The blurring of construction and manufacturing that is the growing trend towards off-site pre-fabrication is fast becoming a reality in Australia. From residential homes to skyscrapers, buildings are increasingly being made on production lines that resemble factory operations before transport to a site and assembly. The latest paradigm shifting building to open its doors, 25…
Listed retailer AuMake International (ASX:Au8) is gaining traction in the giant Chinese online and home shopping markets with its range of Australian and New Zealand manufactured products. The company’s latest China market update reports rising sales in its retail shops and in Chinese so-called daigou markets. AuMake reports a significant price differential between China on-shelf…
Multi-national steel and steel products group, BlueScope Steel (ASX: BSL) today reported robust sales and margins in all market segments. Chairman John Bevan told the company’s annual general meeting that earnings before interest and tax in the current year would be around 10 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, when they…
Manufacturers and suppliers are bracing for the fallout from the collapse of engineering firm RCR Tomlinson which has gone into administration. The company went under unable to complete nine solar farms in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, despite raising $100 million from investors only three months ago. Tomlinson operates under the brands O’Donnell Griffin, Haden…
Comment by Peter Roberts. Medical researchers and a private company developing a surgical implant to restore some sight to the blind have passed an important milestone, with the technology’s future commercialisation now in play. Bionic Vision, a consortium of Melbourne research groups, and privately funded Bionic Vision Technologies, have successfully restored ‘a sense of vision’…
Defence industry minister, Steve Ciobo has announced five companies will share grants of $12 million to develop innovative technologies. The grants, by the Defence Innovation Hub, will further develop their innovative technologies to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Sentient Vision Systems, a small Australian computer vision company, has been awarded a $5.5 million contract…
The federal government has announced a new grants scheme offering up to $1 million for projects that help meet Australia’s defence industrial capability priorities. The government’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grants scheme aims to build the capacity and resilience of Australian small-to-medium sized business. Grants may be used to fund capital equipment (including specialist software…
Black Sky Aerospace has successfully launched a commercial payload into space from a site at Westmar, west of Brisbane, aboard its largely Australian designed and made sounding rocket. The launch was confirmed by Queensland minister for manufacturing, Cameron Dick in a media statement issued at 5.23pm. “This Sighter190 research rocket is the first in Australia…
Canada’s Eguana Technologies has become the third energy storage group to announce it will set up facilities in Adelaide to assemble and manufacture lithium ion battery storage systems. Attracted by the state’s subsidised home renewables scheme, Eguana joins Sonnen and Alpha-ESS who will make batteries at the former Holden assembly plant north of the city.…
Comment by Peter Roberts One of the biggest complaints made by manufacturers is that few young people are interested in a career in manufacturing. But perhaps they are not the probblem? When I was in short pants South Australian schools took children on factory tours, and I can still recall the former Chrysler car plant…
