Audit office slams Morrison government entrepreneurs program

The Australian National Audit Office has severely criticised the design and management of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources government’s largest value procurement program in 2019-20. In a scathing report tabled in Parliament, the ANAO said the $492.4 million Entrepreneurs Programme failed on most of the criteria demanded of government grant schemes. Tenders…

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Changing the global landscape of sustainable agriculture with Siemens technology

ADVERTISING FEATURE Agricultural industries around the world are facing the challenge of sustainably increasing productivity to meet the demands of a growing population. As consumer focus leans towards organic, ethically grown produce, land stewardship and environmentally responsible farming practices prove central to economic growth and export potential. In 2022, Siemens is celebrating 150 years of…

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Reset manufacturing, but with the right IR settings – by Michael Stutley

Australia has a rare opportunity to reset its manufacturing sector. But it must get the IR settings right argues Michael Stutley. Since the 1960s peak, Australian manufacturing has been in decline. In the protected economy of that period, it generated over a quarter of GDP and employed about 25 per centof the workforce. Today, manufacturing’s…

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Cyborg Dynamics and BIA5 complete unmanned vehicle

Queensland electronics company BIA5 and automation company Cyborg Dynamics Engineering have produced their first three Warfighter unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) Product Baseline 1 (PBL01) vehicles destined for defence. The companies were awarded up to $426,150 in funding under the Department of Defence’s Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities (SICP) scheme to design, manufacture and test the UGV.…

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New NSW semiconductor bureau to set up at Sydney’s tech precinct

A NSW government-funded Semiconductor Service Bureau will be established at Cicada Innovations in Sydney’s Tech Central Precinct, aiming to “drive sovereign semiconductor capability” and support critical industries “including health, defence and telecommunications.” Support for a $4 million Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau, styled “S3B”, was announced in October last year, based on a primary recommendation of…

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