Best of the week — the five most popular stories among @AuManufacturing’s readers, October 2 – 6, 2023

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

5) Australian Precision Technologies wins missile contract

Precision engineering manufacturer Australian Precision Technologies (APT) has received a contract from Kongsberg Defence Australia to manufacture components for the KONGSBERG Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Launchers to be delivered under Project SEA 1300.

The NSM will replace the Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile currently on the Royal Australian Navy ANZAC class frigates and Hobart class air warfare destroyers.

APT will manufacture highly complex precision-machined components utilising state of the art manufacturing technologies and lean management best practises, according to a statement.

4) @AuManufacturing readers comment on lack of car industry

On Saturday @AuManufacturing reported that with Saudi Arabia inaugurating its first car factory, Australia is now alone among the G20 in not having it own car industry

We said: “An outside observer looking in at Australia might surmise that our recent vision has been to consciously de-industrialise.”

Here @AuManufacturing readers and members of our Australian Manufacturing Forum Linkedin networking and discussion group have their say.

3) Fortescue buys into world’s first billion-dollar green hydrogen startup

Fortescue has announced that it is a lead investor in a $US 380 million Series C funding round for US-based manufacturer Electric Hydrogen (EH2), and has committed to buy a gigawatt worth of the company’s electrolysers.

EH2 was founded in late-2020 and according to its website will ship its first 100 megawatt unit next year. The Series C round – which also featured Fifth Wall and Energy Impact Partners as lead investors –  makes it the first green hydrogen startup valued at $US 1 billion, reports Reuters.

It has raised over $US 600 million in venture funding so far, including from Amazon and Honeywell.

2) Federal government to invest $220 million at Benalla and Mulwala factories

The federal government has announced that it will invest $220 million in munitions production at the Commonwealth-owned factories in Mulwala in New South Wales and Benalla in Victoria.

The sites are operated by Thales Australia (trading as Australian Munitions), the largest supplier of explosive ordnance to the Australian Defence Force.

Benalla produces ammunition, explosive ordnance and other munitions, and Mulwala is focussed on propellants and explosives

1) Australia alone in G20 not making cars

The news from Saudi Arabia is great for the world car industry but marks a new low for Australia’s automotive sector, writes Peter Roberts.

California electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors has opened the first car manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, as the country makes good on its promise of making automobiles as well as other manufactures.

All well and good. But Australia is now the only member country of the G20 that is not making its own cars.

And in case you missed our podcast…

In episode 73 of @AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski, we hear from Adam Amos and Bradd Perkins of Robotic Systems about their successful pivot.

Picture: credit Lucid Motors