Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Defence sales catalogue applications open

Defence industry suppliers have been invited to apply for listings in the 2023 edition of the Australian Defence Sales Catalogue. Defence industry minister Pat Conroy said on Monday that the publication connects Australian businesses with potential customers around the world. 226 companies are in the current edition, which is available in hard copy, online and through the Australian Defence Export Office (ADEO) Portal app. “Exporting Australia’s leading defence technology and capability to the world strengthens our defence industry, which has a key role to play in building our defence capability,” said Conroy. Online applications to be included can be lodged via ADEO. Applications close at 23:59 AEDT on November 6, with more information available here.

Purpose Conference returns after four-year hiatus

The for-purpose event Purpose Conference has ended a four-year hiatus, its organisers have announced. According to a statement last week, more than 1,000 speakers, businesses and brands will participate at talks and workshops to be held October 19 and 20 at Carriageworks, Sydney. Confirmed speakers include Nicky Sparshott, CEO, Unilever Australia & New Zealand, Simon Holmes à Court, the clean tech investor and convenor of Climate 200, and Julia Kay, CEO & Co-Founder of Great Wrap. “We are now seeing crystal clear indications the businesses which will succeed over the next five to 10 years are the ones that will make their profit in a way that is symbiotic with the natural world, and good for the quality of life of all people,” said Sally Hill, who founded Purpose in 2015. The event’s website can be found here.

Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure 2022 Report released

Thales has published the results from Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure 2022 (linked) which surveyed organisations across critical infrastructure and critical/essential services industries globally. A statement from Thales said the report revealed increased vulnerabilities exploited by a wide range of threat actors, as well as major gaps and challenges in their approaches to protection and risk management. Based on responses from 2,767 respondents in critical infrastructure, 44 per cent reported increases in the volume, severity and/or scope of cyberattacks in the past 12 months; only 2 per cent of respondents have no concerns about quantum-related risks; and 55 per cent of respondents ranked malware as the leading source of increased security attacks, followed closely by ransomware (53 per cent.) “The key take away is that securing the edge is no longer a sufficient approach to minimising the impact of attacks on critical infrastructure,” said Brian Grant, ANZ Director for Thales Cloud Security.

Infrabuild appoints interim CEO

Steel manufacturing, distribution and recycling business Infrabuild has appointed Dak Patel as interim CEO from October 8 following the departure of Vik Bansal, who will lead building products maker Boral. The Australian Financial Review reported on Patel’s appointment over the weekend. Patel was CEO of Infrabuild until mid-2021, has been on the board since, and will continue in the role until a new Chief Executive is found.

Sydney to host International Astronautical Congress in 2025

Sydney will host the world’s biggest space conference, the International Astronautical Congress, beating bidders Bangkok, Beijing and Istanbul to host the event. Australian Space Agency Head Enrico Palermo said the 2025 conference, “will help us inspire a new generation of Aussies about the possibilities of space, highlighting its criticality in addressing some of our greatest challenges.” The bid was backed by Palermo’s organisation, the Space Industry Association of Australia and Business Events Sydney. Investment NSW chief executive Katie Knight claimed the result as evidence of the state’s stature globally in space. “Our state already generates up to 75 per cent of Australia’s space-related revenue and 41 per cent of the country’s space businesses are based in NSW,” said Knight.

CEO of Nextracker added to All-Energy conference

Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of solar tracking system company Nextracker will present at the upcoming All-Energy Australia event, taking place at MCEC on October 26 and 27. According to a statement from the conference organiser, Nextracker has shipped over 60GW globally, is the world leader in solar tracking systems, and has doubled its manufacturing capacity over the past year to 300 MW per week. Shugar will sit on the All Energy Opening Plenary panel, 8.30am on the 26th of October.

Picture: Taken at Purpose Conference 2018 (supplied)