University of NSW Sydney researchers have assembled “protein nanowires” created by engineered bacteria and found that these were able to conduct electricity over short distances and even create it out of thin air. According to a statement from UNSW on Monday, the team used protein filaments created by E. coli (a bacteria that can cause…
Today in our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – we turn to the role of national industry policy. Here Roy Green points to innovation and the success of a Future Made in Australia as intertwined. While lacking detail at this stage, the significance of Prime Minister Albanese’s Future Made…
By Josh Lepawsky, Memorial University of Newfoundland Semiconductors are the basic building blocks of microchips. These technological marvels are in everything from lightbulbs and toothbrushes to cars, trains and planes, not to mention the vast array of electronics that have become integral to many people’s daily lives. The 21st century chip manufacturing industry has been…
Melbourne-headquartered product development and electronics engineering company Extel Technologies has announced the acquisition of Monterey, California-based contract electronics manufacturer Synergetics Manufacturing, following “several years of diligent efforts”. In a statement on Monday, Extel said the acquisition is a culmination of a long-time presence in California in pursuit of its US expansion plan and would add…
Fast growing electronics manufacturer REDARC has purchased an historic Adelaide factory to house staff spearheading its move into the defence and space sectors. Owner Anthony Kittel has confirmed the company purchased the Lonsdale facility that formerly housed the once world-leading R&D operations of Sola International Holdings. Kittel took to social media and said: “Exciting times…
Manufacturers could be hit by restrictions on the export of fairly commonplace items that could end up in the hands of Russia, now engaged in a brutal invasion of Ukraine, writes Amy McDonnell. In a world first, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States – collectively referred to as the Export…
The federal government has moved to bolster Australia’s capabilities in the production of semiconductors announcing the award of a defence Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grant to Adelaide- company Hendon Semiconductors. The $690,000 grant, to be matched by the company, will modernise Hendon’s Hybrid Integrated Circuit (HIC) and Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) production capabilities. Integrated…
By Zdenka Kuncic, University of Sydney and Ruomin Zhu, University of Sydney The world is infatuated with artificial intelligence (AI), and for good reason. AI systems can process vast quantities of data in a seemingly superhuman way. However, current AI systems rely on computers running complex algorithms based on artificial neural networks. These use huge…
Not every mechatronics engineering student gets to have a billion-dollar idea. Xavier Orr did. It was the second-half of the 2000s, before the explosion in machine learning led by AlexNet and Google Brain. Rather than image classification, Orr was studying a neural network alternative to the Kalman filter. Kalman is an algorithmic technique used since the…
Skykraft raises $120 million for satellite air traffic management Satellite manufacturer Skykraft has raised $120 million from investors to spewed the rollout its satellite-based Air Traffic Management system. The Canberra company from investors including Foresight Group Australia, OPTrust, and Main Sequence, CSIRO’s venture capital arm. Following capital raising costs, the company aims to achieve initial…
