Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Convergence Medical appoints new advisor

Surgical robotics startup Convergence Medical, which announced a $US 5 million Series A round last month, has added Dr Kevin Plancher to its team as a strategist and advisor. In a statement from the company on Linkedin, the orthopaedic surgeon was quoted as saying “I am looking forward to working with Nicholas Colyvas and the development of the V01 robot that may revolutionize shoulder and knee arthroscopic surgery. The delivery to improve patient care and results must rest upon the surgeon’s shoulders and I believe Convergence will be leading the way.” Plancher Orthopaedics’ website lists the surgeon as “Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, at the Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University in New York.”

Australian companies benefiting from AUKUS reforms: government

The nation’s defence businesses are already seeing the benefits of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, according to a statement from defence on Monday. The export licence-free environment established with the United Kingdom and the United States last September under AUKUS’s “generational reforms” has provided over 210 companies across Australia “with unprecedented access to the world’s largest defence markets and have already facilitated over $25 million in licence-free exports”. Under these, businesses no longer need a licence to export “most military and dual-use goods, technologies and services” to the two partner nations.

GFG Alliance owes $15 million to SA Water, parliament told

GFG Alliance, the owner of the Whyalla steelworks, owes about $15 million in unpaid water bills to the South Australia government, SA Treasury Department chief executive Tammie Pribanic told state parliament on Monday. The ABC reports Pribanic as saying “SA Water’s told us that the overdue amount is in the order of $15 million. With SA Water, certainly GFG haven’t made payments since I think it would be August.” Pribanic said there were “concerns around solvency” for the steelworks, which were bought by GFG a year after the former owner, Arrium, collapsed in 2016.

Patties Food Group welcomes National Pies to family

Patties Food Group announced its official acquisition of National Pies, “the beloved Tasmanian brand known for its delicious, high-quality pies and rolls” on Friday. The company said National Pies — also known as Tasmanian Bakeries — has been crafting iconic savoury baked goods since 1942, and will continue to operate as a stand-alone business within the Patties group. “The existing management team and staff will remain in their roles, ensuring continuity in the expertise and passion that have made National Pies a household name” the company announced on Linkedin. “Operations will also stay in Tasmania, with a long-term lease secured for the Hobart site. At Patties Food Group, we’re committed to investing in National Pies to fuel its future growth—expanding its reach while honouring the heritage that has made it a Tasmanian favourite for more than 80 years. We can’t wait for what’s ahead!”

ARENA allocates $2.4 million for chargers

The federal government says it is accelerating the rollout of public chargers as more than one in three drivers are thinking about buying an electric vehicle, with $2.4 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced on Friday. According to a statement from ARENA, Australian EV charging company EVX Australia will install 250 kerbside chargers providing 500 charge plugs, on existing power poles across towns and cities in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, over the next two-and-a-half years. Energy minister Chris Bowen said chargers “are a key step to unlocking cleaner, cheaper-to-run EVs for Australians who aren’t able to charge them at home,” and “Projects like this, supported by ARENA funding, are helping develop the answers we need to scale.”