Capral receives first Chain of Custody-certified shipment

Capral Aluminium has announced the achievement of what it says is a “significant milestone in sustainable sourcing” this month, receiving its first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Chain of Custody (CoC)-certified shipment from Aluminium Bahrain (Alba.)  According to a statement from Capral, the certification assures that the aluminium in its products has been responsibly sourced and…

Australia’s lack of economic complexity on display – again

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…

ARC awards almost $65 million under Industrial Transformation Research Program 2023

Funding totalling nearly $65 million has been announced for eight new Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centres and five new ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs, covering themes including battery recycling, digital manufacturing and radiation innovation. Industry partners and universities would also provide additional funding worth $227 million to the new ARC Training Centres,…

$12.4 million for clean innovation researcher networks

The federal government has announced funding of $12.4 million to support five major projects that will help Australian researchers collaborate globally on clean energy research and development. The International Clean Innovation Researcher Networks grants will support networks focussed on renewable energy and clean technologies such as solar, wind, storage, green metals, and their supply chains.…

Onshore textile manufacturing project among Country Road Climate Fund grant winners

Country Road has announced the first grant recipients through its Climate Fund, a three-year, $1.5 million grants program announced last year, backing projects led by Full Circle Fibres, Landcare Australia and Trust for Nature.   In a statement on Thursday, the clothing company said it received 40 applications, with an Assessment Committee undertaking “in-depth due diligence”…

Starpharma, UQ target new radiopharmaceuticals

A federal government science grant and industry funding has sparked the creation of a new research and industry hub targeting the development of new radiopharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical developer Starpharma has partnered with the University of Queensland and the University of Sydney in establishing the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacture of Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (AMTAR Hub). Backed…

Productivity Commission fails as others forge ahead – by Tim Buckley

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…