Rescuing the Productivity Commission from itself – By Phillip Toner and Roy Green

With the federal government moving to reform its economic advisory body, the Productivity Commission, attention has turned to the outcome of the PC’s decades-long dominance of policy advice to the government – a fragile and narrowly-based resources-driven economy. Here, Phillip Toner and Roy Green outline why the PC must be fundamentally changed. As federal Treasurer…

Vast Solar gets Australia and German backing for methanol project

Concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) company Vast Solar, and the Solar Methanol Consortium have been selected to receive $19.48 million (EUR13.2 million) from an Australian-German collaboration fund, HyGATE, to develop a world-first green methanol demonstration plant, SM1 in Port Augusta in South Australia. Methanol is the most versatile hydrogen derivative which, if produced using clean…

K-TIG expands into nuclear sector and the UK

Rapid automated welding systems manufacturer K-TIG has expanded its interests in the United Kingdom nuclear decommissioning sector, acquiring UK advanced manufacturer Graham Engineering Limited (GEL). The GBP18 million purchase gives K-TIG, which is vying for contracts to manufacture containers to house nuclear wastes, an in country manufacturing presence – GEL already produces highly engineered, large…

$1 million for Flinders STEM courses

New federal funds will help Flinders University support hundreds of female Year 9 students in South Australia and the Northern Territory to build competitive skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), along with entrepreneurial skills to build their future education and career opportunities. The Flinders University STEM Enrichment Academy received almost $1 million in…

LBT Innovations and AstraZeneca to develop AI systems

Microbiology diagnostic equipment manufacturer LBT Innovations has partnered with AstraZeneca and Thermo Fisher to speed up the development of LBT’s APAS AI software platform for microbial testing in the pharmaceutical sector. The software, seen on LBT’s APAS Independence laboratory instrument, speeds up the laboratory processing of clinical samples by utilising AI to scan for microbial…

ARENA maps out pathways towards zero emissions alumina

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has released a roadmap to decarbonise Australia’s alumina sector – crucial for net zero goals as the country is the world’s largest alumina exporter. Worth $7.5 billion to the national economy every year, the Roadmap for Decarbonising Australian Alumina Refining, outlines technologies that could reduce emissions from Australia’s six alumina…