Manufacturing news briefs - stories you might have missed

HILT CRC team wins innovation award for green iron project

A Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) research team led by Professor Jacques Eksteen and Dr Lina Hockaday from Curtin University has won and award for Excellence in Innovation – Research Institution Leadership in Industry Research Collaboration. The award, received on Tuesday at the Cooperative Research Australia Awards, celebrates their leadership on a project upgrading iron ore for direct reduced iron production using products from seawater reverse osmosis brines – a collaboration with Fortescue, Roy Hill, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Agilitus, Proxa Australia, The University of Adelaide and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA). The team is developing a novel hydrometallurgical process to upgrade lower-grade hematite and goethite ores into higher grades suitable for green steelmaking. “This technology addresses a critical challenge for Australia’s iron ore industry in the global transition to green steelmaking,” said Hockaday. “By upgrading our abundant lower-grade ores to meet the stringent requirements of green iron and steel manufacturing, we’re helping secure Australia’s position in future low-emission steel supply chains.”

Industry minister marks metric milestone

Federal industry minister Tim Ayres marked 150 years since the signing of the international treaty that supports the metric system, “from its beginning with metres and kilograms to all the measurements we now rely on”, on Tuesday. Ayres said in a statement that the anniversary highlighted the value of a single, consistent system that ensures a level playing field for trade and supports Australian access to global markets. On May 20, 1875, 17 signatory States committed to “the international unification and improvement of the metric system”, a single language for measurement supporting global trade and innovation. Australia joined in 1947 with more than 100 states and economies now part of the Metre Convention. “Trusted measurement supports Australian access to global markets and confirms not just the quantity but the quality of Australian products,” said Ayres.

RBA cuts rates

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to lower interest rates on Tuesday is welcome, showing that progress on inflation has allowed continued easing, but caution is advised “regarding the broader context of global economic uncertainty,” national employer association the Australian Industry Group said following the decision. “A 25 basis point cut in the cash rate will provide some much needed relief for the economy. However, declarations of a ‘soft landing’ are premature. The global economic context Australia now faces is highly uncertain with many risks to the downside,” said Chief Executive Innes Willox. “Trump’s trade wars loom over the global economy. While temporary suspension of tariffs is welcome news, it simply implies less rather than no damage from this paroxysm of protectionism. The RBA notes that uncertainty alone can itself slow economic activity if households and businesses defer major decisions. “The RBA has downgraded its forecast for growth, inflation and employment through to the end of 2026 due to these global downside risks.”

Small business can fence or balance in Trump trade war

Home-grown businesses must now include geopolitical factors in their planning and partnerships, according to Macquarie Business School research. The on again/off again US/China tariff stoush is affecting businesses everywhere, and Australian SMEs (between five and 200 employees) “should now be including a geopolitical dimension in their business planning.” Macquarie Business School’s Dr Monica Ren said strategic options such as “fencing” and “balancing” — concepts designed to more sharply focus operations on either America or China — could be considered. “A policy of fencing against China means excluding China as an export market,” she said. “One high-tech exporting company we studied pursued this strategy because of IP concerns. Another option is a US- or Western-centric market fencing strategy. This strategy doesn’t exclude China. Rather, it focuses on Western markets. SMEs choose this strategy for many reasons, including common language and IP protection. Alternatively, an Australian exporter may choose China-centric fencing. This could make sense for companies that manufacture in China and export to the US.”

Legrand marks Australian Made Week

Legrand Australia has said it affirms its ongoing commitment to local manufacturing this Australian Made Week (running May 19–25.) The multinational represents “a global network specialising in electrical and digital building infrastructure” it said, though “continues to significantly invest in its local footprint”, operating a local HQ at Prestons, Sydney and several other facilities across Australia. It counts over 800 employees across Australia and New Zealand local manufacturing allows it “to be nimble and flexible for our local customers and their needs” it said, and investing in here made it “able to deliver reliable regional solutions with fast turnaround times.” Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said Legrand is “a prime example of a company that continues to invest in local capability, specialising in the production of locally-made electrical and digital infrastructure. Supporting businesses like Legrand means backing Australian jobs, skills, and innovation.”

Productivity Commission priorities show promise, says ACCI

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said this week that reform priorities recently announced by the Productivity Commission show promise for tackling key business challenges. ACCI Chief Executive Officer Andrew McKellar said that the top two specific areas identified by the Commission – improving the competitiveness of our corporate tax system and cutting back on over-regulation – reflected longstanding policy goals for ACCI. “It is encouraging that the Government has signalled a renewed focus on productivity as a national priority. The Productivity Commission’s early focus areas are a promising foundation, and as the voice of Australian business, ACCI stands ready to contribute to this important work,” said McKellar.

Wages up nearly 6 per cent in year to March: ABS

Total wages and salaries paid by employers were $104.8 billion in March 2025, up 5.8 per cent from $99.0 billion in March 2024, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The organisation’s head of labour statistics, Sean Crick, said: “Wages and salaries typically peak in March before falling in April, a seasonal pattern observed in previous years. Wages and salaries rose in March due to periodic bonuses paid within some industries, such as Mining, Wholesale trade and Financial and insurance services.” Total wages and salaries paid by employers grew in all 19 industries in the year to March 2025, ranging from 3.7 per cent in mining to 11.9 per cent in electricity, gas, water and waste services.

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