Register for our new webinar – Secure Your Business Against Cyber Attack

The countdown is on to register to join @AuManufacturing for our latest webinar – Secure Your Business Against Cyber Attack – on Tuesday March 19, 11.00am AEST. There are very real cyber security threats to your business from compromised credentials, external contractors or former employees, malicious actors and a lack of a complete understanding of…

Driving the competitive edge that keeps SA’s manufacturing sector on the world stage

Sponsored article With goals to open ‘unparalleled opportunity’, the South Australian government’s Advanced Manufacturing Strategy is set to make the state’s manufacturing sector the global partner of choice. The South Australian Government recently set out its plan to leverage the state’s competitive advantages in manufacturing to drive ongoing economic transformation. The government’s Advanced Manufacturing Strategy aims to…

Is there an alternative to 10,000 kilometres of new transmission lines? Yes – but you may not like it

By Magnus Söderberg, Griffith University and Phillip Wild, Griffith University Building transmission lines is often controversial. Farmers who agree to host new lines on their property may be paid, while other community members protest against the visual intrusion. Pushback against new lines has slowed development and forced the government to promise more consultation. It’s not…

Trapping forever chemicals with nutshells

Next up in our quest to seek out Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers, we speak to a startup that’s found a way to simultaneously add value to farming waste, address the environmental stain of PFAS, and sequester carbon dioxide. Brent Balinski speaks to Bygen founder Dr Lewis Dunnigan. A few years back, activated carbon/charcoal seemed…

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Diraq opens commercial laboratory in Sydney Silicon-based quantum computing company Diraq opened its new commercial laboratory, located UNSW’s campus at Sydney, on Tuesday. The company, which announced a successful Series A-2 capital raise of $29 million (US$15m) last week, said the lab is “a critical step” in its plans “to leverage today’s semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure…

The government has unveiled its Navy of the future. Will it solve our current problems – or just create new ones?

By Peter Layton, Griffith University Australia’s naval surface combatant fleet is in trouble. The eight Anzac frigates are worn out after three decades of Middle Eastern adventures and hard to crew. The Anzac’s replacements, the much-criticised Hunter Class frigates, are late – the first will not enter service until 2032 or so. The project’s cost…

Progress, procurement and pulp

As we near the deadline for nominations for Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers, we look at one of the companies near the top of 2023’s list. Brent Balinski speaks to Faz Pollard from Adarsh Australia. Perhaps you’ve asked the question, to yourself and/or your peers: “What has actually changed for manufacturers since Covid?” It’s easy…

Soft plastic recycling is back after the REDcycle collapse – but only in 12 supermarkets. Will it work this time?

By Anya Phelan, Griffith University After the memorable collapse of Australia’s largest soft plastic recycling program REDcycle in late 2022, a new scheme is emerging. It’s remarkably similar, albeit on a much smaller scale. The trial underway in 12 Melbourne supermarkets intends, once again, to provide customers with an in-store option for recycling “scrunchable” food…

The Nationals want renewables to stay in the cities – but the clean energy grid doesn’t work like that

By Andrew Gunn, Monash University and Christian Jakob, Monash University The bush is full up – no room for more renewables, according to Nationals leader David Littleproud. Instead, renewables should be restricted to large solar arrays on commercial buildings in the cities. The country-focused minor party presumably hopes to capitalise on rural scepticism of large scale…