Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

ACOR report estimates the value attached to recycling The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has released a new report that it says “demonstrates the immense economic value of the recycling sector.” The Economic Contribution of the Australian Recycling Industry, authored by Australian Economic Advocacy Solutions, estimates that over the past year, the recycling sector contributed…

Eleven Tasmanian businesses awarded grants

Eleven businesses have been awarded approximately $870,000 under the final round of the Tasmanian government’s Advanced Manufacturing Accelerating Growth Program. Grants are worth up to $100,000 each on a co-contribution basis and assist manufacturers “to purchase capital equipment, linked to an off island market driven expansion opportunity with resulting increased employment.” Round four recipients (a…

Johnson Controls to acquire Gordon Brothers

US building automation company Johnson Controls has announced that it will acquire century-plus-year-old industrial refrigeration specialist Gordon Brothers Industries for an undisclosed sum. In a statement on Wednesday, Johnson Controls said the definitive agreement with the Australian company would strengthen its presence in the region, and see GBI staff trained to design and engineer, select,…

New Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence opens at Heidelberg

A new Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at Melbourne Polytechnic’s Heidelberg campus was opened on Monday. The new $3.2 million facility was described as “next-generation manufacturing training centre” that would train Victoria’s next generation of engineers on “technology in robotics, 3D printing, and computer design will support a range of industries including biomedical, defence and…

Renewable fuels being overlooked in rush to electrify, says Bioenergy Australia report

According to a new report released by Bioenergy Australia on Monday, the nation faces “environmental, economic and energy security risks” unless governments encourage a renewable fuels industry. The Transitioning Australia’s Liquid Fuel Sector: The Role of Renewable Fuels report (linked) considers decarbonisation “where electrification is impractical”, including transport, mining, agriculture and construction sectors, which represent…