Best of the week — the five most popular stories among @AuManufacturing’s readers

What were the five biggest stories this week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading.

NEW IN 2023: AUSTRALIA’S 50 MOST INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURERS

For the first time ever, we are conducting a search to find out which companies lead the nation in their efforts to innovate. @AuManufacturing is delighted to announce a brand new campaign: Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers.

With the help of MYOB and SMC Corporation Australia, @AuManufacturing will use the connections and wisdom of our community to answer some important questions, including:

• Who are the most innovative manufacturers in Australia?
• What are their secrets? and
• What can we all learn from them?

MARS BARS GO FOR PAPER BASED PACKAGING

Mars Bars, Snickers and Milky Way will debut locally-created sustainable packaging in 2023 with the launch of recyclable paper based wrappers.

Manufacturer Mars Wrigley Australia has committed to transition all chocolate bars made at its Ballarat, Victoria site to a new paper-based packaging that can be recycled via traditional kerbside recycling.

In a world first for the company, the shift to paper-based packaging will be seen on the company’s much loved chocolate bars from April 2023.

CARBON REVOLUTION TO MERGE, TO BE US LISTED

Carbon fibre road wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution is to merge with a US entity, being recapitalised and listed in the US in the process and, potentially, ending up majority US owned.

The Geelong company, whose shares have been lagging on the ASX, is to merge with special purpose acquisition company Twin Ridge Capital Acquisition Corp.

The combined company will have an estimated post-transaction equity valuation of approximately $461 million, including about $214 million of cash held in TRCA’s trust account, assuming no redemptions from TRCA’s trust account.

LEGISLATION TO LAUNCH NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION FUND TO BE TABLED TOMORROW

The federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic introduced legislation to establish the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund – the centrepiece of the government’s approach to boosting manufacturing – promised during the federal election campaign.

Husic told the National Press Club that the legislation would be introduced tomorrow which would set in motion extensive consultation with investors and industry on the shape of the fund and how it would work.

Noting that today is the anniversary of the day in 1948 when the first Australian Holden car rolled off the assembly line at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne, he described the fund as ‘one of the largest peacetime investments in Australian manufacturing capability’.

GRAPHENE IS A PROVEN SUPERMATERIAL, BUT MANUFACTURING THE VERSATILE FORM OF CARBON AT USABLE SCALES REMAINS A CHALLENGE

“Future chips may be 10 times faster, all thanks to graphene”; “Graphene may be used in COVID-19 detection”; and “Graphene allows batteries to charge 5x faster” – those are just a handful of recent dramatic headlines lauding the possibilities of graphene, writes Kevin Wyss of Rice University.

Graphene is an incredibly light, strong and durable material made of a single layer of carbon atoms. With these properties, it is no wonder researchers have been studying ways that graphene could advance material science and technology for decades.

I never know what to expect when I tell people I study graphene – some have never heard of it, while others have seen some version of these headlines and inevitably ask, “So what’s the holdup?”

Picture: Mars Wrigley