Downstream mineral processor Alpha HPA has announced that its plans to construct Australia’s first growth facilities for synthetic sapphire used in high technology industries are advancing at Gladstone in Queensland. The company is commercialising sapphire production utilising the Austrian Ebner-Fametec sapphire growth technology utilising Alpha’s high purity alumina feedstock. Sapphire glass is ultra-pure glass used…
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Hearing implant manufacturer Cochlear has reported a 20 percent jump in sales for the half year ended December, 2023 to $1.1 billion, driven by strong growth in cochlear implants and sound processor software upgrades. Cochlear implant units increase by 14 percent as the company consolidated market share gains and strong growth in developed and emerging…
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The federal government has opened a new round of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII), offering grants of up to $100,000 to startup and SME companies targeting “renewables and low emission practices”. In a statement from industry minister Ed Husic on Monday, companies were invited to submit their “innovative proposals for ideas that address…
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The federal and Western Australian governments have finalised a $140 million agreement to support construction of a hydrogen hub in the Pilbara in Western Australia. The Pilbara Hydrogen Hub is planned as a major centre for hydrogen production and export, with the potential to become an international gateway to Australian-made green steel and iron. The…
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The historic launch of an Australian developed and manufactured rocket is closer with Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies closing a $55 million Series D capital raise ahead of the company’s maiden orbital launch later this year. Led by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) with Blackbird, Main Sequence and Australian superannuation funds HostPlus and HESTA, the capital…
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Applications have opened for Western Australian agrifood companies under the CSIRO’s free ten-week program for SMEs and startups, Innovate to Grow. The round is being delivered with support from the state government’s department of primary industries, with the first workshop to take place on April 11. It will offer participants collaboration opportunities with mentors from…
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Chemical engineering company Hazer Group announced on Monday that it has received binding commitments amounting to $9 million, before costs, under a placement. The firm commitments for ordinary, fully-paid share came from “institutional, sophisticated and professional investors” and at an issue price of $0.50 per share, “together with a free attaching quoted HRZO class option…
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By Mitchell Scovell, CSIRO and Andrea Walton, CSIRO Hydrogen can play a key role in Australia’s energy transition by giving us additional ways of storing and moving energy around. As the world shifts towards cleaner energy production, there’s a push to make hydrogen production cleaner as well. In Australia, low-emission hydrogen is produced in two…
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As we near the deadline for nominations for Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers, we look at one of the companies near the top of 2023’s list. Brent Balinski speaks to Faz Pollard from Adarsh Australia. Perhaps you’ve asked the question, to yourself and/or your peers: “What has actually changed for manufacturers since Covid?” It’s easy…
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A slump in prices for the critical mineral nickel – used in battery manufacture – has brought action from the federal and Western Australian governments. In the past few days federal Resources Minister Madeleine King placed nickel on the Critical Minerals List, giving nickel companies opportunity to access billions of dollars in Commonwealth funding. And…
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