Managing Innovation – finding the right balance
Innovation can be defined as the creation of value through implementing new or enhanced products, services, processes, technologies, or organisational methods and business models.
Mapping magnesium: materials engineer discusses alloy breakthrough
Professor Jian-Feng Nie of Monash University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering led a recent discovery for magnesium alloys. He shares some context for the results with Brent Balinski.
Leading brewer eyes thermal energy storage system
One of Australia’s leading craft breweries is looking to a cutting edge thermal energy storage system to provide the heat required to make its beer.
Australia is no innovation nation, in fact we are all talk
Comment by Peter Roberts Australia has had numerous prime ministers from Bob Hawke to Malcolm Turnbull who have boasted about us being an ‘innovation nation’. But this is a classic case of promoting one of your weakest points to try to avoid scrutiny – in fact Australia has never been, and is not even remotely…
Gilmour Space Technologies rocket fails to launch
Gilmour Space Technologies has failed in its’ latest attempt to launch its One Vision suborbital test rocket from a mobile launch site in outback Queensland. CEO Adam Gilmour said on the weekend in a letter to investors that seven seconds before launch the test rocket suffered an anomaly that resulted in the premature end of…
Kimberly-Clark closes its Australian Huggies factory
Kimberly-Clark Australia has quietly closed its Ingleburn, Sydney plant which has produced its popular Huggies nappies since 1988. The factory was promoted by the US group as a poster boy of local investment and advanced people management techniques, and produced one billion nappies annually, making it a rare example of local mass production. The factory…
CIVMEC completes massive modular construction hall
Perth marine engineering group CIVMEC (ASX:CVL) has completed construction of a massive new modular ship construction hall at the Henderson marine precinct. The 52,000 square metre facility is an incredible 18 storeys, or 70 metres tall, 130 metres long and 40 wide. Built to house complete air warfare destroyers, frigates and offshore patrol vessels as…
Universities step in to fuel shipbuilding boom
South Australian universities are sharpening their focus on maritime engineering courses to help secure a sovereign workforce to implement Australia’s $90 billion continuous naval shipbuilding program.
Australian manufacturing saved by a roundtable
Comment by Peter Roberts Excuse my cynicism but a cynical government held a gabfest in Canberra this week that we are meant to believe shows their commitment to Australian manufacturing.. Industry reps, academics and others met with industry minister Karen Andrews with the outcome? Well bugger all. Andrews said: “The roundtable discussed ways to enable…
BRP completes acquisition of boatbuilder Telwater
Canadian conglomerate BRP has completed the purchase of 80 per cent of the outstanding shares in leading Australian aluminium leisure craft and trailer builder, Telwater Pty Ltd. The successful conclusion of the takeover was announced yesterday at the Sydney International Boat Show. BRP Marine owns the Evinrude, Alumacraft and Manitou brands, but Telwater is considered…