The federal government has stepped up its efforts to boost the number of girls and women studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Industry minister Karen Andrews marked International Women’s Day with announcements that build on the government’s 2019 Advancing Women in STEM strategy. She lauched an Advancing Women in STEM Action Plan 2020…
By Stuart Corner eSAT Global — a US company planning to use existing geostationary satellites for IoT applications — has scored its first Australian customer: Smart Paddock, developer of a livestock monitoring tag. Together, the two companies say they will seek to provide over $9 billion in benefits to the Australian meat and livestock industry.…
By Forum member Darren James, Partner, Commercial Disputes, Mills Oakley Many people have already been severely affected by the public health emergency caused by the novel corona virus (officially designated as COVID-19),. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 3,400 people who are reported to have died following COVID-19 infection. Quarantine…
By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW This week the Reserve Bank of Australia did something everyone expected and the US Federal Reserve did something almost nobody expected. Both are revealing. At its monthly meeting Australia’s central bank cut official interest rates by 25 basis points to a record low of 0.5%. The Fed cut…
Private equity firms are reportedly among interested parties in the sale of Pact Group’s (ASX:PGH) contract manufacturing division, with the first round of an auction expected to go ahead later this month.
BHP and Exxon Mobil have begin work on the last remaining large gas reservoir in the offshore Bass Strait oil and gas fields. The $550 million West Barracouta project will only offset gas production in decline from other Bass Strait reservoirs, though it will maintain supplies in a time of shortage. Announcing the project in…
By John Broadbent, leader of Industry 4.0 Workshops – getting the rubber to hit the road Improving manufacturing performance is key to ensuring all resources are being utilised in the most efficient and sustainable way. Fundamentally, it’s about doing more with less, whether it’s utilities, raw materials, waste or people. The large majority of manufacturing…
Medical technology company Memphasys plans its first commercial sales of its unique Felix medical device to boost success in IVF procedures in the second half of 2020. The Sydney company told investors in a market update that its automated, non-DNA damaging lab instrument for sperm separation was undergoing assessment by a series of key opinion…
Medical technology company Respiri has taken delivery of its first batch of Wheezo devices to monitor wheezing and breathing in asthma sufferers. The devices, manufactured by miniaturised electronics manufacturer SRX Global, are the first of 500 Wheezos being delivered to prepare for full commercialisation of the product in the fourth quarter of 2020. SRX Global…
By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Australia’s three-decade run of near continuous economic growth is set to end, with treasury warning of a hit to growth of “at least” 0.5% in the first quarter of this year, potentially followed by a “prolonged downturn”. If it came to pass,…
