Women leaders in composites – Leona Reif FDP Composites

Introducing our special editorial series to celebrate International Women’s Week profiling women leaders in composites, today we talk to Leona Reif, Director of FDP Composites and president, Composites Australia. Here’s how Leona took over and drove forward her father’s business, by Kerryn Caulfield. For many, a dramatic career change from public to private sector would…

Thales trials sovereign minesweeping capability

Defence contractor Thales Australia has successfully trialled a sovereign enhanced, designed, developed and manufactured minesweeping capability. The French-owned company trialled modifications to its Combined Influence Sweep (CIS) minesweeping system (main picture, and below) which was designed and manufactured in conjunction with Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group. The CIS, successfully in operation for over 20…

Promised more industry focused PhDs, but the reality is different – by Dr John Howard

Australia was promised a new research focus for PhDs on the needs of industry. Here Dr John Howard forensically examines the national innovation and research system and asks whether, when the money runs out, will we have a more robust research infrastructure and research workforce? On 31 January 2022, the Prime Minister announced that the…

Cybersecurity – Identity and Access Management: Building biometric-based ID machines

For the last two weeks, our Cybersecurity – Identity and Access Management series has looked at cybersecurity threats to manufacturers, why they should take them seriously, and how they can thwart them. For the final entry, we will hear from a manufacturer responsible for other people’s security and access management, and the ways it goes about keeping very sensitive, very personal data safe.