Towards 3% R&D – Reach for the Moon to innovate by Xavier Orr

@AuManufacturing turns today in our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – to one of the bright sparks in the innovation scene – the development of a research-based space industry. By Xavier Orr. Australia’s space sector has skyrocketed in the past two decades. As of 2008, Australia was the only…

No threat to farm land: just 1,200 square kilometres can fulfil Australia’s solar and wind energy needs

By Andrew Blakers, Australian National University As Australia’s rapid renewable energy rollout continues, so too does debate over land use. Nationals Leader David Littleproud, for example, claimed regional areas had reached “saturation point” and cannot cope with more wind and solar farms and transmission lines. So how much land is needed to fully decarbonise energy…

lululemon, Samsara say new recycled polyester jacket is a world first

Plastic recycling startup Samsara Eco has announced the next step in its partnership with athletic clothing brand lululemon, launching their first product containing “enzymatically recycled polyester” on Thursday. According to a statement from the pair, a limited edition Packable Anorak jacket by lululemon contains “a variety of inputs, including mixed plastic waste, lululemon apparel at…

$51 million for CRC-P industry research collaborations

The federal government has committed $51 million to support collaboration between industry and researchers under Round 15 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P). The 21 grants support industry-led projects with promising commercial potential that solve a wide range of community and economic challenges, from diagnosing life-threatening infections more quickly to innovative environmental recycling processes.…

Twelve new CSIRO ON Accelerate ventures announced

Addressing global health challenges, championing sustainability through circularity, and advancing advanced manufacturing, are some of the innovative areas selected for the next stage of CSIRO’s ON Accelerate programme. The programme, which develops high-potential, research-based ventures for launch into the Australian market, will include 12 new deep-tech project teams who will be given the tools and…

Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

Imugene raises $18.2 million from investors Clinical stage immuno-oncology company Imugene has closed the Share Purchase Plan component of its capital raising in conjunction with the acquisition of the exclusive licensing rights to the CD19-directed allogeneic cell therapy. The SPP raised a further $18.2 million for the company. Imugene’s Executive Chairman Paul Hopper said: “With…

SmartSat CRC backs ACT space technologies

The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), has announced a suite of new R&D projects and university appointments that inject new funds into research in space technologies addressing bushfire resilience, spacecraft system autonomy, space objects surveillance and cyber security. One of two new research projects co-funded by SmartSat and ACT Government brings together the Australian National…