The federal government has announced that funding of $18.5 million is available to set up an Australian Centre for Quantum Growth, part of efforts to see the nation does not “fritter away” a strong position in the early days of quantum technology commercialisation. Federal industry minister Ed Husic officially opened applications for the grant during…
The investment mandate for the National Reconstruction Fund, the federal government’s $15 billion effort to invest in and grow seven sectors within manufacturing, has been published. A joint statement from industry minister Ed Husic and finance minister Katy Gallagher on Thursday says the mandate includes areas of investment across those seven areas, and directs the independent…
By Peter Roberts Something old and something new has gone into the recipe for the federal government’s new $392 million Industry Growth Program which was announced yesterday. Ostensibly the programme is a replacement for the Industry Growth Centres (IGCs) which saw the establishment of six industry growth centres, now at, or past the end of…
By Brent Balinski The Industry Growth Program, offering grants between $50,000 and $5 million to SME and startup commercialisation projects, started accepting applications on Monday. It will no doubt be useful to a long list of companies. However, the replacement for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme does nothing to address some bigger, more immediate problems. The mood…
By Peter Roberts The Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic is to visit Jakarta to further cooperation and collaboration with Indonesia on battery technologies and electric vehicles. Husic’s two-day trip is a long overdue ramping up of Australia’s industrial relationship with our close neighbour – one that has often seemed neglected in recent decades…
National Innovation Policy Forum to be held in Canberra next week The National Innovation Policy Forum and 2023 Ralph Slatyer Address on Science and Society will be held on Monday, November 27. The forum at the Great Hall at Parliament House, Canberra, is hosted by Cooperative Research Australia, and brings together Australian innovation leaders from businesses…
The Australian and United Kingdom governments have signed an MoU, agreeing to cooperate on innovation, research and commercialisation of quantum technology, during the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park this week. A joint statement (accessible here) “reaffirms the strong technology relationship” between the pair, supporting joint activities under the Australia-UK Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership…
A new corrugated cardboard box factory at Hemmant, Queensland – owned by Visy and claimed to be the most sophisticated of its kind in Australia – was opened on Monday. The factory was opened by federal industry minister Ed Husic and state treasurer Cameron Dick on Monday. It has capacity for up to a million…
The federal government has begun the hunt for the critical-to-manufacturing position of Chief Executive Officer of the new National Reconstruction Fund. This is a pivotal position as the government will invest $15 billion through the NRF to boost manufacturing across seven priority sectors. The seven key priority funding areas are: · renewables and low emissions…
The federal government is to fund construction of a new nuclear medicine manufacturing facility at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) Lucas Heights complex in Sydney. The government did not estimate the cost of the facility, reportedly likely to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, which will replace the ageing Building…
