Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

ARENA to support regional renewable microgrids A new $50 million Australian Renewable Energy Agency fund will support the deployment of microgrids and renewable energy across regional Australia. First announced in the 2020-21 federal budget, the Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots Program (RAMPP) will fund pilot projects that demonstrate the potential for microgrids to benefit regional and…

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Manufacturing employment back over 1 million for first time since 2009: ABS

The resilience of the manufacturing industry seen through 11 months of positive PMI results has translated into jobs growth, with employment higher now than at the beginning of the pandemic. Acting federal industry minister Angus Taylor said on Thursday that though COVID-19 restrictions were presenting difficulties, a strong result for the quarter had delivered 91,000…

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Research and industry sweet spot at Carbon Revolution – video

Carbon Revolution is a poster boy of the global automotive industry with its ability to manufacture a single-piece carbon fibre composite road wheel for performance vehicles made by the likes of Renault, Ferrari and Ford. But it is also showing the benefits of collaboration between industry and cutting edge public sector research and facilitation –…

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Telehealth isn’t telehealth if it is on Zoom – by Mike Harman

Sophisticated medical tests such as heart rate, pulse oximetry and even endoscopy can be carried out by medical practitioners remotely via specialised video links, but despite greater public acceptance, most remote medical consultations still take place via telephone, or at best Zoom. Here Mike Harman outlines the future of remote health – and it is…

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Micro-X signs $8m stroke detection device contract

Carbon nanotube X-ray technology company Micro-X has signed an $8 million contract with the Australian Stroke Alliance to develop a lightweight CT scanner for pre-hospital stroke diagnosis in air and land ambulances. The grant, part of $40 million funding by the federal government’s Medical Research Future Fund, aims to develop a scanner small and affordable…

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