2000 jobs in new Murray Bridge abbatoir
Thomas Foods International will invest several hundred million dollars in a new state-of-the-art abattoir at Murray Bridge, almost 18 months since its previous plant was destroyed by fire.
Puzzle Precision completes 20,000 circuit board order for CSIRO
Newcastle-based electronics assembly business, Puzzle Precision is close to completing an order for 20,000 circuit boards which will be the heart of the receivers for Australia’s Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio-telescope. As reported in @AuManufacturing news, the $188 million pathfinder will form part of the world’s largest telescope, the SKA being built at sites…
The economy slows as capital expenditure, R&D fade
Analysis by Peter Roberts Australia’s Productivity Commission has pointed to a deep seated sickness holding back the Australian economy caused by falling levels of company investment and R&D. The Commission’s Productivity Bulletin 2019 just released shows labour productivity rose in 2017/16 by 0.2 per cent. This measure of output per hour worked is way below…
Election month dampens mood, but Australian manufacturing continued growth streak in May
The Australian manufacturing sector continued to grow during May’s federal election month, recording its 33rd straight month of stable or growth results according to the Australian Industry Group’s Performance of Manufacturing Index.
Shay Chalmers, Director, Strategic Engineering Australia
This time around our Meet a Member guest is Shay Chalmers, who tells us about her passion for manufacturing and the shifts in her career, which includes managing an Ohio steel mill during the GFC, returning to Australia to work in medical device manufacturing, and founding her consultancy.
Design done well in Australia
Ask different people and you’ll likely get different answers about how well Australia does industrial design.
CSL in rude health, prognosis good
Analysis by Peter Roberts There are Australian biotechnology companies, and there are Australian manufacturers. And then there is CSL Limited (ASX: CSL). What began in 1991 as a division of the Australian department of health, has grown today into a global colossus, and an Australian biotechnology manufacturing success story. Listed in 1994 at $2.30 a…
Sydney IoT microchip maker gets up and running
Sydney-based IoT microchip developer, Morse Micro has raised $23.8 million in Series A funding to start mass production of its ultra-low power Wi-Fi chip. While the chips will be made overseas, the R&D, which grew from Australia’s wi-fi leadership history, will be based in the Sydney CBD. CSIRO’s innovation fund, Main Sequence Ventures (MSV), lead…
“We’ve only scratched the surface of the opportunity.” An interview with the new AFCG CEO about Geelong’s fibre future
It is hard to think of carbon fibre in Australia and not think of Geelong. It’s a material with countless uses – in cars, sporting goods, exoskeletons and beyond – and Victoria’s second city is home to the scientific, engineering and commercial expertise needed to develop it into the products of tomorrow.
Enough with the pilot programs: we need to kickstart innovation in Australia
Karen Andrews will continue as Australia’s Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, sworn in today with other cabinet members in Scott Morrison’s refreshed Coalition government. As one of the shepherds of the Australian innovation system, Andrews finds herself between a rock and a hard place.