The US arm of shipbuilder Austal has celebrated the start of construction for a new manufacturing facility for submarine modules (MMF3) at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. This new building, scheduled to be fully operational in late 2026, will significantly increase Austal USA’s capacity to support the U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base (SIB). The new…
Completion rates for vocational education and training (VET) qualifications held steady at a high rate according to the latest report released today by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). The VET qualification completion rates 2023 report shows that 47.3 percent of all VET qualifications that commenced in 2019 – the year before the…
Defence tactical watercraft manufacturer The Whiskey Project Group (TWPG) has announced the establishment of its new US headquarters and manufacturing hub in Edenton, North Carolina. The Australian veteran-founded company is expanding its manufacturing capabilities with a 50-acre footprint that integrates shipbuilding and warehousing in the big US defence and security market. In April The Whiskey…
Drone manufacturer and solutions provider Carbonix has partnered with Toll Uncrewed Systems which will see the Sydney company become the primary training organisation for Carbonix drones in Australia. Carbonix CEO Philip van der Burg said: “Carbonix drones are already used in a range of scenarios all over the world including in commercial and military operations,…
ICN Victoria celebrated its anniversary, marking 40 years since its founding as the Industrial Supplies Office (ISO), at an event on Tuesday. According to a statement from ICN Victoria – a non-profit company majority funded by the state government and linking smaller suppliers to major projects – it has played “a critical role in shaping…
Space systems and satellite sector manufacturer Inovor Technologies has become the latest company to graduate from the Lockheed Martin Mentor Protégé Program which mentors the leadership teams of key defence suppliers to the company. Inovor joins Clearbox Systems, the first supplier to graduate outside the US, and Silentium Defence which have also benefitted from the…
The Australian Furniture Association (AFA) has called on furniture manufacturers and suppliers to address the presence of persistent PFAS chemicals which have been linked to harmful effects in humans. Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances have been identified in numerous consumer goods, including furniture, where they are often used in fire retardants, stain repellents, and water-resistant treatments. The…
SwarmFarm Robotics’ farm robot rolls out of new Toowoomba factory Farm robotic vehicle manufacturer SwarmFarm Robotics has released images (pictured) of the very first SwarmBot as it rolled out of the company’s new manufacturing plant in Toowoomba. SwarmBot is an autonomous platform that can be customised for tasks faced in local crop farming systems. SwarmFarm…
Food ingredient startup Pectin 360 (P360) has announced a partnership with ASX-listed The Original Juice Company (TOJC), aiming to upcycle food waste into pectin and fibre, with an unnamed research and commercialisation partner selected to help establish a pilot plant. In a statement this week from P360, the company said a Heads of Agreement had…
Aerospace composites manufacturer Quickstep has been unable to find a buyer for its loss making Quickstep Aerospace Services maintenance business at Tullamarine in Melbourne, and will close the operation. The Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operation was originally purchased from Boeing Australia, with Quickstep investing $4 million and expanding the operation in 2021. QAS works…
