Given Australia’s advanced society many were surprised, disbelieving even, when the latest Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity rated us low on the complexity scale. Japan, Switzerland, and South Korea sit at the top of the ranking. Czech Republic ranked 6th in the world while the US slipped out of the top 10 into 12th position.…
Tony Evans has been publishing a series of articles on social media on ‘worker friendly’ reforms to Australia’s tax system. Here he proposes a return to public and private sector co-investment, and a fresh approach to SME financing for retooling and growth. Despite the devaluation of the Australian dollar over the past nine years the…
Sustainable hardwood products manufacturer 3RT is to have digital production units (pictured) manufactured to make its Designer Hardwood (pictured) range of value-added timber products. The Adelaide company has developed a world-first technology in collaboration with Flinders University that converts wood waste into timber. Designer Hardwood looks, feels and has the mechanical properties of 100 year…
Slot machine and online gaming group Aristocrat Leisure has booked increased revenues but decreased earnings in the latest six months as the Covid-19 pandemic began to buffet the business. The Sydney company reported EBITDA profits down seven per cent to $707 million for the half to 31 March, on revenues up seven per cent to…
By Denham Sadler The local startup sector will be crucial to economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with further government support needed for early-stage firms, University of Technology Sydney director of entrepreneurship Murray Hurps says. Mr Hurps said more than 40 per cent of Australian startups are likely struggling as a result…
The US Air Force has launched a competition to develop AI software to control groups of highly capable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in formation with conventional jet aircraft such as the F-35 joint strike fighter. The USAF intends to let a number of development contracts for the software, known as Skyborg, according to a…
Comment by Peter Roberts Dear industry minister Karen Andrews, Your government is to be commended for supporting key sovereign industrial capabilities in defence and, now in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, extending that thinking to broader strategic national manufacturing capabilities. With respect, there can be no manufactured product more crucial to Australia’s national sovereign…
Construction materials and industrial minerals business Adelaide Brighton is to change its name to ADBRI to better reflect the evolving nature of the business. Shareholders an the company’s annual general meeting overwhelmingly backed the name change. While the company retains its SA businesses, including the Birkenhead cement works on Adelaide’s Port River (pictured), which marks…
By Stuart Corner ASX listed investment house, Washington H Soul Pattinson, has invested $20 million in Leading Edge Data Centres to fund a network of regional edge computing data centres around Australia. Leading Edge says it will build a network of 20 world-class tier three data centres across regional Australia to provide faster internet speeds…
Major employer body the Ai Group has called for fresh thinking on industrial relations to help rather than hinder employers taking on more staff as we emerge from the Covid-19 andemic. AiG Chief Executive, Innes Willox said: “Now is not the time for tired old arguments about IR reform. “What is needed is fresh thinking…
