Budget analysis by Peter Roberts The 2020-21 federal budget has been packaged and sold as many things, from one for jobs, to a reset for manufacturing. There are certainly a multitude of initiatives, but this is certainly not a budget that will ‘galvanise investment in Australian manufacturing’ to quote industry minister Karen Andrews. The problem…
Trans-Tasman dairy giant Fonterra has sold its Chinese dairy farms for a total ofg $555 million after developing them with local partners. The group, which produces brands such as Western Star in Australia, sold its Ying and Yutian farming hubs to Inner Mongolia Natural Dairy and its Hangu farm to Beijing Sanyuan Venture Capital. Fonterra…
Medical device developer Epi-Minder has successfully completed an $18 million Series A funding round. The company is commercialising its implanted Minder electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring device for those suffering from epilepsy. Existing shareholders Cochlear, the Bionics Institute, Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne took part in the capital raising. Bionics Institute researchers and…
Comment by Peter Roberts CSIRO’s Synroc synthetic rock method for safely storing radioactive waste is making headlines again (more on that later), but as someone who has been around for a while it all just demonstrates yet again the topsy turvy way we see innovation in Australia. Synroc was unveiled in 1978 by a team…
Schneider Electric has been named the 2020 Clean Energy Trailblazer by The Climate Group’s RE100, recognising its commitment to carbon neutrality in its operations by 2025. The Climate Group is a global member body of companies committed to 100 per cent renewable power. Schneider Electric, which has Clipsal electrical products manufacturing operations in Adelaide and…
Covid-19 treatment tests begin for Noxopharm’s Veyonda Drug developer Noxopharm’s Veyonda drug has been tested as a treatment for Covid-19 on its first human patients. The Phase 1 clinical trials of Veyonda, an experimental anti-cancer formulation of the drug idronoxi, is being conducted in a number of hospitals in Eastern Europe. This came after research…
The Blue Economy CRC and Perth-based Carnegie Clean Energy are working to develop a new mooring tensioner, a key component of the company’s wave energy generators (pictured below). The project, led by Carnegie CTO Alexandre Pichard, aims to support the use of rotary power take-off systems, bringing down the cost of wave energy conversion. The…
Lightweight portable X-Ray equipment manufacturer Micro-X has inked its first sales contract for its latest product, the Rover militarised X-Ray machine. The World Health Organisation has facilitated a $1.4 million buy of the Adelaide-made machines for delivery to Pacific Island nations, as part of the global fight against the Covid-19 virus. Originally developed under contract…
Additive manufacturing company, Titomic has entered into a commercial research and development agreement with RMIT University to assess the capabilities of its Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) 3D printing process to create structural satellite parts. The research, being conducted on behalf of global aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin, will develop parts from high-performance metals, analysing…
SPC Ardmona has taken a majority equity stake in Australian manufacturer of frozen ready meals and finger foods The Kuisine Company, as the iconic fruit and vegetable processor continues its transition into a global agribusiness. SPC, now under the ownership of Shepparton Partners Collective who bought the ailing business from Coca Cola Amatil, will grow…
