US commercial rocket company, Rocket Lab last night launched its low cost Electron rocket into space, carrying two Australian micro-satellites into orbit. The Electron lifted off from the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island late evening AEST carrying Fleet Space Technologies Proxima 1 and 2 satellites. The rocket, nick named “It’s Business Time”, reached…
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By Helen Hull. It’s not technology or even budget that’s holding Australian organisations back when it comes to digital transformation, it’s culture. New research* of mid- to large-sized Australian businesses highlights the barriers faced along this journey, reinforcing internal organisational issues including a lack of leadership and culture, and aversion to risk taking, In a…
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Comment by Forum member, Professor Aleksandar Subic, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) Swinburne University. When Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of Australia’s most successful tech company, Atlassian, talks about Australia’s potential in tech innovation, he compares it to our film industry. We won’t beat Silicon Valley, the billionaire says, but just as our filmmakers, actors and cinematographers…
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Comment by Peter Roberts. The giant Nystar silver, lead and zinc refinery is a looming presence over the main street of South Australian mid-north industrial town, Port Pirie. On this weekend when I visited the city its massiveness looms larger as the company has confirmed that as many as 100 of the 700 workers are…
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Manufacturer and distributor of bulk handling and storage equipment, Liquip International has sold its NSW and Victorian service operations to to its Victorian distributor. The distributor, operated by Tracey Hourd and Jeff Borg has established a new dedicated NSW distribution, workshop and service operation, Liquip NSW. The facility, which opened in November, provides ‘solution focused,…
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Australian losistics software giant, WiseTech Global (ASX: WTC) has bought Stockholm-based customs and logistics solutions provider, CargoIT. Headquartered in Stockholm, CargoIT offers customs management solutions along with their freight forwarding, warehousing and transport solutions to over 150 customers, which include DHL, Kerry Logistics, SAS Cargo, Clas Ohlson, Mondelez International, Mitsubishi Motors, and Hyundai. The move…
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Analysis by Peter Roberts. Australians are among the richest people in the world, in fact among the richest people who have ever lived on this planet, but few of us accept this and what it means for manufacturing. The 2018 Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse, shows that Australians are the world’s second richest judged…
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By Peter Roberts The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has committed the government to building a new, large naval ship dedicated to humanitarian work and disaster response among a suite of policies aimed at our Pacific Island neighbours. In a major speech delivered to a largely defence audience in Townsville, he revealed the vessel as part…
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@AuManufacturing and the Australian Manufacturing Forum have teamed up with the third annual Industrial Internet 4.0 Summit which will take place in Sydney on February 26 and 27. Peter Roberts, editor of @AuManufacturing will speak at the event and host the afternoon session on the second day of the two day event. Roberts will speak…
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Comment by Peter Roberts. The new defence industry minister, Steven Ciobo is touring South East Asia this week spruiking Australian defence exports, something it is generally hard to fault. He is supporting the 20 companies exhibiting at Indo Defence Expo and Forum 2018 in Indonesia, and having meetings in Singapore to strengthen bilateral defence industry…
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