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…

Iondrive chases 25 per cent revenue boost via project to upgrade graphite from end-of-life batteries

Battery recycling company Iondrive has announced a new project with the CSIRO to convert waste graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries into anode-grade material, extending the usefulness and revenue-generating potential of the company’s proprietary Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) platform. According to a statement from the company on Tuesday, the project kicked off on July 1 and…

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Ghost Bat in new milestone The Australian made and designed autonomous aircraft, MQ-28A Ghost Bat (pictured), has achieved was the federal government has described as a major capability milestone. The first military combat aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years conducted a capability demonstration at Woomera, involving “a single…

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Foundations laid for Australia’s first liquid hydrogen flight test programs AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft, two Australian companies that are developing hydrogen-powered aircraft, have successfully registered a family of liquid hydrogen tanks. According to a statement from AMSL Aero on Monday, the tanks will be used for refuelling and enabling zero-emission flights, are known as “Dewar vessels”, and…

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, March 17 – March 21, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Applications open for regional NSW lean manufacturing pilot program The NSW government has launched a pilot program budgeted at $800,000, providing lean manufacturing audits to regional SME (between 20 and 200 full-time employees) companies. The Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program opened on…

Iondrive claims robustness improvement in battery recycling process

Battery recycling company Iondrive has claimed “exceptional results” in large-scale bench trials this month, using its process to recover critical minerals from end-of-life battery materials. In a statement on Monday, the ASX-listed company shared that “a major leap forward” had been achieved in its ability to demonstrate recovery of valuable minerals, including lithium, even from…