SeaStock gets $740,000 FaBa funding to progress seaweed-based red food dye production

Algae-based food ingredients company SeaStock has been awarded $740,000 in funding from Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) for a project developing red pigment from asparagopsis seaweed. Australian asparagopsis research has led to numerous startups using the red algae to create food supplements, which in small dosages can greatly reduce the amount of methane (a…

Australian-first bimetal rocket thruster printed at CSIRO for Space Machines Company vehicle

A project supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer program has yielded a bimetal rocket thruster printed using multi-material additive manufacturing, which is claimed to be an Australian first. According to a statement from iLAuNCH – part of the federal Trailblazer Universities Program – on Thursday, the thruster was developed by Space Machines Company (SMC) and made…

CSIRO opens applications for upcoming Innovate to Grow: Critical Minerals course

CSIRO is inviting applications for the upcoming round of its free eight-week Innovate to Grow program for startups and SMEs, to be focussed on critical minerals. According to a statement from CSIRO on Monday, the online course will offer help with companies’ “innovative ideas”, new R&D opportunities, and refinement of concepts to “better position themselves…

Despite disappointments, this founder is still adamant about high-tech gear made here

Appreciation has grown in the last decade or so for a modern, holistic view of manufacturing. It’s “more than just production”, you will have heard countless times, and production is the lowest point in the “smiley curve” model of where value is added.  The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, for example, chose to open its inaugural…

Monash University, CSIRO open new Membrane Pilot Facility at Clayton

Monash University and the CSIRO have opened a new Membrane Pilot Facility at Monash’s Clayton campus, which the pair say addresses a “critical gap” between lab-scale research in membrane technologies and their commercial deployment. According to a statement from Monash on Friday, the new facility at its New Horizons Building “supercharges Australia’s ability to translate…

Why manufacturers shouldn’t miss Waste Expo Australia 2025: Driving growth through circular solutions

Sponsored Australia’s manufacturing sector is at a critical turning point. With government policy increasingly focused on resource efficiency, decarbonisation and circular economy outcomes, manufacturers are under growing pressure and opportunity to rethink how products are designed, produced and managed at end-of-life. Waste Expo Australia 2025, taking place on 29–30 October at the Melbourne Convention and…

CSIRO delivers the energy reality check: renewables still cheapest, nuclear SMRs most expensive

Australia’s energy technologies have received their annual report card, and renewables are still the class champions whilst nuclear small modular reactors remain firmly planted at the bottom of the cost league table, according to CSIRO’s latest GenCost report released on Tuesday. The comprehensive study found wind and solar backed by storage and transmission continue to…

RMIT engineers develop stronger, cheaper 3D-printed titanium

RMIT University engineers have created a new 3D-printed titanium alloy that is 29 per cent cheaper to produce than standard titanium whilst delivering improved strength and performance, according to research published on Monday. The team replaced expensive vanadium with readily available alternative materials to reduce costs. Lead researcher Ryan Brooke said the breakthrough addresses key…