Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, April 21 – April 25, 2025

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

5) QUT team make stretchable semiconductors better able to turn body heat into electricity

A team of Queensland University of Technology researchers (pictured) have developed a new alloy with potential use in wearable, flexible semiconductors.

The researchers, each from QUT and each belonging to the ARC Research Hub in Zero-emission Power Generation for Carbon Neutrality (ZeroPC), published their work in the journal Nature Communications.

A statement from the university describes their research as involving precisely-controlled  “vacancy engineering” to improve an AgCu(Te, Se, S) semiconductor’s ability to convert body heat into electricity.

4) UN declaration never required Australia to slash manufacturing, fact-checkers confirm

A viral claim that the Whitlam government signed away 30 per cent of Australia’s manufacturing capabilities in 1975 has been debunked by experts, the AAP FactCheck service has revealed.

The false claim, which has resurfaced on social media, alleged that Australia was required to slash its manufacturing sector by 30 per cent under a UN declaration signed by former prime minister Gough Whitlam.

Multiple experts confirmed the 1975 Lima Declaration was never legally binding and did not require any reduction in Australia’s manufacturing.

3) Ten-year CRC for manufacturing regenerative therapies awarded $65 million

A Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) focussed on accelerating industrial-scale manufacturing of regenerative therapies has been awarded federal funding, with the Solutions for Manufacturing Advanced Regenerative Therapies (SMART) CRC to begin a ten-year term with a total of $238 million in commitments.

Industry minister Ed Husic announced $158 million in funding for three successful CRC applications on Thursday, with $65 million allocated to the University of Queensland-hosted SMART CRC.

Interim CEO of the SMART CRC and Professor at UQ’s School of Chemical Engineering, Simon Cool, bottlenecks in manufacturing were impeding access to curative regenerative therapies.

2) Albanese government commits $158 million to back three new CRCs

The federal government announced $158 million in funding for three new Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) on Thursday, with a major focus on manufacturing life-saving medical treatments for diseases including cancer.

Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic (pictured) revealed the funding package, which includes $65 million over ten years for the newly established SMART CRC. This centre aims to manufacture cures for cancer, heart diseases, arthritis and other age-related ailments.

“Being able to make our own life-saving treatments onshore is hugely important to our nation,” Husic said.

1) Sydney company signs $1.6bn order for new Whyalla steelworks

Greensteel Australia has signed a $1.6 billion order for a “next-generation” steel mill to be built in Italy as it advances its plan to take over the troubled Whyalla steelworks.

The Sydney-based company finalised the deal with Italian firm Danieli at a contract signing in Adelaide on Sunday. The agreement includes a new plant, two electric arc furnaces and a structural steel rolling mill.

This follows an earlier order Greensteel placed with Danieli in October last year for the first equipment needed for its planned “ultra-low-carbon steel mill”.

Picture: credit Greensteel Australia/LinkedIn