Manufacturing news briefs - stories you might have missed

National Innovation Policy Forum to be held in Canberra next week

The National Innovation Policy Forum and 2023 Ralph Slatyer Address on Science and Society will be held on Monday, November 27. The forum at the Great Hall at Parliament House, Canberra, is hosted by Cooperative Research Australia, and brings together Australian innovation leaders from businesses and research organisations with policymakers and parliamentarians to tackle common challenges. The theme will be Australia’s Innovation Ecosystems – Building a Shared Vision. Federal industry minister will open the forum with a Ministerial Address. The day’s program can be viewed here

New research examines under-reporting of Scope 3 emissions

A new paper reveals how companies frequently under-report Scope 3 emissions — indirect emissions which include the upstream and downstream emissions from a company’s full value chain. The research was published last week in PLOS Climate, and is the result of an industry-university collaboration between climate risk analysis firm EMMI and researchers at UNSW Sydney, Griffith University and the University of Otago. It estimates most corporations are not reporting the full scope of their carbon footprint, with many claiming to be ‘green’ despite a lack of reporting on Scope 3 key categories. “By analysing reported emissions from over 1200 companies, we found most companies are under-reporting their Scope 3 emissions by up to 44 per cent,” says Dr Ben McNeil, an Adjunct Fellow at the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre and co-founder of EMMI. “This is because companies typically focus on emission categories that don’t generate huge amounts of emissions, like business travel, while avoiding the carbon emissions involved in carbon intensive categories like ‘product use’.”

Planet Ark launches Product Stewardship Hub

Planet Ark launched its newest initiative, the Product Stewardship Hub, on Monday, describing it as “a pioneering initiative aimed at providing critical support for industries navigating the complex process of establishing voluntary accredited product stewardship schemes”. The launch at Circularity 2023 comes at a crucial juncture, said Planet Ark, with Australia’s environment ministers agreeing last week that product stewardship schemes play a key role in holding producers accountable for managing their waste and committing to regulate where voluntary product stewardship doesn’t work. The Hub’s first task will be launching Podcycle, a national scheme for all Australians that collects and recycles all types and brands of coffee pods being established in collaboration with coffee pod brands and stakeholders. Podcycle aims to be accredited as a voluntary scheme by the Australian Government and is due for launch in 2024.

It’s National asbestos week

This week (20-26 November) is National Asbestos Awareness Week, with residents and tradespeople reminded to Think Twice About Asbestos, ensuring proper and lawful disposal. Asbestos fibres are strong, heat resistant particles that have insulating properties, and were previously incorporated in building and other products. Australia banned the use and import of asbestos-containing goods in the mid-1980s, and a total ban was implemented in 2003. An estimated 4,000 Australians still die annually from asbestos-related diseases, due to the product still being present in millions of homes, as well as public and commercial buildings. The City of Stonnington, one organisation observing the week, is encouraging its residents, landlords, homeowners and tradespeople to act properly when it comes to safe disposal, and to “stay vigilant to the health risks this toxic material poses to community and Council.”

Australian drone company makes Brazilian acquisition

Drone technology startup Aerologix has announced a $2 million capital raise and the strategic acquisition of Brazilian mapping software company Mappa. The raise is cornerstoned by Lindsay Phillips’ Nightingale Partners, returning after earlier seed raises. Ellerston Capital is also a backer. Aerologix was founded in 2019, by ex-airline pilot Tom Caska and former technology consultant Rakesh Routhu, and matches drone operators with clients that need aerial imaging. The “Uber for drones” company says it has signed up more than 29,000 drone pilots so far. Its expansion this year has seen it launch in New Zealand and acquire Mappa, which Aerologix said has a strong presence in South America. “This acquisition not only supercharges our growth in South and North America but also provides a platform for a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, along with additional revenue streams derived from monetising our extensive drone pilot network,” said COO Routhu.

Servatus launches microbiome-cased skincare line

Australian biopharmaceutical company Servatus has announced the launch of its new microbiome-based over-the-counter (OTC) biomiq skincare range. Calling it an addition to “one of the most exciting new areas in skincare”, Servatus said biomiq utilises the skin microbiome to address the underlying causes of certain skin conditions, while helping soothe and restore natural balance. Servatus added that its proprietary clinical program is currently investigating the role of bacteria and microbiome regulation as treatments for certain diseases, with this scientific knowledge and evidence-based research applied to the consumer skincare market. The first products in the biomiq skincare range to be launched are acne wipes and acne serum.

Hub launched for 2D materials manufacturing research

The new Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing of 2D Materials (AM2D) was launched at an event at Monash University on Monday. The hub “will foster research and commercialisation of 2D materials like graphene with a vast range of applications including in water treatment, batteries, coatings, paints and sensors”, according to the university, and was opened by Chisholm MP, Dr Carina Garland. AM2D Director Professor Mainak Majumder said, “We are at the tip of this iceberg in this journey as innovative graphene-enhanced products are being designed, and existing products are moving up the technology readiness levels (TRL)… Asides from Graphene, AM2D will open up new opportunities for 2D materials of tomorrow. In this large family of graphene-like materials around 100 have been studied, and over 6000 distinct materials are unexplored. It remains a research area ripe for new discoveries and products.” The hub involves Monash University. University of Adelaide, RMIT, Queensland University of Technology, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Ceylon Graphene Technologies, Ionic Industries, NematiQ, Sparc Technologies, Industrial Innovations, Cientifica and CSIRO.

Nominations open for 2024 PM’s prizes

Nominations for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are now open, industry minister Ed Husic announced on Tuesday. The prizes recognise the advancement of knowledge across a diverse range of science fields, and the critical role teachers play in inspiring the next generation of scientists. Awards run across seven categories: Prime Minister’s Prize for Science; Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation; Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year; Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year; Prize for New Innovators; Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools; and Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools. Nominations are open until February 8, and a total of $750,000 in prize money is on offer. More information is available at this link.

Picture: credit AM2D/Linkedin