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

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

5) DEFENCE INDUSTRY PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS – SERIES LAUNCH

This week @AuManufacturing launched a sponsored series reporting on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event, which kicks off in Adelaide next week. 

In the launch article, Peter Roberts explored the relationship between defence contractors and local industry.

4) DEFENCE PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS – RIDING THE AUKUS WAVE, PART 1 BY SARAH PAVILLARD

Also from the first day of our new sponsored series on BAE Systems Australia’s Partnering for success defence industry supplier event was part one of a two-part analysis of the benefits of the AUKUS agreement for SMEs. 

In the first part, Sarah Pavillard examined the SME industry policy landscape.

3) CANBERRA TO OFFER STATES FIVE-YEAR SKILLS AGREEMENT, $4.8 BILLION EXTRA

On Wednesday, skills and training minister Brendan O’Connor announced that the Commonwealth will offer states and territories a new five-year skills agreement that will come with an additional $4.8 billion in funding.

Speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting the day after O’Connor told the Australasian VET Research Association Conference that he would announce the proposed agreement later today, boosting the overall Commonwealth investment to $12.8 billion.

2) THE FIBRE OF INNOVATION RUNNING THROUGH A DRONE BUSINESS

At the beginning of the week, we presented the eighth profile from our ongoing campaign to identify Australia’s 50 most innovative manufacturers. Brent Balinski spoke to Dario Valenza from Carbonix, who shared an approach applied at every place the company works to innovate.

“The short version is innovation is really about questioning the parameters and testing and finding out whether your theories are correct or not,” Valenza explained.

1) GRANTS FOR VICTORIAN HANWHA SUPPLIERS ANNOUNCED

The first round of grants under the Victorian Land Systems Fund – Supply Chain Uplift Program, was announced, with five companies awarded between $2,000 and $100,000 for projects to help them participate in Hanwha Defense Australia’s supply chain.

The grants were announced during a visit by manufacturing minister Ben Carroll to Hanwha’s site — currently under construction at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct — where the company will build self-propelled howitzers under the federal government’s LAND 8116 program.

Recipients were APV Corporation, Hannagan Solutions, Australian Precision Technologies, Redline Engineering, and Diamond Defence.

And in case you missed our podcast…

In episode 58 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, Dario Valenza elaborates on his company’s approach to innovation, the challenges of developing drones for the infrastructure market, a recent announcement on hydrogen-electric propulsion with H3 Dynamics, where drones will be increasingly adopted, and more.

Picture: credit Hanwha Defense Australia