Lithium Australia and its research partners have received a Co-Operative Research Centre Projects grant to pursue their $3.6 million project developing new methods for extracting lithium from spodumene rock. Lithium will receive $1.3 million from the CRC-P to boost the recovery of lithium which can be as low as 50 per cent using conventional processing.…
Hearing implant group Cochlear has increased its investment in a start-up business developing a device to combat obstructive sleep apnea. Apnea, a market dominated by Cochlear’s Australian rival ResMed, has attracted a number of competing devices with healthcare company Nyxoah pursuing a novel approach. The company’s device (pictured) stimulates the tongue nerve during sleep, triggering…
Packaging group Orora has experienced a topsy turvy first half of the year with sales and profits moving in opposite directions. Net profits after tax were down 13.3 per cent to $76.6 million on sales that rose 13.3 per cent to $1.8 billion. The manufacturer of glass, cans and fibre packaging experienced subdued economic conditions…
Biotechnology and vaccines group CSL has confirmed itself as Australia’s global manufacturing powerhouse with net profit after tax for the first half of the year of $1.86 (US$1.25) billion, up eleven per cent on the previous corresponding period. The half saw dramatic growth in its blood-based products, with R&D investment over more than a decade…
Chemical technology company Calix (ASX: CXL) has accelerated its penetration of the US market with the completion of the purchase of wastewater treatment business Inland Environmental Resources (IER). The company supplies magnesium hydroxide liquid (MHL) for use in the food processing, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment markets in the Pacific Northwest and Mid-West markets. The…
Hearing implant company Cochlear has become the latest to be hit by the global Coronavirus scare, cutting its profit outlook for the year. From a profit outlook of between $290 and $300 million for the year, the company now expect profit to be as little as $270 million. This would represent a rare stumble by…
Austal Australia, the Australian operation of Perth international ship builder Austal Ltd, had launched the first of two 118 metre high-speed trimaran ferries under construction. Th vessel, to be known as #BajamarExpress (pictured). is being built for Fred Olsen.SA of the Canary Islands at the company’s Henderson yard south of Perth. It is the 394th…
The federal government has backed a study into the feasibility of a new coal fired power station at Collinsville in north Queensland that will very likely not get built. The $4 million study funded by the $10 million Supporting Reliable Energy Infrastructure program will support Shine Energy Pty Ltd’s feasibility study for a proposed 1GW…
Comment by Peter Roberts While the federal government continues to thumb its nose at public and scientific opinion on climate change, there is no shortage of innovative businesses looking to help stem the global warming trend.. As Canberra was dying in a ditch protecting the failing technology of coal power, a group of entrepreneurs has…
Rare earths producer Lynas Corporation has been forced to go public to refute claims by anti-company activists in Malaysia that it was misleading the public. Lynas, which is mired in controversy about radioactive wastes from its Malaysian processing operations, reacted to claims from Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas (SMSL). The group said Lynas misled investors by…
