Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

AnteoTech receives $2.6 million R&D tax rebate

Surface technology company AnteoTech, which is commercialising products for the battery and medical technology industries, has announced receipt of $2.59 million in cash for 2025 under the Research & Development (R&D) Tax Incentive. In a statement on Monday, it said the rebate from the Australian Tax Office “relates to AnteoTech’s expenditure on eligible Australian R&D activities across both the Advanced Battery Technologies and Life Science business units conducted during the 2025 Financial Year.” It added that acceleration of the R&D incentive “was a key outcome highlighted” in a recent strategic review. 

Biopak acquires Bygreen

BioPak announced the acquisition of fellow sustainable packaging company, Bygreen, on Friday. According to a statement from plant-based business Biopak, Bygreen “has been at the forefront of the sustainable packaging sector for over 30 years” and is known “for producing Australia’s longest lasting paper straw, ‘Strong Straws’”. The acquisition is hoped to accelerate Bygreen’s “position in the Australian market and bolster the company internationally, all while allowing BioPak to continue to deliver on its mission to lead the industry with the most comprehensive and innovative packaging solutions”. Bygreen CEO Mick Krause said, “With the environment at the heart of everything we do, this partnership opens the door to new opportunities, greater impact, and long term sustainability.”

Bygen appoints new Project Engineer

Not to be confused with the acquired company above, waste-to-activated carbon company Bygen has welcomed Simon Liu as its new Project Engineer. According to an update on Linkedin from Bygen, Liu has a background in chemical engineering and experience across the wine and oil & gas  sectors. It added that Li has “hands-on expertise across the full project lifecycle – from stakeholder engagement and design reviews, to fabrication, QA/QC and on-site commissioning. His technical capability and end-to-end project insight will be a valuable addition as we continue delivering complex, high-performance activated carbon systems. We're glad to have Simon on board as we take on the next phase of projects at Bygen!”

Ai Group releases AUKUS Pillar 2 report

The Australian Industry Group released a report on Monday that it said provides an industry perspective on Pillar 2 of AUKUS, the  part of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States security pact focussed on joint development of advanced capabilities. Citing extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, the Ai Group said it found Pillar 2 “must evolve from a perceived policy-oriented initiative to a capability-focused program. While early steps have laid an excellent foundation through policy reforms, export control alignment and innovation pathways, the next stage – delivering advanced capabilities through commercialisation and acquisition – must be properly funded and continue to develop apace.” The report and its five main recommendations can be accessed here.

SIG launches Australia's first recycle ready bag-in-box packaging for wine 

Food and beverage packaging business SIG and development partners Hill-Smith Family Estates, Vinarchy, DeBortoli Wines and Calabria Family Wines have introduced a “recycle-ready bag-in-box for wine,” developed and made at SIG's Adelaide facility. According to a statement from the company, the bag is made of its proprietary Terra RecShield, “a mono-material film with a uniquely formulated polymer structure” replacing a conventional multi-layer film (which contains aluminum.) Every component of the bag-in-box recycle-ready. SIG’s added that its Adelaide-based R&D team also introduced Australia’s first locally manufactured wine tap made from light grey polymers, allowing it to be “easily detected by optical sorters at Australian recycling facilities, improving plastic separation and supports  higher-quality recycled output.”

SEMMA opposes work from home proposal

Industry lobby group the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) has said that the Victorian government's proposed work from home laws are unrealistic, marginalise people who show up for work every day, and threaten “the viability of the manufacturing sector”. Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said earlier this month that the government will introduce laws protecting a right to work from home at least two days a week. SEMMA CEO Honi Walker said that everyday items “simply cannot” be manufactured at home. “And we ask the Premier; how does Ms Allan think her infrastructure projects get locally supplied? How does her Government’s Victorian Industry Policy (VIP) work if there is no manufacturing?” added Walker. “If this work-from-home policy is enacted and applied to manufacturing – there will not be a manufacturing sector in Victoria. Like the crippling land tax and exorbitant Workcover Premiums, it’s just another reason for business to relocate and re-invest elsewhere”.

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