Food manufacturer opens new factory with robots and machine learning
Robots are coming to the fore following the launch of one of Queensland’s largest cake factories.
AICRAFT to provide edge data processing unit destined for Korean space project
Onboard computing systems maker AICRAFT has announced a contract with European imaging company Scanway Space to deliver a module to be integrated into a space optical payload for detecting methane plumes. In a short statement on Tuesday morning (Australian time), the South Australian company said it would supply an edge computing module to partner Scanway, to…
AgTech gets a boost in Victoria
The Victorian government is providing a new wave of funding for agriculture tech startup companies. State Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence, unveiled an additional $1 million in funding under the AgTech Grants program, which will provide up to $50,000 for eligible startups. The program is delivered in partnership with LaunchVic, the state’s startup agency, which…
Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed
Cyclopharm raises $20 million, seeks another $2 million Radiopharmaceutical imaging company Cyclopharm has successfully completed its institutional placement, raising $20 million before costs. The Placement attracted strong demand from both existing shareholders and from new institutional and sophisticated investors in Australia, Hong Kong, and the UK. A share purchase plan to raise up to $2.0…
Neo-Bionica makes two new board appointments
Medical technology developer and contract manufacturer Neo-Bionica, which announced an investment of $5 million from Breakthrough Victoria earlier this month, has announced two new board appointments. In a statement on Monday, the company said it had added Stéphane Chatonsky and Dr Colin White as non-executive directors. “Their extensive expertise in innovation in MedTech, strategy and…
Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed
DroneShield in new US defence order Drone countermeasure manufacturer DroneShield has received a repeat order of $5.7 million from a U.S. Government customer for a number of its C-UxS (Counter-UxS, pictured) systems. C-UxS refers to counterdrone systems targeting multi-domain aerial, ground and maritime surface drones. The delivery, involving multiple DroneShield product lines, is expected to…
CSIRO Chief Scientist to leave for UNSW role
Professor Bronwyn Fox, a materials scientist and engineer and the current Chief Scientist at CSIRO, will begin as UNSW’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise in mid-July. According to a statement from the university on Monday, the hire follows an “extensive global search” and will see Fox responsible for driving the “strategic direction in research, innovation…
Towards 3% R&D – what we learned over four weeks
By Peter Roberts If @AuManufacturing’s editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – has taught us anything, it is not the national myth of plucky Australians being an inventive people battling to commercialise their ideas. Towards 3% has taught us that unlike leading nations, Australia doesn’t have a supportive innovation ecosystem…
Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed
Silentium doubles down on US market entry with senior appointment Passive radar systems manufacturer Silentium Defence has announced further commitment to the US market, posting co-founder and Chief Experience Officer, Simon Palumbo to Virginia. Palumbo will assume the role, Executive Vice President, Silentium Defense Corporation, and be responsible for in-country customer support, business development, talent…
Towards 3% R&D – a national business R&D action plan by Dr John Howard
Today we conclude our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – in which @AuManufacturing has exposed the issues eroding Australian R&D. In this edited excerpt Dr John Howard proposes A National Business R&D Strategy and Action Plan. Download the full paper at the foot of this article. The structure of…