China, US tumble, Australia stays at 18th in annual competitiveness ranking
Australia has remained in 18th place in the annual IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, now in its 32nd year.
Oz Minerals signs Whyalla copper export deal
South Australian copper miner Oz Minerals has signed a deal with Sanjeev Gutpa’s Whyalla Port to export concentrate from its new Carrapateena mine.
Xtek to ramp up ballistic armour production
Ballistic armour manufacturer Xtek has secured loan funding to allow the expansion of its ballistic helmet manufacturing facility in Adelaide. The company secured a $2.5 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank which will be used to install commercial scale preform presses needed before the company’s proprietary XTclave composite materials curing and consolidation process. The process…
Canberra pursues PFAS chemicals reduction
The federal government is calling for information from companies which are utilising PFAS chemicals or have considered or tried alternatives. The PFAS taskforce of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has written to industry groups seeking information on PFAS use as part of consultations on a National PFAS Position Statement. The current statewent…
HMAS Armidale shows extent of SME’s defence involvement
A just-completed maintenance operation on HMAS Armidale (pictured) has illustrated the extent of SME involvement in supporting the Australian defence forces. Defence minister Melissa Price today announced Armidale had undocked in Cairns after undergoing a $5 million servicing and restoration project at the Norship shipyard. More than 200 critical tasks were carried out by Norship…
Technologies and tools for a manufacturing transformation: Using bioenergy to power the world by Shaun Scallan
Continuing yesterday’s sustainability theme, @AuManufacturing’s “technologies and tools…” turns to the potential of bioenergy, which is underutilised in Australia compared to Europe. Shaun Scallan explains.
Autonomous aircraft, boats, satellites among $21 million in defence grants
Eight new contracts were announced under the Defence Innovation Hub program on Tuesday morning, with a total value of over $21 million.
Apprenticeship slump continues even as National Cabinet responds
New figures show the apprenticeship and trainee system was continuing its long-term slump even before the Covid-19 pandemic which has put a spanner in the works of training plans across industry. The figures for the December quarter, 2019 from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), show apprenticeship and traineeship commencements down a massive…
Small business procurement panel for economic recovery
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says small businesses will play a critical role in the post COVID economic recovery, calling on the federal government to establish a small business procurement panel. The panel, proposed in ASBFEO’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan, would require Government contracts with a value of up to $10…
SPC collaborates to create foods of the future
Iconic Australian food manufacturer SPC, has established a joint venture with global food business Döhler which will create, manufacture and distribute new Australian sourced foods. SPC Chairman Hussein Rifai said: “There is no better way to ensure food manufacturing security than to follow our business strategy which is to become a global player in food…