New figures show the apprenticeship and trainee system was continuing its long-term slump even before the Covid-19 pandemic which has put a spanner in the works of training plans across industry. The figures for the December quarter, 2019 from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), show apprenticeship and traineeship commencements down a massive…
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says small businesses will play a critical role in the post COVID economic recovery, calling on the federal government to establish a small business procurement panel. The panel, proposed in ASBFEO’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan, would require Government contracts with a value of up to $10…
Iconic Australian food manufacturer SPC, has established a joint venture with global food business Döhler which will create, manufacture and distribute new Australian sourced foods. SPC Chairman Hussein Rifai said: “There is no better way to ensure food manufacturing security than to follow our business strategy which is to become a global player in food…
An Australian-made miniature satellite has been launched into space to test radio communications technologies to help shape future space capabilities. The M2 Pathfinder, developed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, is a significant next step in developing Defence space systems. The M2 Pathfinder, a…
Australia’s export gas industry which puts upward pressure on domestic gas prices is starting to falter as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to ripple across the economy. The Australian LNG Report from EnergyQuest released today shows LNG export shipments in May were 6.4 million tonnes, down from 6.9 Mt in April, with seven…
Australian company Saber Astronautics has been chosen by the state and federal government to establish a space mission control centre in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD. The centre will house facilities for space businesses and researchers to control satellite and space missions, and include a live link to the International Space Station so visitors can…
The success of @AuManufacturing’s new deal plan for manufacturing crowd sourced from readers raised hopes that the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic really could lead to a permanent change in the fortunes of the sector. The new deal plan has since gone to the manufacturing task force of the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission and key…
S&P Dow Jones is rebalancing its S&P/ASX stock indices which are based on market value on June 22, with manufacturers featuring in the changes. Amcor PLC will drop out of the S&P/ASX top 20 index following the demerger of its domestic and international businesses into locally-focused Orora and the global Amcor group. Gaming machine manufacturer…
Incitec Pivot in big capital raising Fertiliser and explosives business Incitec Pivot has raised $57.7 million in capital from existing shareholders under a share purchase plan. The company, which like many manufacturers is shoring up its balance sheet, previously raised $600 million from an institutional placement. Incited Pivot operates 20 manufacturing plants in the US,…
Advanced technology developer Archer Materials has developed portable hardware systems to interface with its novel graphene based biosensor which is being developed to detect the presence of disease. The company created the biosensor components (pictured) using water-based graphene ink printed on a clear substrate with electrodes with micron-scale features. Archer said in a statement that…
