worthy communique has…

Our profiles of nominees for @AuManufacturing’s Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers campaign continue with Open Welding. Brent Balinski speaks to founder and Technical Director Malcolm Rigby. He doesn’t use the word “Eureka moment”, but Malcolm Rigby had one of those a few years ago during a phone call about a shielding gas mixture. Rigby was…

The federal government has moved on its promise to rebuild Australian rail manufacturing and make more rail rolling stock in Australia – however it appears to have forgotten to include any actual rail manufacturers in their plans. Today the Assistant Manufacturing Minister Tim Ayres announced the appointment of Ms Jacqui Walters (pictured) to the role…

By Peter Roberts Australia’s hopes of becoming a green hydrogen and ammonia force are a matter of production push and customer pull – will we get our act together and invest the billions needed to produce green fuels and will there be customers be willing to buy the resultant outputs? The former is a bit…

By Peter Roberts When Ford Australia stopped making cars in Australia in 2016 it retained a significant workforce including perhaps 1,000 engineers involved in engineering and designing new vehicles. Their skills with technologies such as finite element analysis for analysing designs and their design flair was said at the time to ensure the continued life…

By Peter Roberts The Clean Energy Finance Corporation – which styles itself as Australia’s green bank – is to receive $20.5 billion in new capital from the federal government to accelerate progress towards net zero emissions by 2050. This acknowledgement of the success of the CEFC model comes as the corporation survived efforts to abolish…

By Peter Roberts Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy aims to increase the value added onshore to Australia’s vast mineral resources, rather than simply exporting undifferentiated mineral commodities. However it stops short of being the comprehensive policy we need to develop value-added industries. The strategy sets out a vision to grow our critical minerals wealth, create…

Western Australia has joined South Australia in ambitions to create a green steel manufacturing capability, with the release of a new report by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA). The Western Australia’s Green Steel Opportunity report maps five ways WA iron ore can be used to reduce emissions from steelmaking: Green iron ore…

Munitions manufacturer NIOA Group CEO Rob Nioa has attacked Australia’s continuing reliance on importing foreign weapons systems and called on the country to mobilise its industrial base to deter potential threats. The head of Australia’s biggest privately-owned supplier of munitions to the ADF said the consequences of outsourcing military production could be dire against a…

By Peter Roberts I have just been reminded by a former colleague of the bad old days when policy, any policy, favouring manufacturing was seen as protectionism and picking winners. Those times lasted for decades, with the Productivity Commission and the Coalition weaponising the words against manufacturers. My former colleague asked: what government policy is…

Businesses must get better at transforming themselves to seize new opportunities rather than focussing on business as usual, according to a new survey by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). The report – Dynamic capabilities: How Australian firms can survive and thrive in uncertain times – reveals the results of the first broad…

Australia really is a land of opportunity for the development of a massive green steel industry powered by renewables and green hydrogen production according to a new study just published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. According to Geoscience Australia: “This exciting release, a collaborative effort with our research colleagues Monash University shows how…

By Peter Roberts Infrastructure minister Catherine King has announced the appointments to the Board of the High Speed Rail Authority after a ‘merit-based process. According to a statement: “This process has resulted in a Board comprising the appropriate skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience to best bring high-speed rail to reality.” While the new board is…

Coal’s future as a source of electricity isn’t what it used to be, writes Jan Kwak, but the material could be a rich source of industrial chemicals. In this article he considers the challenges and opportunities involved. Australia, renowned for its abundant coal reserves, has long been a major player in the global mining industry.…

By Peter Roberts Perth international shipbuilder Austal has hosed down speculation that it could be involved in merger and acquisition activity or subject to takeover interest following a run on its shares. The Perth company’s shares closed on the ASX last night at $2.21, having risen steadily from $1.60 in mid-May, a rise of more…

The Australian manufacturing landscape is littered with the remnants of once-great manufacturers that abandoned local manufacturing and took to importing. To finance types no doubt this offshoring path seemed like a good idea at the time, but in practice these companies have mostly gradually faded from view. One such manufacturing icon – and here icon…

Since 2000, global investment in research and development (R&D) has tripled to $2.4 trillion and, as Australia’s innovation effort has faltered, the top countries just keep on going further and further ahead. The infographic, from Visual Capitalist, ranks the world’s most innovative economies using data from the UN’s WIPO Global Innovation Index. What Defines an…

By Peter Roberts Occasionally a Senator provides a powerful demonstration of the value of Senate Estimates hearings to lay bare the inconsistencies and contradictions that prevent governments from achieving their aims. Last week we witnessed just such a seminal performance by South Australian Liberal Senator David Fawcett who calmly and methodically uncovered the gulf between…

Robert Bosch Australia is to close its Clayton, Melbourne factory manufacturing diodes – closing one of the few large scale semiconductor manufacturing operations in the country. The Melbourne facility is the sole Automotive Diode factory for the Bosch group, supplying up to 60 million diodes annually. Bosch itself hasn’t been a customer for the Australian…

By Peter Roberts Emeritus Professor Maria Skyllas-Kazacos (pictured) is a name few know, but we all should, as she is one of the most brilliant and somehow unappreciated innovators this country has ever produced. Ms Skyllas-Kazacos’s name re-emerged this morning with an announcement that she had joined a Technical Advisory Group of critical mineral processing…

A review study looking back at the effects of Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and restrictions on the VET sector has reaffirmed the particularly negative effects of the pandemic on apprentices and trainees. The study, the Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on VET by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), showed more than one in…

By Pascal Scherrer, Southern Cross University This week in Paris, negotiators from around the world are convening for a United Nations meeting. They will tackle a thorny problem: finding a globally binding solution for plastic pollution. Of the staggering 460 million tonnes of plastic used globally in 2019 alone, much is used only once and…

UK billionaire Sanjeev Gupta has again relied on his successful Australian steel businesses to bolster his GFG Alliance group’s finances, with steel manufacturer and distributor Infrabuild confirming a new secured loan. InfraBuild closed a $537 million (USD350 million) Senior Secured Asset-Backed Term Loan led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock and Silver Point Finance.…

As readers of this website will know, nominations closed on Friday for @AuManufacturing’s very first Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers campaign.  How was the response, you ask? Let us say that we are stunned. Shocked. Unable to stop smiling. Being the first time we have run this campaign, we were of course unsure of what…

The Executive Chairman of steelmaker GFG Alliance Sanjeev Gupta has urged Australia to forgo the export of green hydrogen in favour of making green iron and steel onshore. The owner of the Whyalla steelworks and distributor Infrabuild told the Australian Hydrogen Conference in Brisbane that Australia had a generational opportunity to lead the global race…

In today’s installment of Celebrating Australian Made – our two-week editorial series sponsored by Australian Made – we catch up with Sebel, which has manufactured a place to sit for countless people. Brent Balinski speaks to Shane Fellowes. In 1974, the world’s first monobloc plastic moulded chair, Sebel’s Integra, went into production. Engineer Harry Sebel…

By Peter Roberts Following a period of public consultation the federal government has updated the List of Critical Technologies that it believes will help secure Australia’s future. The updated list differs from that previously announced by the coalition, though in most cases one suspects that they cover the same ground, with only a different upfront…

The head of the company developing Australia’s first rare earths metals refinery has urged companies to produce high value rare earth metals locally rather than exporting ores overseas. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Iluka Resources Tom O’Leary told the company’s annual general meeting that the key Australian rare earth resources – neodymium, praseodymium,…

Micro and nanoplastics are pervasive in our food supply and may be affecting food safety and security on a global scale, according to a new study led by science agency CSIRO. The study is one of the first to analyse the academic literature on microplastics from a food safety and food security risk viewpoint, building…

To close out the first week of Celebrating Australian Made, our editorial series sponsored by the Australian Made Campaign Limited, we consider Kilmaille Knits. Brent Balinski speaks to founder Sue McClure. Sue and Malcolm McClure are fifth-generation wool growers, with mothers and grandmothers who were passionate knitters. “Synthetics sort of came in during my childhood,”…

Today in our editorial series Celebrating Australian Made, coinciding with Australian Made Week, we look at how steel producers are moving to embrace green steel production technologies which will flow through to the entire steel value chain, including numerous Australian Made licensees. By John Noonan Europe introduces a carbon border tax in 2026, but will…

By Susanne Becken, Griffith University; Brendan Mackey, Griffith University, and David Simon Lee, Manchester Metropolitan University The global airline industry is fast recovering from the unprecedented pause to flying imposed by COVID-19. In some parts of the world, such as the Middle East, airlines are even expanding rapidly – well beyond pre-pandemic levels. But how…

Australian manufacturers expect to increase production volumes in the next 12 months, supported by higher capital expenditure and investment in technology, a new CommBank report shows. The new 2023 CommBank Manufacturing Insights Report reveals that 72 per cent of manufacturers in Australia expect to increase production levels in the next 12 months, while the same…

You may have noticed changes being rolled out on the look and feel of @AuManufacturing. Welcome to our new look – our first refresh of the look of the news website of the Australian Manufacturing Forum Linkedin discussion and networking group since our founding five years ago. The home page is most changed, with a…

In the third day of our sponsored editorial series Celebrating Australian Made, coinciding with Australian Made Week, we look at a company making use of an iconically Australian plant. Brent Balinski speaks to Kerry de Pagter from Lemon Myrtle Fragrances. Not every family wants or is able to operate a business together. But for the…

For the first company profiled for Celebrating Australian Made – @AuManufacturing’s new series sponsored by Australian Made – we look at Dresden Vision. By Brent Balinski. Henry Ford is supposed to have told a meeting of his salespeople that, “Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it…

By Jarryd Daymond, University of Sydney Imagine a world where computers can solve complex problems in seconds, making our current devices seem like mere typewriters. These supercomputers would revolutionise industries, create new medicines, and even help combat climate change. Imagine as well we could observe the workings of our own bodies in unprecedented detail, and…

Companies, industry groups and experts comment on last night’s Budget 2023 – this is what they said. Green technology developer Fortescue Future Industries welcomed the budget’s Hydrogen Headstart announcement which ‘demonstrates how seriously the government is taking the green hydrogen industry’ and its critical role in Australia’s future. FFI said in a statement: “This is…

On the opening day of Australian Manufacturing Week, @AuManufacturing and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre held a special event: Lessons from Australia’s most innovative manufacturers. Below is the introduction speech from the event, covering some of what we’ve learned so far from @AuManufacturing’s ongoing search to identify and celebrate Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. By…

Budget 2023 provided $392 million for an Industry Growth Program to maximise the return on taxpayers’ investments and provide a clearer pathway for entrepreneurs to develop businesses for later consideration by the government’s $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. By Roy Green. The new Industry Growth Program is a modest but well considered recognition of the…

By Peter Roberts Much of the federal government’s 2023 budget has been leaked in advance, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers held back a few morsels including good news for the Industry Growth Centres in his official budget speech delivered in Canberra tonight. In a budget the government characterised as prudent – it predicts a rare surplus…

A vigorous campaigner for truly sovereign, Australian defence SMEs, Nova Systems Chief Executive Officer Jim McDowell, is to leave his job for a new role with the Department of Defence that will help shape the future of industry. McDowell will leave the largely consulting services company to take up the appointment of Deputy Secretary Naval…

For the latest nominee profile in our Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers campaign, we look at XFrame, a New Zealand-born company with a Meccano-like approach to construction. Brent Balinski spoke to the company’s CFO Simon McKean about building industry circularity. The amount of material used and created by the construction and demolition sector is huge:…

The government should prioritise building sovereign capability, argues Martin Ripple ahead of Tuesday night’s federal budget. As we are awaiting the budget announcement, it is crucial that the federal government addresses the issue of sovereign capability in the country’s manufacturing industry. Australia has the highest dependency on manufactured imports and the lowest level of manufacturing…

Our sponsored series reporting on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event continues with a look at additive manufacturer Titomic’s work in defence. Brent Balinski speaks to the company’s Dominic Parsonson about the potential in lightweighting and supply chain optimisation. Titomic’s story will be well known to many of this website’s readers,…

By Peter Roberts Cold cathode X-ray machine manufacturer Micro-X has announced the appointment of Kingsley Hall (main picture) as Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of company founder Peter Rowland (pictured, below). Hall’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer comes at a time when the company has identified the need for a shift of emphasis from…

In the latest interview with a nominee for our Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers list, we learn about MGA Thermal. Brent Balinski spoke to Chief Commercial Officer Mark Croudace about the importance of novelty.  MGA Thermal, one of the high-profile startups in Newcastle’s attempt to reposition itself in the energy transition era, is in the…

Today @AuManufacturing continues our sponsored series reporting BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event we look at burgeoning partnerships in naval ship construction. By Professor John Spoehr. In much of life, success is the sum of a lot of parts. This is inherently true in the defence sphere. Australia is embarking on…

By Peter Roberts The federal government has entered into an agreement to buy defence radar systems manufacturer, CEA Technologies, ultimately creating a new Government Business Enterprise (GBE). CEA’s sophisticated radars are standard on board Royal Australian Navy vessels and are currently being retrofitted to Australia’s ANZAC class frigates in a major upgrade by BAE Systems…

Yesterday in Part 1 of this two-part analysis, Sarah Pavillard outlined the policy needed to support SMEs into AUKUS supply chains. Today, as we continue our sponsored series reporting BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event, she argues that industry needs to come to the party too. The AUKUS agreement is a…

By Brian Schmidt, Australian National University This article is part of our series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it up for the next decade and beyond”. A review team is due to finish a draft report in June…

@AuManufacturing today launches a sponsored series reporting on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event which kicks off in Adelaide next week. In this launch article, Peter Roberts explores the relationship between defence contractors and local industry. With the release of the federal government’s Defence Strategic Review we now have a clearer…

By Peter Roberts The navy emerged from the Defence Strategic Review released on Monday as the future of Australia’s defence posture, but there are warnings that some programmes might be cut in favour of others, and that a big shakeup is in the wind for naval shipbuilding in Western Australia. One thing the review did…

Today we present the eighth profile from our ongoing campaign to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. Brent Balinski speaks to Dario Valenza from Carbonix, who shares an approach applied at every place the company works to innovate. Adapting his expertise in carbon fibre composite boat-building to uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) about a…

By Hussein Dia, Swinburne University of Technology Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, released on Wednesday, details the government’s long-awaited plans to accelerate the adoption of these vehicles. Consultations on the strategy began last September. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, then promised the strategy would make Australia a globally competitive market for…

@AuManufacturing is searching for Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers, and today we feature our latest nominee for recognition, technology investment powerhouse PPK Group. Here, Peter Roberts interviews co-founder and Executive Chairman, Robin Levison. Robin Levison is an unlikely entrepreneur focussing on commercialising university research in the advanced manufacturing of totally new materials. His background is…

By Leanne Wiseman, Griffith University and John Gertsakis, University of Technology Sydney When you buy a product, you expect to be able to repair it. The problem is, many modern products are designed so that you can’t fix them. Vital parts are inaccessible. Or you have to go through the manufacturer, which may well just…

Innovation and entrepreneurship researcher Chad Renando has released an updated map of the Australian Innovation Ecosystem which shows the location and role of over 3,450 active in the sector in 3,744 locations around the country. Renando, the Managing Director of Global Entrepreneurship Network Australia, has updated the interface which allows people to zoom into the…

By Peter Roberts Leading beverage manufacturers have now put their past, vigorous opposition to container deposit schemes behind them and have strongly backed the new CDS Vic scheme announced by the state government last week. Lion, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Asahi Beverages, all members of not for profit group VicReturn which has been appointed as…

For the sixth profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list, we learn about Wireman. Brent Balinski speaks to co-founder Ian Lowrey about how the fencing products company decides on the right problem. Five-year-old business Wireman has a simple mission. It gives its value proposition as: “Tools and equipment that make…

By Joel Gilmore, Griffith University and Tim Nelson, Griffith University After more than five decades, the last operating units of the Liddell coal-fired power station will close this month. The station’s owner, AGL, is Australia’s largest carbon polluter. Liddell’s closure will reduce the company’s emissions by 17%. Liddell, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley,…

By Dominic Zaal, CSIRO Australia’s transition to renewables is gathering speed, but there’s a looming problem with storage. We will need much more long-duration storage to get us through the night, once coal and fossil gas exit the system. We also need to find new and better ways to create heat for industrial processes. Renewables…

Sharemarket analysts Pitt Street Research have released a positive appraisal of medical imaging company Imagion Biosystems and its MagSense non-radioactive and safe diagnostic imaging technology. Specialised MagSense nanoparticles are coated with tumour targeting antibodies and can be administered by simple intravenous injection. Weak, but highly sensitive magnetic fields are used to locate the nanoparticles which…

Defence SMEs are essential to the economic success of the AUKUS partners Australia, the UK and the US according to a just released white paper. The report, by the CEO of defence consulting firm ADROITA Sarah Pavillard, said while defence needs were core to AUKUS, industry in the three countries needed to reach out to…

Today we publish another profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. Brent Balinski speaks to Lachie Smart about how a small Sunshine Coast-based manufacturer found a niche it could lead the world in. For many successful Australian manufacturers, the source to their success could be described as excelling globally within…

By Peter Roberts The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) just announced procurement of a dedicated undersea support vessel along with other perplexing decisions by defence are raising questions over whether there is a sufficient focus in Canberra about buying from Australian companies. After a selection process led by an independent broker, the Norwegian flagged MV Normand…

Everyone is collecting more and more data in their operations, but its effectiveness is in how you use it to increase value for the customer. Here, Tim McLean reviews the data scene, urges us not to give up all the old, visual management ways, and outlines what we need to look for in a Manufacturing…

The Ai Group Australian Industry Index (Aii) fell in March 2023, dropping 4.4 points to -6.1 points (seasonally adjusted). This indicates mildly contractionary conditions. The index, which complements the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index, and also covers business services sectors including utilities, transport, ICT and technical services, has been in contraction since May 2022. Key…

The legislating of the federal government’s National Reconstruction Fund could be a critical moment in a renaissance in Australian manufacturing, or the moment could be squandered depending on how it is rolled out. Here, Allen Roberts lays out some learnings from the past, that could help the NRF meet what is a massive challenge ahead.…

The first entries are in in the Australian Manufacturing Forum networking group and @AuManufacturing’s hunt to identify and celebrate Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. We can’t give away too much about what we have seen so far, but we can say innovation in manufacturing takes many forms – from innovation in product, process, materials, technology…

Regulation is sometimes seen as a burden, but not so in the pharmaceutical sector argues Rocky Lu, where it is needed to make sure products are safe and effective. In an industry where the stakes are high, ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products is crucial. With recent high-profile recalls, safety lapses, and an…

By Jarryd Daymond, University of Sydney Australia’s federal parliament has approved a A$15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, intended to reverse the nation’s dwindling manufacturing sector. It is the “first step” in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s election promise “to revive our ability to make world-class products”. The fund will focus on investing in high-tech manufacturing. There…

By Peter Roberts Suddenly, every iron ore producer and the country’s two primary steel producers are looking at ways of decarbonising the steelmaking process, or going entirely to green steel production. Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue group is famously attempting to become Australia’s greenest company while Whyalla steelworks operator GFG Alliance has begun production of green steel…

Today we publish the fourth profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. We hear from co-founder and Director at Safetyline Jalousie, Leigh Rust, who tells us why it’s useful to admit you don’t know what you don’t know. By Brent Balinski. The National Construction Code 2022 – outlining the minimum…

The potential industrial payoff from the construction of Australian nuclear submarines, or potentially the lack of it, has ignited controversy among @AuManufacturing readers. Here, in the third in a series (see below) Geoff Potts takes a more positive view. AUKUS will be one of the most significant and difficult national projects undertaken by our nation…

SME business has taken a rather dim view to the long timelines associated with industry opportunities that could arise from the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the UK and the US. Here Paul van de Loo takes a jaundiced view, and presents an alternative industrial scenario. The AUKUS agreement has captured a lot of airtime lately.…

As our Celebrating Australian sovereign capability editorial series comes to a close, Graeme Sheather looks at the big picture, where we stand today and the challenges and solutions ahead. A new global order is emerging and it is imperative that Australian manufacturing businesses and government get their act together to create advanced high-tech products and…

By Andre Saraiva Once I heard of the death of Dr Gordon Moore (right), one of the founders of Intel, I immediately went back to read his famous 1965 article written for Electronics. I remembered the first time I read this article and how it felt like it was written by a time traveller. Firstly because…

To begin the third week of our Celebrating Australian sovereign capability series, we hear about some ways government could help drive IP creation and commercial impact. Brent Balinski speaks to Grey Innovation founder Jefferson Harcourt  Governments have been poor at seeing the value of procurement and other measures that could make a real difference in…

By Peter Roberts Green technology company Fortescue Future Industries has claimed a major breakthrough in the production of green iron – a step towards manufacturing green steel – making it the second of two Australian companies which make such an ambitious claim. The claim first surfaced in parent company Fortescue Metals Group’s FY23 half year…

In the latest profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list, we learn about White Graphene. WG was founded in 2020 to commercialise production technology developed at Deakin University for a promising 2D material. Brent Balinski speaks to the company’s Lieuwke de Jong. Graphene – with its host of superlative attributes…

Robotics, AI and design for manufacture industry hub ARM Hub CEO Associate Professor Cori Stewart presented at the inaugural RACQ Electric Transport Industry Transformation Forum in Brisbane recently. Dr Stewart was asked what an advanced electric transport ecosystem looks like. Queensland needs deeper manufacturing capability to capture global market electric vehicle opportunities. Can Queensland be…

According to predictions made nearly a decade ago, we should be riding around in self-driving vehicles today. It’s now clear the autonomous vehicle revolution was overhyped.

Yesterday in our editorial series, Celebrating Australian sovereign capability, Shane West examined procurement, fuel self-sufficiency and the role of the NRF. Today he looks to the future of Bass Strait gas. Australia’s security of supply issue for domestic gas users especially to the east coast has been exacerbated by ExxonMobil Bass Straits gas supply and…

Today we publish the second profile of a nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. Brent Balinski speaks to Miheer Fyzee from Workspace Commercial Furniture. As this series gets started examining innovation among Australian manufacturing businesses, we expect to be overwhelmed by the complexity and sheer volume of what can be and is…

@AuManufacturing’s editorial series, Celebrating Australian sovereign capability, continues today with the vexed issue of our dependency on imported oil. Here, in part one of a two-part feature, Shane West looks at procurement policies, fuels and the National Reconstruction Fund. Having initiated and developed the Strategic Procurement MBA at the University of Canberra in conjunction with…

@AuManufacturing’s social media discussion and networking group, the Australian Manufacturing Forum on Linkedin, has passed an important membership milestone. The Forum, Australia’s largest professional social media group of Australian manufacturers, has raced past the 13,000 member mark last night with the admission of 30 new members, bringing membership to 13,015. New members in past days…

Australian manufacturers need to capitalise on the opportunities presented by Industry 4.0 or be left behind, warns Martin Ripple. As governments around the world embrace the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, Australia is at risk of being left behind after decades of government neglect of the nation’s manufacturing centres. Sadly, I’ve seen…

Dr Matthew Priestley explains why greater respect and education is needed regarding the use of lithium-ion batteries at home and in the workplace. Lithium-ion batteries are the most widespread portable energy storage solution – but there are growing concerns regarding their safety. Data collated from state fire departments indicate that more than 450 fires across Australia…

By Peter Roberts Really. The utter uselessness of the Productivity Commission’s latest report and recommendations on productivity just released, and the utter uselessness of the PC itself, can be seen in what it says about industry extension services. These services are the expression of the idea that small firms, as are common in Australian business,…

SME manufacturers are sizing up what they know about plans for Australia to use US Virginia class submarines, then construct a UK design in Adelaide. Here Michael Slattery navigates what we know, and don’t know, only to emerge concerned that local manufacturing activity has been put off into a distant future. Another announcement delivered by…

To begin the second week of @AuManufacturing’s Celebrating Australian sovereign capability series, Brent Balinski speaks to Adam Gilmour from Gilmour Space Technologies about the company’s planned orbital launch. If things go to plan, this year Gilmour Space Technologies will become the first Australian company to build a rocket and put it into orbit. The company,…

Despite being the top target for attack, manufacturing has not been included by government as part of the discussion around securing vital infrastructure. Brian Grant discusses the current risks, and how to increase protection levels within increasingly digitalised companies. Manufacturing is now the number one target for ransomware attacks worldwide, according to the 2022 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence…

Today in our Celebrating Australian sovereign capability editorial series we look defence, communications and space manufacturer Electro Optic Systems, one of a handful along with shipbuilder Austal of genuine Australian defence prime contractors. Here Peter Roberts interviews Matthew Jones, Executive Vice President of EOS Defence Systems. Australia has a lot riding on the success of…

Our editorial series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – has focused on developing the wider manufacturing sector. However, in no sector is the need more important, nor more urgent, than in national defence and security argues Jim McDowell in this contribution from our sponsor. Is Australia ready for war? The question may be regarded by…

Today we hear from the first nominee for our Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers list. Brent Balinski speaks to The Hygiene Co.’s co-founders Phil Scardigno and Corey White about solving a waste problem they say is 30 times worse than plastic straws. Unless there’s a medical, scientific or forensic reason for it, sales of plastic…

Today in our Celebrating Australian sovereign capability editorial series we look at advanced air mobility manufacturer AMSL Aero, which recently achieved its maiden flight. Brent Balinski speaks to co-founder and CEO Andrew Moore about their progress so far, the potential of electric aviation, and the importance of companies making final products in Australia. There are…

The Covid-19 pandemic revealed Australia’s broken medicines value chains which are mostly wholly reliant on importation, especially for the newest mRNA vaccines. Today our series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability – looks at the emerging vaccine ecosystem around the Monash-Clayton area of Melbourne. By Peter Roberts. It has long been a great Australian dream to…

By Peter Roberts BAE Systems Australia has batted off suggestions it will bid to construct nuclear powered submarines in Adelaide under the AUKUS deal. The company already operates a new shipyard built by the federal government at Osborne in Adelaide where it is constructing Hunter class frigates for the RAN, as well as a capable…

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 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.…

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…

In the first of two articles in our new series – Celebrating Australian Sovereign Capability – Lance Worrall argues that sovereign capability depends on Australia’s reindustrialisation and rediscovering the positive role of government in setting directions for inclusive growth. The phrase ‘sovereign capability’ re-entered our lexicon during the pandemic. Covid severely disrupted international supply chains,…

We have all heard the phrase – sovereign manufacturing capabilities. But what does it mean for Australia in the 21st century, what are they and how do we develop them? Here Peter Roberts sets the scene for our latest editorial series – Celebrating Australian sovereign capability. It wasn’t too long ago that a new phrase…

By Brent Balinski “Geelong’s had an interesting evolution and obviously the company in its various forms reflects that,” Ross George, Managing Director of Austeng, a self-described boutique engineering firm plying its trade in the city.  “My grandfather supplied parts to International Harvester, Ford, Alcoa, Pilkington Glass, and so all the Geelong-based automotive businesses, which have…

By Peter Roberts Look, I have no particular inside information on what nuclear submarine path the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce in San Diego on Monday. But I can read the tea leaves and ask – how can it be that both the US and the UK are beaming about their respective nations prospects…

By Peter Roberts At a Thursday media conference on the passing of the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) Corporation Bill by the lower house the media focused questioning of Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic on the government’s acceptance of a Greens amendment, what it meant for fossil fuels, and more generally, on value-adding of Australia’s…

As @AuManufacturing continues our search to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers we look at a deeply market-driven and technical path to innovation. Here Peter Roberts profiles 3RT. As a former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum and senior executive of a number of European businesses, Peter Torreele, Founder and Managing Director of 3RT…

On International Women’s Day 2023, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) has celebrated six female manufacturing leaders – all with distinct career journeys – who are challenging stereotypes and misconceptions to pursue a career in manufacturing. Here @AuManufacturing presents their stories. A podiatrist. A fashion business founder. A biomedical researcher. These are just three of…

Our search to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers is revealing innovation in its many forms. Here Peter Roberts profiles Holloway Group. Innovation does not have to take a high technology intensive path such as gene technology or space travel. For Holloway Group as with many an Australian SME the spark for a more incremental…

On Monday @AuManufacturing officially launched our search to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers with a live webinar featuring UTS, Sydney Emeritus Professor Roy Green. Here, Green identifies a core issue – the absence of a national, coherent and coordinated industry policy. Question? You often make the point that we need to develop and deploy…

Queensland’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing or ARM Hub has cemented its place as a not for profit robotics, AI and design for manufacture industry hub. Already at the forefront of industrial transformation in the state, CEO Cori Stewart predicts 2023 will be a defining year for the centre. The coming year will be one of…

It used to be that hair dressers and chefs dominated Australia’s list of most wanted skills – but not any more. Manufacturing and industry skills are among those most in shortage according to a new quarterly Labour Market Update report from Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA). Topping the list of the top 20 occupations in…

For the first time ever, we are conducting a search to find out which companies lead the nation in their efforts to innovate. We are delighted to announce the launch of our brand new campaign: Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers. With the help of MYOB, SMC Corporation Australia, and Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions, @AuManufacturing will…

This webinar sets the scene for @AuManufacturing’s quest to identify and celebrate Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. You can enter your company here. By Peter Roberts. Every Australian manufacturer innovates in one way or another. It could be in researching and developing new products and services. Or it could be in utilising new materials, production…

One thousand jobs added between censuses might not sound huge, concedes Jennifer Conley, CEO of the Geelong Manufacturing Council, but they’re better than a mere hunch that things are on the up. Last decade, Geelong saw a few high-profile industrial difficulties – the closures of Alcoa’s Point Henry smelter in 2014 and the Ford engine…

As a sales engineer not long out of Monash University, Kheang Khauv had early exposure to a new technique for visualising stress and understanding metal fatigue in aircraft. It was the mid-2000s. Researchers at Defence Science and Technology Group’s Fishermans Bend labs – wanting to better understand the fatigue life of ageing F/A-18 Hornets –…

Boosting pathways to commercialisation is seen as part of the answer to challenges Australia needs to overcome to avoid being thrust back into a pre-antimicrobial age where simple infections are deadly and some surgeries are too risky to perform. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – when bacteria and other microbes become resistant to the drugs designed to…

A new unmanned aerial vehicle, designed to fly up to 800 kilometres and carry a payload of up to 160 kilograms, was the major bit of news on day one of the Avalon International Airshow. Brent Balinski spoke to Kisa Christensen, Director – Red Ochre Autonomy & Sensors at BAE Systems Australia, after the unveiling…

Economists at SGS Economics & Planning have gone public with a call for the development of a ‘new spatial industry strategy’. In a newly published policy paper, SGS principal and partner Jeremy Gill said Australia had emerged from three years of the Covid-19 pandemic into a period of global disruption. Within this, however, lay opportunity,…

By Peter Roberts The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined at the National Press Club yesterday the government’s policies for industry – essentially encompassing skills development, energy price reduction and stimulating green technologies, the National Reconstruction Fund and the Aukus pact. He linked these together as part of as the ‘structural changes that I’ve outlined today…

Dr Ali Zolfagharian provides a quick look at 4D printing for cancer therapeutics, following a new paper that appears to be the first overview of the subject. Despite the fact that 3D printing technology has been widely used in medical applications due to the benefits of precisely defined architecture and individual constructs, there are still…

Australia’s emissions-intensive businesses along with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) have identified a possible pathway to decarbonise heavy industry, outlined in a series of new reports published today. The Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative (Australian Industry ETI) has published the Pathways to Industrial Decarbonisation Phase 3 reports. The reports identify decarbonisation pathways for five…

With the federal opposition opposing the government’s proposed $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund that was endorsed by voters at the recent election, the views of cross-benchers have become critical. In a speech to Parliament the independent member for Warringah Zali Steggall outlinesd her concerns about the bill establishing the fund, at the same time strongly…

By Peter Roberts Opal Australian Paper has made its last ream of its popular Reflex brand copy paper with the formal announcement of the permanent closure of the company’s Maryvale mill in Victoria. Making good on warnings made last month, the company conceded it had not been able to solve the issue of a supply…

Rux Energy wants to be the first in the world to increase hydrogen storage density with novel molecular sponges. Brent Balinski speaks to founder and CEO Dr Jehan Kanga. Metal organic frameworks have only really been studied since 1999, says Dr Jehan Kanga (pictured), who studied a PhD on these nanoporous materials and is now…

Engineer registration is something new in Australia other than in Queensland, but now other state’s are following suit. Here, Paul van de Loo asks whether Australian engineers are ready for a scheme which they did not ask for and do not need. If you’re a typical engineer you’re pretty focussed on your engineering, and you…

This week Quantum Brilliance announced a $26 million funding round, a significant boost to its lofty ambitions. Brent Balinski spoke to co-founder Dr Andrew Horsley about bringing Australian-made room-temperature quantum accelerators to the masses. Among people who care about such things, Intel’s examination of Australia as a possible home for a fabrication site in the…

By Peter Roberts The green industry dam is burst – after years if not decades of talk that Australia’s minerals will one day have to go green to survive in a world where trade favours green production, Australian company Rio has received its first big international green order. Aluminium producer Rio Tinto has been contracted…

The federal government has received the report of the Defence Strategic Review which will guide the development of the Australian Defence Force and hence the areas of focus of government procurement for many years to come. The report was formally handed over to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles by former chief…

By Peter Roberts How good is @AuManufacturing’s sister networking and discussion group, the Australian Manufacturing Forum on Linkedin? We founded the Forum in 2011 as a place where like minds – those of us excited about developments in Australian manufacturing and keen to work together to ensure its future – could come together in a…

By Peter Roberts BAE Systems and its Australian arm could be the front runner in the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to the Royal Australian Navy under the AUKUS agreement, according to UK media reports. The London Sun reported that senior ministers were open to the idea of supplying partly-constructed Astute class submarines (pictured) to Australia…

By Peter Roberts We all can see with our own eyes how the climate is changing for the worse, with exactly the unpredictability, the extra severity and the damaging consequences climate scientists have been predicting for decades. Fortunately manufacturers are responding, including in the, well it can only be described as criminal, waste of resources…

Many are challenging the traditional role of engineer, suggesting it may be incompatible with a sustainable future. Here Patrice Caine argues that as the world faces unprecedented challenges, engineers are the only real lever for bringing about, on a relevant scale, new ways to produce, live and consume. Has engineering had its heyday? This might…

Luyten believes it can extrude an answer to housing affordability problems. Brent Balinski speaks to CEO and founder, Ahmed Mahil. Not universally, but generally speaking, Australian startups don’t beat you over the head with their vision or tell you, in no uncertain terms, that they’re going to change the world. Occasionally there will be contrasts…

The focus of reporting on the AUKUS agreement between Australia, the US and the UK has been on the promise of locally built nuclear-powered submarines. But it is about so much more from AI and quantum computing, to hypersonic aircraft and systems. Here, Michael Sharpe explains how AUKUS will unlock the power of innovation Pillar…

The federal government has announced a review of defence industry policy, and is also close to making an announcement on its selection of Australia’s future nuclear powered submarines. At the same time relations with China are in the news. Here Sarah Pavillard looks at the opportunities opening up for defence industry. Major announcements will come…

Dovetail Electric Aviation began in 2021 and is chasing a market estimated at $US 15 billion for retrofitting electric propulsion systems onto small airplanes. Brent Balinski spoke to co-founder Rachael Barritt about their story so far. A bit over two years ago, this website reported with sadness that MagniX – an Australian-born world-leader in electric…

By Peter Roberts The nature of the final arrangements to be announced in March for the construction of Australian nuclear submarines is becoming clearer. As envisaged by the original Aukus agreement between Australia, the UK and the US, the programme will likely be a genuine three-nation effort to boost submarine capability in all three nations,…

There are mixed signals from government when it comes to sustainability, according to Holloway Group. Brent Balinski speaks to the company’s Matt Holloway and Jim Prior. Last week Victoria banned the sale of single-use plastics, following a similar ban in November in NSW. Among the banned items are single-use expanded polystyrene food and drink containers.…

News that China may restrict exports of solar PV wafers has focused attention on solar PV panel manufacturers, including Australia’s Tindo Solar, which rely on Chinese imported inputs. Here Richard Petterson makes the case for sustainability in solar PV manufacturing and for a bigger role for Australian industry. The term ‘circular economy’ describes the re-use…

With the federal government moving to reform its economic advisory body, the Productivity Commission, attention has turned to the outcome of the PC’s decades-long dominance of policy advice to the government – a fragile and narrowly-based resources-driven economy. Here, Phillip Toner and Roy Green outline why the PC must be fundamentally changed. As federal Treasurer…

A lucky find by researchers could help Australian efforts to scale up the number of qubits on their microchips. Brent Balinski spoke to Dr Will Gilbert from Diraq about computing with puddles of electrons, and his unusual career so far.   As Dr Andre Saraiva explained on this website last November, Australia has some globally-recognised strengths…

Plant-based meat will overcome political tribalism and move into mainstream acceptance as technology progresses and prices come down, believes Harvest B co-founder and CEO Kristi Riordan. By Brent Balinski.  There are plant-based meat companies, such as v2food, that make efforts to position themselves as a supplement rather than a competitor to conventional meat. This is…

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has released a roadmap to decarbonise Australia’s alumina sector – crucial for net zero goals as the country is the world’s largest alumina exporter. Worth $7.5 billion to the national economy every year, the Roadmap for Decarbonising Australian Alumina Refining, outlines technologies that could reduce emissions from Australia’s six alumina…

Australian manufacturing is racing towards digitisation, and none moreso than in naval shipbuilding. Here, Craig Lockhart explains progress being made in developing a digital shipyard to construct Australia’s new Hunter class frigates. BAE Systems is progressing the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigate and building a critical industrial capability that will contribute to keeping our…

A Cooperative Research Centre and a CRC-P are not the same. Tony Peacock explains how and why they are different. The 14th round of the Cooperative Research Centres – Projects program was opened by Ed Husic MP last week and closes on 2 March. I got a big reaction for my comments on the new round of…

Steel makers are looking towards net zero with hydrogen produced from renewable sources the world’s best bet on decarbonising this essential industry. Here, in an article adapted from ARENA, we look at the ARENA project that will decide the fate of Calix’s Zesty steelmaking technology as early as this year. The basic oxygen steelmaking process…

Flinders University’s Professor John Spoehr asks the question – what does it take to create a world-class innovation ecosystem in Australia? Our capability to manufacture the products we need when we need them has been elevated to a national policy priority following the impact of the pandemic on key supply chains, which restricted our access…

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…

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…

Last year the former government asked the nation’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, to develop a national semiconductor plan. Brent Balinski spoke to Foley to learn what’s happened since, and for her perspective on where Australia can expand its role. About three years ago many people who had previously thought little or nothing about supply…

Happy Australian Made Christmas to all at the Australian Manufacturing Forum Linkedin group and readers, partners and clients of @AuManufacturing news. 2022 is coming to a close and what – another – momentous year of turmoil and transition for Australia’s manufacturers. We are still experiencing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, while Russia’s invasion of…

By Peter Roberts South Australia is within striking distance of being the first energy jurisdiction in the world to achieve 100 percent renewable power following an extraordinary week in which the state averaged 104.1 per cent over the seven days (to 2.30pm AEST on Sunday). Over the last week, the average price was minus $28/MWh.…

An ATSpace Kestrel rocket has again failed to launch from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex near Port Lincoln in South Australia. Launch range operator Southern Launch went live on its social media channels this afternoon, however the 10 metre VS03 mission rocket was initially held in its countdown at minus 15 minutes before –…

The South Australia government has called for proposals to build an Australian-first 200MW green hydrogen power plant, as well as hydrogen storage capabilities at the steel city of Whyalla. State energy minister Tom Koutsantonis today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the supply, construction and operation of the hydrogen plant and equipment, as well…

Australia’s first laser fusion energy company HB11 Energy has brought together global laser technology leaders including Nobel prize winners, aiming to develop a new Australian laser industry and develop laser fusion technologies. The group (pictured) plan an ultra high intensity petawatt-class laser facility on Australian soil, bringing new technologies to the country including clean fusion…

Today in Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Dr Steven Duvall distills semiconductors and how they’re used, why Australia needs to play a more significant role in the their manufacture, and how it can do this. In this Q and A, which is also the 40th and final episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski…

The global market for hemp is predicted to nearly quadruple in value between 2020 and 2027, reaching $US 18.6 billion. This is according to an UNCTAD report released this week, also noting hemp’s hardiness across a wide range of climates, its ability to grow in and improve poor soil as well as absorb more carbon…

By Peter Roberts One of Australia’s most respected property developers has put a bold plan to the South Australian government to revive the steel city of Whyalla by building hotels and thousands of new homes to house a massive influx of residents needed to support planned green hydrogen and green steel manufacturing facilities. With the…

A scientific breakthrough is a long way from being a product, as people trying for the first time to commercialise a program of research quickly find out.  “Any investor who works with an early-stage deep tech university… spinout will tell you the same thing,” shares Dr Richard Parsons, CEO and founder of Kite Magnetics, shares. …

Australia’s largest manufacturing project – the construction of frigates for the Royal Australian Navy – is gaining momentum at the Osborne naval shipyard in Adelaide. Here Craig Lockhart outlines BAE Systems Australia’s vision of an all-digital shipyard. BAE Systems is progressing the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigate and building a critical industrial capability that…

By Peter Roberts The importance of linking manufacturers to public sector research capabilities compared to grant-focused programmes favoured by the previous Coalition government has been confirmed through a major study of the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC). The report by consultants ACIL Allen report found the IMCRC’s 71 manufacturing R&D projects were on track…

Due to an unexpected number of high-quality contributions, @AuManufacturing’s Australia’s place in the semiconductor world editorial series has been extended again. Here Mike Nicholls writes that Australia has the opportunity to build a thriving semiconductor industry without investing $20 billion to build a fab. But we do need to get started.  It’s hard to imagine,…

By Brent Balinski One criticism from non-fans of plant-based meat is that options tend to come with a sizeable ingredient list, featuring a lot of unnatural-sounding words which might require a chemist or a lot of googling to decipher. Alfred Lo, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at ingredient company Harvest B, says that his company…

We all need to eat, but we seem to take for granted our access to processed and fresh food and groceries, and even more so to Australia’s parlous food industry value chain. By Allen Roberts To consider the ‘food industry’ as one entity ignores the entirely different strategic drivers of the three main components: raw…

By Peter Roberts Manufacturing industry is not going to see any relief to current high energy prices following a week of meetings and announcements that revealed how the Albanese government is taking back some control of energy markets. But it will benefit from moderation of future rises and, surprisingly, a new mechanism that could align…

Venture capital investment has slowed this year. But if your company does something that solves a real-world problem and that customers want as a result, then you can still get funded, believes Marten Jurg from Additive Assurance. Jurg’s company announced a $4.1 million raise last week, led by Significant Capital Ventures. AA’s products, which monitor…

Bodd didn’t start out wanting to be a data and insights company, but that’s what they are, among other things. Formerly Tec.Fit, their focus was originally enabling perfectly-fitting suits, designing and making scanners to collect physical data and large format 3D printers to create life-size models of customers out of PLA, saving numerous trips back…

Businesses are increasingly being asked to report, justify and act to reduce their carbon emissions. Here Bruce Macfarlane outlines what it means as the circular economy crashes into supply chains. As the UN’s COP27 carnival packs up and leaves Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, many questions will be on the minds of government and business leaders. Like…

By Peter Roberts The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has moved to demonstrate he is serious about acting to cut ballooning electricity prices before Christmas – as he has promised – with feelers put out to the states for price caps to be applied to coal and gas. It is about time because all the months…

By Peter Roberts Few remember the time when Australia had an extensive wool processing, spinning and weaving sector, but producers have begun eyeing the possibility that those days may yet come again. Part of the textile clothing sector, the wool value chain was decimated by cheap Chinese competition, but also by predatory trade policies that…

Now that industry and science minister Ed Husic has introduced legislation to establish the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, setting off a period of consultation, the big questions for the government is who will lead the NRF and how will it function. Here Husic talks with Peter Roberts. Industry and science minister Ed Husic is…

The federal government hasn’t given up on the six industry growth centres (IGCs ) which were told during the dying days of the Coalition government that their days were numbered, with the then government making no apparent effort to develop a replacement programme. A victim of the revolving door of industry ministers under the Coalition,…

As our Australia’s place in the semiconductor world editorial series draws to a close, Steven Duvall and Glenn Downey provide the final part of their four-part feature. Here they propose steps to help build the semiconductor industry in Australia 1) Introduction This article concludes our four-part feature on semiconductors, continuing the themes from the three…

In the final day of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, we speak to Andy Brawley, whose long career in the sector was eventually ended by a NSW government determination that a historic fab must make way for a train line.    “You can’t move a fab,” explains Andy Brawley, the General Manager of Manufacturing…

Today in Australia’s place in the semiconductor world we consider ASX-listed Archer Materials, which is developing a quantum processor. Brent Balinski spoke to CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair. A lot of things are impossible, as the quote goes, until they’re done. At this stage, building a practical quantum computer remains impossible. Asked about his company’s approach…

A recently-launched semiconductor service bureau is part of the NSW government’s attempts to grow the local sector. In this edition of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Dr Nadia Court explains why the bureau exists and what it hopes to do.   The Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B) was established in July 2022 to make it…

Today in Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Andrew McLellan illustrates a case where local innovation requires overseas fabrication, and why the situation is unlikely to change.  While improvements in technology and knowledge have driven significant advances in life sciences and healthcare industries in recent decades, methods for identifying and tracking important biological samples stored…

Today’s edition of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world takes a look at the growing importance of compound semiconductors. Stef Winwood argues that if Australia invests strategically, with a view to the future, it could carve out a logical niche and realise compound returns The global semiconductor industry is currently a $US 600 billion a…

Beginning week three of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Sercan Altun considers the role of chips in enabling a nation’s self-sufficiency goals in manufacturing, and the implications for Australia. The seeds of the current “Cold War 2.0” discussions were laid due to a rising China on the global stage, with massive economic and military…

Melbourne university’s Professor Danny Samson looks at the cutting edge of AI and Cloud technologies in his new book Business Model Transformation: the AI and Cloud Revolution. Through case studies he shows the business strategy and performance benefits are not just available for large, listed companies, but can be embraced by Australia’s SMEs through proactive…

To conclude the second week of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, we speak to Emeritus Professor Bob Clark about some policy proposals for establishing semiconductor production here, and why this strange era demands we rethink our hands-off approach to the market. By Brent Balinski.  Do we display a lack of ambition in what we…

Today in or ongoing editorial series, Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Dr Venkata Gutta considers why we need a domestic semiconductor industry, what other countries have done to develop theirs, what we can learn, and some proposals. Millibeam is a mmWave fabless semiconductor company based in Sydney, Australia and we develop high-performance integrated circuits and…

Today our Australia’s place in the semiconductor world series looks at ways Australia can address its precarious dependence on overseas chip suppliers, and the role of defence in this. There is no time to waste, argues Martin Hamilton-Smith.  In March 2023 the Albanese government’s Defence Strategic Review will be handed down by Sir Angus Houston…

Our current editorial series, Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, has received a greater number of submissions than expected. We have gratefully accepted comment from startups, academics, venture capitalists, former politicians and others. Besides the volume, the (naturally very important) quality of editorial has also exceeded expectations. As a result we are happy to extend…

Today in our Australia’s place in the semiconductor world series, we hear from an international point of view.  Here is Coby Hanoch from the ASX-listed, Israel-based Weebit Nano. As the CEO of an Israeli semiconductor company traded on the ASX, I often ask myself how it is possible that Australia, an advanced country with great…

By Peter Roberts Australia’s oldest cement manufacturer Adbri has doubled down on its commitment to net zero emissions from producing what are some of the world’s most important, but hard to abate, manufactures – cement and lime. Used in construction and industries such as steel making Adbri’s products are highly carbon intensive, but it would…

Today in our editorial series on Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Peter Roberts gives an observer’s view of Australian manufacturing over more than four decades, our lost opportunities and where semiconductors could have fitted in. When it comes down to it, the story of disappointment that has been the lack of development of a…

After a long history, during which it has only fairly recently improved past the point where it rapidly induces nausea in a user, virtual reality has begun demonstrating its worth in recent years. You will probably have been to expos and heard about how CAD files can easily be turned into an object in a…

Beginning the second week of our editorial series, Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Dr Andre Saraiva looks at Australia’s heritage in quantum computing, and suggests that the nation could turn a chip crisis into a quantum opportunity. A stone’s throw away from Bondi and Coogee, silicon-based quantum computing was invented. This was 1998, and…

As we have said many times before, one of the defining features of manufacturing in this country is the large number of small businesses. This has a big influence on overall levels of technology adoption, R&D investment, collaboration with outside parties, and much else. Of employing manufacturing businesses, nearly nine-tenths are between 1 and 19…

To close out the first week of our editorial series, Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, we turn again to the analysis of Steven Duvall and Glenn Downey. In part three of their four-part feature, they describe what currently exists in Australia, and the challenges to growing this. 1) Introduction This article continues our four-part…

By Peter Roberts Companies and organisations are increasingly turning to renewable energy providers to source green power to quickly cut the carbon intensity of their operations as they race to meet decarbonisation pledges. The most recent is Brisbane Airport Corporation which will be supplied by power generator Stanwell with up to 185GWh of renewable energy…

Today’s installment of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world turns to a local chip importer’s point of view. Here Shoaib Iqbal — a recent guest on the @AuManufacturing Conversations podcast — looks at the impact of semiconductor shortages on space startups, and the opportunities brought into focus for local manufacturing.   

@AuManufacturing’s social media discussion and networking group, the Australian Manufacturing Forum on Linkedin, has passed an important membership milestone. The Forum, Australia’s largest professional social media group of Australian manufacturers, passed 12,000 members this morning with the admission of eight new members. The Forum has grown steadily since its founding in 2013, and 22 months…

Today in Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, we hear from Dr Jane Fitzpatrick of series sponsor ANFF. Here she writes of the importance of Australia’s R&D community to commercial activity in semiconductors, a topic we are sure to return to in future articles. There’s no argument that to help key domestic industries like defence,…

We sometimes speak to startups and even established companies who are pleasantly surprised by what can get made in-country, if you know where to look. While this website celebrates just about every company manufacturing in Australia, we acknowledge that production for a long list of things — as our current semiconductor series is detailing, or…

In the second day of our Australia’s place in the semiconductor world editorial series, Glenn Downey and Steven Duvall provide part two of their four-part feature. Here is a look at what certain nations are doing to respond to the challenges of the era. 1) Introduction The article continues our four-part series on semiconductors and their…

International surgical and industrial glove manufacturer Ansell has again been forced to respond to allegations of forced labour made by employees of one of the company’s third-party suppliers. The company, which has faced similar allegations in recent years, said it was deeply concerned by reports of forced labour at supplier Brightway Group. However Ansell has…

Today @AuManufacturing launches our newest two-week editorial series, examining Australia’s participation in perhaps the most advanced manufacturing sector of them all. By Brent Balinski.  I heard it said recently that as Covid forced everybody to learn a little about virology, supply shortages and world politics are forcing everybody to learn a little about semiconductors. From…

On day one of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, we present an introduction to the subject, aimed at a reader with no prior knowledge of semiconductors. Below is part one of a four-part feature by Steven Duvall and Glenn Downey. The purposes of this feature are to broaden and deepen the understanding of semiconductors…

By Peter Roberts The federal government is continuing its agonising will it-won’t it approach to taking concrete action to rein in soaring energy prices which are hitting manufacturing companies hard. Barely a day goes by without some minister or another – often industry minister Ed Husic – waving a big stick in public telling us…

By Peter Roberts The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has announced that the construction of its Synroc radioactive treatment building is complete, with processing equipment now being installed, ahead of it being commissioned prior to operations in 2025. ANSTO has been attempting to commercialise its Synroc method of encapsulating radioactive wastes into a…

By Peter Roberts The need for sufficient time to get the construction of nuclear submarines right and a well signposted looming gap as our Collins class submarines reach the end of their lives suggest a son of Collins submarine vessel should be built in Adelaide, according to defence expert Peter Briggs The former president of…

The COVID-19 pandemic held young Australians back from making their usual transitions into employment according to a new report from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The study – Treading water: effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth transitions – examined the lived experiences of young people aged about 20 in 2020, and…

Like countless other items, spiral separators (or concentrators) could be called deceptively simple, both in their function and form.   A slurry goes in the top, and the different densities of minerals and sands see each separate on the way to the bottom.   “It’s a dead simple shape – it’s really a helical shape with a…

By Peter Roberts One of the criticisms of renewables thrown up by sceptics in the former Coalition government was that it was not dispatchable, that is it couldn’t provide power ‘when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow’. Lithium ion batteries provided an underpowered part of the answer to that but the real…

By Peter Roberts Perth minerals producer Iluka Resources is pressing ahead with its plans to process rare earths on Australian shores, capturing more value-adding of these critical metals for the local economy. The company’s latest update shows that all primary environmental approvals have been secured for its project at Eneabba north of Perth. The company…

Heat exchanger specialist Conflux is among a small collection of promising Australian metal additive manufacturing startups to emerge in recent years. In September they announced new fuel oil heat exchanger development for two variants of General Atomics’s remote piloted MQ-9B drone, extending a partnership with the US defence contractor dating back to 2018. News of…

Australia has committed to building nuclear submarines (SSNs) at ASC Adelaide. Here Scott Elaurant sets aside military matters to focus on the constructability aspects of the choices – cost, time and employment. Since AUKUS was announced the UK has advised that Astute Class SSNs are not available. This leaves the choice of SSN between the…

By Peter Roberts French renewable energy storage developer Neoen is showing how a new element of the electricity industry is emerging as highly profitable, taking the shine off traditional generation, distribution and retailing. The company owns the original big battery the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia of 150MW/193.5MWh, as well as the Victorian Big…

Kite Magnetics recently completed an $1.85 million seed round and hopes to be the Rolls-Royce of e-aviation. Brent Balinski spoke to co-founder Dr Richard Parsons. Occasionally you have a conversation that reminds you that things are an awful lot better than they used to be. For me I had such a conversation a few weeks…

By Peter Roberts Federal industry minister Ed Husic has talked of a new goal of raising Australia’s R&D spending ‘towards three percent of GDP’. According to a report in Campus Morning Mail, Husic told an audience at UTS, Sydney on Thursday that the goal should be to raise spending from today’s 1.79 percent of GDP…

Australia’s electricity grid is being shaken up as states and the Commonwealth embrace renewables. But this also gives Australia a chance to claim back energy monopolies it lost to state owned companies from China and Singapore, argues Shane West. With coal supplying 80 percent of Victoria’s energy, the closing of the Loy Yang power station…

By Peter Roberts Few defence ministers have done more for Australian sovereign industry capability than Kim Beazley. Most recently Governor of Western Australia, Beazley as Australian ambassador to Washington pried open US markets for Australian manufactured defence equipment, securing new markets for the likes of BAE Systems Australia’s anti-ship missile decoy rocket, Nulka. Domestically he…

Rod Sims, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Virtually every country in the world is facing a crisis in energy costs, yet while other countries can’t do much about it, Australia can. Australia could get its east coast gas producers to supply the domestic gas market for less than A$10 a gigajoule. Earlier…

The first Labor budget in a decade has been generally well received, but not by Tim McLean. Here he mourns the loss of AusIndustry’s Entrepreneurs Programme, a victim of government cuts. Read the media and you would think that the #federalbudget was a undisputed boon to Australian manufacturing. However hidden in the detail is the…

By Peter Roberts The federal treasurer Jim Chalmers tonight delivered a prudent budget that better targets the needs of industry and manufacturing. In a budget speech laden with words such as sensible and responsible, Chalmers said: “The budget implements our commitments to the Australian people to deliver cheaper child care, fee-free TAFE, cleaner and cheaper…

By Peter Roberts in Amsterdam About 100 kilometres from Amsterdam in a workshop dedicated to vehicle electrification sits one of two unique hydrogen fuel cell-electric utility vehicles – Australian company H2X Global’s Warrego utility (pictured, below). The company converted two such vehicles based on Ford’s Ranger concurrently, one here in Holland and a second at…

By Peter Roberts Governments both state and federal are rightly crowing at the announcement of a new electric transmission cable to be laid from hydro-rich Tasmania to Victoria, boosting connectivity and energy security as mainland coal fired power stations continue to reach the end of their lives. The Marinus Link will now progress towards a…

If all goes to plan, in May next year, Australian companies will make a small step towards addressing an enduring lack of sovereign control of very important data. Among a planned launch will be products designed and made by edge computing company Spiral Blue and Esper Satellite Imagery, which is building satellites to capture hyperspectral…

Low emission industrial technology company Calix has moved to raise $80 million from investors to fund its share of planned low emission processing plants being constructed with Australian building products companies Boral and Adbri. The plants, which will utilise Calix’s new kiln technology enabling the capture of CO2 in the manufacture of cement and lime,…

By Peter Roberts The federal government is backing a major expansion of Flinders University’s Factory of the Future at the Tonsley innovation precinct in Adelaide, honoring an election promise it first made before the 2019 federal election. Industry minister Ed Husic today announced that next week’s budget would include $10.1 million to help Flinders grow…

Manufacturing was transforming itself even before the Covid-19 pandemic, adopting digital solutions. But to regain leadership in manufacturing, new thinking is needed that builds on lessons from other sectors, argues Matthew McKnight The boom in global trade, increasing inflation, and global supply chain disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic have left Australia’s manufacturing sector in disarray.…

Apprenticeship numbers are continuing to increase in Australia as industry recovers from the extraordinary effects on business operations and investment in training through the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), there were 387,830 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 March 2022, an increase of 17.1 percent from 31…

A number of people contacted me last week after the remarks of Saul Griffith on television and in  print media that have been reported as an attack on green hydrogen. I have responded individually but thought that it might be good to do so publicly too. By Paul Hodgson. The bottom line is that I…

In the final day of @AuManufacturing’s special editorial series, Land Forces 2022, we look at contract manufacturing firm GPC Electronics. Brent Balinski speaks to Managing Director Christopher Janssen. Defence makes up about 10 to 15 per cent of turnover at GPC Electronics, the Western Sydney contract electronics manufacturer run by Christopher Janssen. He describes it…

By Peter Roberts The federal government is talking big in facing up to price gouging by gas producers, but is studiously avoiding tough action that would actually make a difference. Ministers have been facing the media talking up a Heads of Agreement that has brought in 157 petajoules of additional supply to the east coast…

@AuManufacturing’s special editorial series Land Forces 2022 looks today at what many see as the future of the battlefield – autonomous land and aerial vehicles. Peter Roberts reports on Australia’s surprising experience and expertise in autonomous vehicle control. From Ukraine to the Middle East, autonomous land and aerial systems have long played a role on…

Today @AuManufacturing’s special editorial series Land Forces 2022 turns to the predicament of the SME manufacturers supplying defence. Here, Michael Slattery looks at project delays and how they affect SMEs investing in new capabilities. On the first morning of LandForces 2022 the new federal government announced that it was deferring the Land 400 Ph3 programme.…

Next in @AuManufacturing’s special editorial series, Land Forces 2022, we include an interview with SPEE3D’s Steve Camilleri, recorded during last week’s Land Forces expo in Brisbane. SPEE3D did not set out to work with defence, a market that now makes up about half of the Australian technology company’s business, according to co-founder and CTO Steve…

Today @AuManufacturing’s special editorial series, Land Forces 2022, looks at how an Australian invention — the world’s most precise atomic clock — fits into the Jindalee radar network upgrade. As reported by this website, the Sapphire Cryogenic Clock made by Adelaide timing and quantum sensing business QuantX Labs has passed through full acceptance testing and…

Australia’s potential for cheap renewable power gives us a chance to become a battery manufacturing power, but we won’t on current policy settings. Here Phil Toner and Roy Green review the inaction of the past few years and argue Australia cannot afford to miss this opportunity. By Phil Toner & Roy Green* Is it too…

Today @AuManufacturing’s special editorial series Land Forces 2022 turns to the AUKUS agreement and the new focus on collaboration it has spawned. Here, Michael McLean explains how a grass roots industry board that he chairs, is bringing together leading industry advisors and management consultants from New Zealand, UK and USA to collaborate and support AUKUS.…

Today in our special editorial series Land Forces 2022, we turn to the key role of the companies and institutions that make up the defence industry sector in supporting national security. Here Andrew Gresham looks at defence industry as an instrument of national power. To understand the Australian defence industry’s role as an instrument of…

As part of our special editorial series Land Forces 2022, we turn to the realities of any future conflict, and the deficiencies of our maintenance, repair, and operations capabilities guarding Northern Australia. Here Dr Peter Layton spells out our Northern Australian defence infrastructure imperatives. The latest Defence Strategic Review reports back in early 2023. While…

Today our special editorial series Land Forces 2022 asks the question of the moment – what are the lessons Australia can draw from Russia’s largely land war against Ukraine? Gregor Ferguson reports. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the gift that keeps on giving for defence analysts. The Russians have committed just about every cardinal sin…

In episode 22 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Daen Simmat, founder and CEO at Black Lab Design. The episode was recorded during a visit to Black Lab’s factory in Frenchs Forest last week. In this broad-ranging chat, Simmat tells us about starting a company in 2013, its natural evolution from sheet metal…

Alphafit supplies eqiuiplment for elite sporting complex The Newcastle Knights football club have installed a major new gymnasium fitted out with Australian-manufactured Alphafit gym equipment (pictured). The District Park training centre accessed by both NRL and NRLW players includes 5x Single Cages with Storage, 5x Half Cages with Storage, 2x Core Functional Trainers, 2x Freestanding…

Today @AuManufacturing launches its special editorial series Land Forces 2022 with a major interview with Defence Industry Minister, Pat Conroy. Here Peter Roberts surveys the lay of the Australian land. As delegates gather in Brisbane this week for Land forces 2022, the top of mind issue for Defence and defence industry is the conflict in…

Today we launch our special editorial series Land Forces 2022 with a look at the policies of the new federal government guiding Defence’s relationship with industry. In his first major interview, Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for international development & the Pacific, talks with Peter Roberts. Question: The coalition government from 2016…

By Peter Roberts Moves by Australia’s largest carbon emitter AGL to accelerate the closure of coal fired power stations and achieve net zero emissions by 2035 demand a bold industry building response from the Albanese government. Propelled by major shareholder Mike Cannon-Brookes, AGL plans to close its giant Bayswater power station by 2033 and its…

In episode 21 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Philip Crealy, founder and Director at Equinox Medical. The episode was recorded on the second day of last week’s Modern Manufacturing Expo, which @AuManufacturing is a media partner of. Crealy presented on the topic of “Custom medical device manufacture through machine learning and generative design” at…

By Peter Roberts The latest report from the same mob whose policies brought you today’s fragile and narrowly based economy – the Productivity Commission – gives us more of the same faith in markets as suitable drivers of an economy that has so patently hobbled productivity growth. The PC, and its ally the Treasury have…

By Peter Roberts The federal government has had two attempts to mimic the success of Britain’s Catapult centres and Germany’s Fraunhofer technology and innovation centres, places where industrial technologies are developed, scaled up and realised in partnership with industry, publicly funded researchers and government. Neither of the two attempts, the first by a Labor government…

In episode 20 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from David Fox, Associate Director, Research & Technology at the Western Parkland City Authority. The episode was recorded on the second day of last week’s Modern Manufacturing Expo, which @AuManufacturing is a media partner of.    Fox has worked in manufacturing for over 30 years,…

In episode 19 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski we hear from Dr Marc Carmichael, a Senior Lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and Chief Investigator at the Australian Cobotics Centre. The episode was recorded on the second day of the Modern Manufacturing Expo, which @AuManufacturing is a media partner of.    Carmichael’s work focusses on…

In episode 18 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski we hear from Peter Mackey, Executive Director, New Education and Training Model (NETM) at the NSW government’s Western Parkland City Authority. This micro-episode is about micro-credentials. In it Mackey giving an update on the NETM pilot program, which intends to develop 100 micro-credential courses between 2021…

In episode 17 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski we hear from Steve Layton of Layton Corporation. The chat was recorded at last Friday’s Good Design Awards. EmTech, a division of Layton’s company, won Gold for Product Design at the awards for its Enviro Hide product. Enviro Hide is made from recycled leather and has…

By Peter Roberts A year on from the cancellation of contracts with French Naval Group to build conventionally powered submarines in Adelaide, and the announcement of the Aukus agreement, the shape of future submarine construction is taking shape. With neither the US or the UK having the capacity to build extra submarines for Australia despite…

By Peter Roberts A six month surge in the share price of Perth international shipbuilder Austal is likely attributed to a big new US Navy shipbuilding contract and the fact Fortescue boss Andrew Forrest has been quietly buying up shares and now owns a 15 percent stake in the company. While other similar companies’ share…

Hopes are rising, including from Tesla chair Robyn Denholm, that Australia can revive automotive manufacturing by producing electric vehicles. Here Peter Roberts visits one company that is advancing plans to electrify – Ausev. From the outside the factory looks much like any other along the main road through Brendale in Brisbane’s outer northern suburbs. But…

In episode 16 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Mark Chilcote, Managing Director of Energy Renaissance. ER was founded in 2015, is currently running a pilot plant at Tomago, and is preparing to begin volume production of lithium ion batteries by the end of the year.   This interview comes during a week…

By Peter Roberts There is still a degree of nostalgia among some industry observers for the days when coal fired power stations delivered Australia some of the lowest-priced electricity in the world. But just as the days of Australia’s low cost advantage are long gone so too are the odds stacking up against any future…

In episode 15 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we speak to Associate Professor Cori Stewart, CEO of the Brisbane-based Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub. Stewart is founder of the not-for-profit organisation, which officially launched in March 2020 and aims to accelerate the uptake of robotics and AI in manufacturing and other industries within Australia. It…

Today as part of @AuManufacturing’s series looking forward from the Jobs and Skills Summit, Mark Leith proposes a radical re-think of Australia’s procurement practices. If Australia is to meet its revised 2030 emissions reduction targets, early action to accelerate zero emission bus and truck adoption is essential. While the business case for fleet electrification and…

By Peter Roberts It is understandable for a party like One Nation to be advocating a policy as dumb as its Project Iron Boomerang steelmaking plan for Australia, but it is dumber for the Senate to vote to support it as well. But that is what the Senate has done passing a motion establishing an…

By Peter Roberts A lot of things are being reassessed with the demise of the Morrison government in Canberra not least of which is the Coalition’s funding of carbon capture and storage projects. This is for very good reason, as is suggested by a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis…

This week @AuManufacturing experts look forward from the Jobs and Skills Summit. Here leading policy analyst Dr John Howard looks at Australia’s fragmented science, technology and innovation policies and maps out way for these to be integrated and co-ordinated with a robust industry development policy. Management textbooks and business self-help books tell us that strategy…

This week @AuManufacturing will feature a series of experts responding and looking forward from the Jobs and Skills Summit. Here leading innovation and manufacturing academic, Professor John Spoehr, gives his perspective. It was dubbed the hottest ticket in town – I was one of around 140 people to get one and enthusiastically attended last week’s…

In episode 14 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Dr William Crowe and Dr Hiranya Jayakody from HEO Robotics. The pair began HEO while they were PhD candidates at UNSW Sydney, initially with a focus on asteroid mining.  Today they are pursuing a beautifully simple goal: image anything within the Solar System…

The federal government’s Jobs and Skills Summit broke up on Friday with numerous decisions reached amid rarely seen consensus between politicians, business and community leaders and unions. While day one saw the government announce 180,000 new fee-free TAFE training places, day two saw another universally welcomed announcement. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil announced the permanent…

Analysis by Peter Roberts Oh dear, the Jobs and Skills Summit underway in Canberra is all well and good, excellent even as it has put an end to the division and them and us of the past decade. But am I the only one that is getting a sinking feeling about whether industry policy is…

Proudly made in Australia… is just not good enough. Full disclosure: I have an issue with pride. What for example would it have meant for me to be a proud German, I asked myself when I was younger. Winning the World Cup in soccer? I never kicked a ball in a single match. Fancy cars…

By Peter Roberts Two of the veterans of the Australian venture capital industry have increased their footprint in defence manufacturing with their majority owned ASDAM advanced manufacturing business moving to take over another two Australian defence suppliers. CPE Capital, founded by industry pioneers, former Austrade boss Bill Ferris, and Joe Skrzynski, have been investing in…

Skills are top of mind today with a jobs and skills summit in Canberra. With deteriorating relations between Australia and a number of countries a cyber skills shortage is looming large for manufacturers. John Hines outlines what can be done. The cyber security skills gap in Australia is reaching unprecedented levels. The hunt for talented…

In this episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski we hear from Arden Jarrett, Business Development Officer at MGA Thermal. MGA’s name comes from “miscibility gap alloy”, an approach to thermal energy storage developed over a decade by a team at University of Newcastle and which it is currently commercialising. In late-June the company launched the…

By Peter Roberts Australia’s Silex Systems has successfully manufactured and tested the first full-scale laser system destined for the enrichment of uranium in a major breakthrough in its decades long quest to commercialise what has been called third generation laser enrichment technology. The company announced today the first full scale laser system module to be…

By Peter Roberts PPK Group held its course for its transition from mining equipment manufacturer to technology commercialisation company in the past year, but not without experiencing failures in its technology portfolio and – like many young technology companies – a big fall in its share price. According to executive chairman Robin Levison (pictured, below)…

A jobs and skills summit will open in Sydney tomorrow against a background of inflation, interest rate hikes and skills shortages further weakening Australia’s industrial infrastructure. Here Roy Green surveys the summiting landscape, and what this means for industry policy. While this week’s Jobs and Skills Summit is being held under different circumstances from its…

A new Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (Flinders University) report, ‘The Circular Economy: International Lessons and Directions for Australian Reindustrialisation’, considers why and how Circular Economy principles should be applied to the larger project of Australian reindustrialisation, accelerated decarbonisation, value adding and national sovereignty. By Lance Worrall Through a focus on industrial processes and critical metals,…

By Peter Roberts I nearly missed this news myself – but the United States has quietly signalled that the one way traffic of sales of military equipment and technology from the US to Australia really has come to an end. This has been going on so long – we buy American equipment and they show…

In episode 12 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Phil West, co-founder of Siren Cameras. West comes from a family of fishers, and moved to Australia from Scotland a decade ago. A few years back he was out bluewater fishing, caught nothing all day, then found himself in a 15-minute battle with what…

By Peter Roberts Companies have begun to receive belated notices from the federal government that their applications for grant support under the Morrison government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, with IDT Australia one that has opted for a full strategic review following news its bid for a MMI grant had failed. Industry minister Ed Husic this week…