Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Arafura vessel commissioned

The Royal Australian Navy commissioned the first of six Arafura class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) at Fremantle, Western Australia, on Saturday. According to a statement from Defence, the OPVs (built by Luerssen Australia, which is owned by Civmec as of Wednesday) will improve the “ability to contribute to maritime patrol, response and constabulary missions” and will “play an important role in Navy’s commitment to supporting the long-term aims of the National Defence Strategy.” Lieutenant Commander Marc Beecroft, said in a statement on Tuesday that, “It’s a great privilege to be commanding a ship that will play such an important role in the fleet… I’m particularly proud of the way the ship’s company has risen to the challenges involved in commissioning the ship, and the way they have come together as a highly efficient and capable crew.” The vessels will primarily patrol and secure Australia’s maritime border, working with Navy’s and Australian Border Force’s shared fleet of Evolved Cape-class patrol boats. A second OPV is being built at Osborne Naval Shipyard and the remaining four are currently being built at the Henderson Shipyard in WA.

Gas market review welcomed by AFPA

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has welcomed the announcement this week of a review into Australia’s gas market regulations to ensure “they’re fit for purpose and deliver in the national interest”. AFPA said timber and wood-fibre processors and manufacturers are continuing to battle high energy and other input costs. The group’s CEO, Diana Hallam, said that, “The rising cost of gas and electricity is a major risk to our processing and manufacturing supply chain with several major businesses on the brink as a result.” The review will examine the impact of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism (ADGSM), the Gas Market Code, and a Heads of Agreement with major east coast gas exporters, as well as considering the role of market bodies and investment that aims to boost supply and put downward pressure on prices.

Austin’s new leader begins

Austin Engineering’s new CEO and Managing Director, Sybrandt (Sy) Van Dyk, has officially commenced in the role, taking over from David Singleton. Singleton remains on the board of the mining equipment company as a Non-Executive Director. Chair Jim Walker said in a statement on Wednesday that, “Since stepping into the role of Managing Director and CEO in 2021, David has made an outstanding contribution to the growth and performance of Austin. Developing and leading his Austin 2.0 strategy, he has delivered significant product, sales and order book improvements across the group but also connected our business units to make Austin a truly centralised and globally functioning firm… Sy brings strong operational and commercial credentials to the role, and significant leadership experience, having held executive positions at WesTrac, Macmahon Holdings, DDH1 Ltd and, most recently as President of Perenti Ltd’s Drilling Services Division.” Van Dyk added that his focus will be on “working with the team to strengthen business integration to generate further sales opportunities and carve out additional market share globally”.

Our cities are unprepared for robots, say experts

Monash University research has found that some of the world’s leading cities for robot adoption lack adequate policies to protect the public’s interests. The study, published in the Journal of Asian Public Policy, analysed six cities across Asia — chosen for their high robot density — to assess how well they are preparing for a future with more robots in public spaces. According to a statement from the university, it found that while safety concerns have generally been addressed, limited attention is being paid to other issues that impact economic and social wellbeing. Lead researcher Professor Michael Mintrom said one of the concerns was that governments rarely engage with citizens on their hopes and fears. “Only in Taipei, Tokyo and Shanghai did this research find any policy interest in co-design,” he said. The researchers also warned against policies that leave many decisions about robot design and use to the companies making them. Associate Professor Shanti Sumartojo added “Co-design can help policymakers develop anticipatory approaches to address the policy challenges of a fast-moving world.” Their paper can be accessed here.

Cereal, pasta and baking mix manufacturing figures released

Market research company IBISWorld has released updated figures on the cereal, pasta and baking mix manufacturing industry, estimating it as worth $3.1 billion in revenues for 2025-26. According to their recent report, the 292-business, 5,406-employee sector has seen revenues drop 4.4 per cent over the past five years, and an estimated 7.1 per cent in 2024-25. The decline was explained as “largely due to the domestic cereal, pasta and baking mix market’s increasing saturation”, and tipped that while product innovations “may spur short-term sales, it’s unlikely that they’ll create meaningful long-term industry revenue growth, given the availability of substitutes.” Profitability pressures were also found to be “driving rising industry consolidation”.

Orthocell appoints two new senior execs

Regenerative medicine business Orthocell has announced the appointment of two new senior executives, with Jim Piper made Chief Financial Officer and Adam Wood Chief Commercial Officer. According to a statement from Orthocell on Wednesday, the staff additions come as it positions itself for “rapidly growing revenue and the ramp up of market engagement and product sales in the United States” and other markets. Piper is replacing Nicole Telford after 15 years in the CFO role. Wood’s role is newly-created. Orthocell Chairman, John Van Der Wielen, thanked Telford and added that the new appointments “both bring outstanding experience to the Company which will be invaluable as we extend the commercialisation of our products, particularly Remplir in the US.”