Manufacturing news briefs - stories you might have missed

JV not to be for FBR

Robotic technology company FBR told shareholders that the “period for the option granted to CRH Ventures” to enter a joint venture in the US passed on February 16. FBR said it “did not receive formal notice of exercise of the option” from CRH and therefore FBR is no longer subject to the exclusivity arrangements for providing its Wall as a Service. FBR completed a demonstration program with a selection of builders in the US, for which FBR received non-refundable payments totalling $US 2 million from CRH. FBR Managing Director and CEO, Mike Pivac said: “FBR is now unrestricted in its dealings and operations in the United States and is engaged in discussions with builders, counties and industry incumbents, not just in Florida but across the United States, including in California. FBR will provide further updates on its United States operations in the coming weeks, including its transition to the Liebherr facility in Miami as an operating base.”

Mars Wrigley, Western Bulldogs extend sponsorship deal

AFL team the Western Bulldogs and Mars Wrigley have announced a three-year partnership extension, which will see Ballarat’s showpiece AFL, sporting and events venue continue to be known as Mars Stadium until at least the end of 2027. In a statement on Monday, Mars — which has been making Mars Bars at Ballarat since 1979 — said that it and the Bulldogs will offer “bespoke match-day and inner sanctum experiences and initiatives for members of the Ballarat community”. It added that “an increased investment” will see the first of a range of new initiatives for the region “revealed in the coming weeks.” Xavier Shortal, Sales Director of Mars Wrigley Australia, said “This sponsorship signifies Mars Wrigley’s commitment to the great city of Ballarat, which has been an important part of our history for more than 40 years, producing our iconic confectionary brands including Mars, Snickers, Maltesers, M&M’s and Pods.”

Tasmania gets new TAFE Centre of Excellence investment

The federal and Tasmanian governments announced a joint $27.2 million investment on Tuesday to create Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence at TasTAFE’s Burnie campus. According to a statement, it will train students to work on wind generation and hydro pump technology, delivering skills “to harness the state’s natural resources for clean energy and to support our transition to net zero.” Partnerships at the centre will be formed with the renewable energy industry, Jobs and Skills Councils, universities, and unions. $13.2 million of the funding will be from the federal government via the National Skills Agreement, with funding matched by the state government. An additional $800,000 will be allocated through the federal Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence initiative. “This Centre of Excellence will provide students with practical experience, which we know is such an important element of training and means graduates will be ready to join the workforce right away,” said skills minister Andrew Giles.

Li-S Energy appoints new non-executive director

Lithium sulphur battery business Li-S Energy announced the appointment of Rick Francis as a non executive director of its board on Tuesday, effective immediately. Francis is currently non-executive independent director at PPK Group, which is a significant shareholder in Li-S Energy, and was previously Managing Director and CEO of Spark Infrastructure Group for over a decade. Separately, spark received the resignation of Marc Fenton from the position of non-executive director on its board. “Rick’s experience greatly complements the existing Board and we all look forward to working with him,” said Li-S Energy Chair Ben Spincer. “I also wish to thank Marc for the contributions he has made to the Company during his tenure and we wish him the best for the future.”

RBA rate cut welcome, but likely a one-off: Ai Group

Employer representative the Australian Industry Group has welcomed Tuesday’s Reserve Bank decision to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to to 4.1 per cent, but cautioned that the RBA “has made clear that we should not expect another rate cut any time soon because our economy remains exceptionally fragile”. In a statement following the cut, Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said the decision offers some much-needed relief to businesses and mortgagee households, and will hopefully encourage improvement to the “very weak growth rate” in the private sector economy. “Meanwhile, the global economic outlook is extremely uncertain due to policy shocks emanating from the US,” said Willox.

Hycel, AMSL Aero will collaborate on hydrogen fuel cells

Deakin University’s Hycel Technology Hub, at its Warrnambool campus, will work with AMSL Aero to “help to deliver higher-performing hydrogen fuel cells for aviation applications.” AMSL Aero is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designer and manufacturer developing Vertiia, “Australia’s first passenger-capable, emission-free, long-range hydrogen-powered vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.” According to a statement from Deakin on Monday, AMSL will be the first industry partner to access commercial testing of fuel cells at Hycel, following the facility’s official opening in October 2024. “Our partnership leverages hydrogen expertise from AMSL’s international fuel cell partner, and combined with AMSL and Hycel personnel, develops cross sector hydrogen expertise for Australia,” said AMSL Aero’s Senior Project Engineer Simon Coburn.

Picture: credit Mars Wrigley