Advanced Navigation to expand with global centres of excellence
Australian autonomy equipment business Advanced Navigation says it will expand to establish PNT (positioning navigation and timing) centres of excellence across the United States and Europe, beginning with a new site in United Kingdom. According to a statement from the company last week, the inaugural centre “will serve as a strategic cornerstone in Advanced Navigation’s global production network, purpose-built to scale the manufacturing, engineering, support and servicing of its world-leading inertial navigation systems (INS) for GPS-denied environments.” Grace Hynd (pictured), the company's COO, said the expansion represented, “a direct response to the growing demand for GPS-denied navigation technology – driven by escalating electronic warfare threats, GPS jamming and spoofing, and the critical need for resilient autonomy on the battlefield”
Filling machine installed at Macquarie Uni's RNA manufacturing facility
Progress is well underway at the RNA Research and Pilot Manufacturing Facility at Macquarie University, the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer has said, with with installation of an aseptic filling machine. “This state-of-the-art technology handles the final step of the manufacturing process: precisely packaging RNA nanoparticles into vials, ready for clinical use” the update last week reads. “It is a key part of the facility's end-to-end manufacturing capability.” When open, the facility will conduct small-scale production of messenger RNA (mRNA), synthetic RNA (sRNA) and lipid nanoparticles (LNP) encapsulation at a scale which will enable clinical trials of new therapeutics. It is being built by Hindmarsh and will be operated by Aurora Biosynthetics, a subsidiary of Myeloid Therapeutics.
Tanuki wins fertiliser industry award
Tanuki has claimed the Kookaburra Environmental Award at the 2025 Fertilizer Australia Environmental Awards, held last week. Tanuki said the award recognised pioneering work undertaken with joint venture partners Pyrocal and Fertec in developing a granulated blend of biosolids biochar and micronised gypsum. This is produced using Pyrocal’s Continuous Carbonisation Technology, with the natural gypsum sourced and milled in Australia. According to a statement from Tanuki, the product “immobilises heavy metals present in biosolids as well as significantly reducing pollution risks from PFAS and microplastics”, with trials also demonstrating improved plant performance by delivering plant-available phosphorous and carbon, along with calcium and sulphur . It added that development has involved over a decade of investment by Tanuki, Pyrocal and Fertec, and collaboration with stakeholders including the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Logan Water, The Australian Research Council and research partners UniSQ and CSIRO.
Rockhampton manufacturer meetup to happen on Friday
Advance Rockhampton in partnership and the Rockhampton Manufacturing Hub will host a free networking event on Friday for the region's manufacturers. According to the event description, the meetup at the city's Blank Cheque Trading Co will discuss an overview of manufacturing in the state, upcoming grant funding opportunities, the role of engagement between government and manufacturers, and tips on reducing waste in SME manufacturing businesses. The event begins at 4 pm, local time, and more information can be seen here.
UN praises Ethical Clothing Australia on anti-modern slavery actions
The UN’s lead expert on modern slavery recently singled out Ethical Clothing Australia as an example of on the ground efforts countering the problem. According to a statement from ECA, the report was released following a country visit last year from the UN Special Rapporteur Professor Tomoya Obokata on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences. The report recognised and acknowledged the importance of multi-stakeholder initiatives with proactive involvement from workers, trade unions, and other stakeholders to enhance worker empowerment and prevent labour exploitation. ECA National Manager Rachel Reilly said, “We were grateful for the opportunity to meet with Professor Obokata and his team during their visit late last year and brief him alongside the Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Union and outworkers from the local industry… We were able to show him the practical and real-world impact of our accreditation program, which certifies TCF businesses, ensuring their compliance with relevant Australian workplace laws and, in doing so, preventing and protecting workers from exploitation.”
Industrial mixer company opens new Brisbane facility
United States-based industrial mixing business of machinery company SPX FLOW has announced the relocation of its Queensland operations to a new and larger 2,300 square-metre space in Brisbane. According to a statement from SPX last week, the move represents “a significant upgrade” from a previous 520 square metre site, and “greatly enhanc[es] the site’s capacity to serve customers in not only Australia, but the wider Southeast Asia region”. The facility is now fully operational, and allows space to assemble, repair and test a full range of customer’s mixing equipment, it added.
GMG's new patent approval
Brisbane-based nanomaterials company Graphene Manufacturing Group has announce that its THERMAL-XR ENHANCE product has been successfully patented in Australia for 20 years, and that the company is “progressing this patent in various other countries “, remaining “optimistic about the successful granting of this patent” in other jurisdictions. The company also produced new results from energy savings trials using the product, including on cooling coils at a large international airport. “The air flow pressure across these internal cooling coils was recorded before washing, after washing and then after coating” said GMG of the trial, adding that a 6.5 per cent reduction of air flow pressure “due to the significant reduction in friction caused by the graphene coating.”
Picture: Grace Hynd (supplied)
