By Roy Green Readers of @AuManufacturing will be familiar with John Howard’s prodigious contribution to public policy debate on the evolution of our national research and innovation system. His deep understanding of both the theoretical underpinnings and practical application of policy in this area was reflected in his recent book, Thinking in public: Australia’s missing…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Bedford forfeits $20m site in bailout deal as new manufacturing hub hangs in balance Disability services provider Bedford Group will surrender land worth more than $20 million as part of its government bailout, whilst the future of its brand new…
Australia’s innovation system is constrained by a persistent failure to translate world-class research into industrial capability and commercial outcomes. Drawing lessons from the German city of Kaiserslautern and its transformation through Fraunhofer Institutes, Dr John Howard and Peter Moar argue that Australia must have applied research institutes dedicated to bridging the gap between universities and…
Grant Thornton has published its annual Manufacturing Benchmarking report, examining the financial data of 100 mid-sized Australian manufacturers and presenting an overview of the Australian manufacturing sector. Like most businesses across Australia, mid-sized manufacturers are navigating supply chain constraints, cost pressures and global competition. Yet the analysis shows a story of innovation and adaptation, with…
Lovells Group has announced the launch of a new state-of-the-art flagship engineering, manufacturing and retail centre in Newcastle as part of its 95th anniversary celebrations and commitment to innovation. The upcoming 5,000 square metre facility, adjacent to Lovells’ main manufacturing site, will complement the company’s existing research and development hub in Edwardstown, South Australia, forming…
Australia’s approach to industry policy over the past six decades tells a story of remarkable institutional restlessness. By Dr John H Howard. Between 1963 and 2025, the federal industry portfolio has been reorganised approximately 20 times—a major restructure roughly every three years. This extraordinary pattern of bureaucratic instability reveals far more than administrative tinkering; it…
The newly-returned government’s ambition to make Australia a manufacturing powerhouse comes with its difficulties, as newly-updated Economic Complexity Index (ECI) rankings show Australia in its worst placing yet. The rankings are published by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Growth Lab and go back to 2000. They measure the sophistication and diversity of a country’s exports. An…
After launching our campaign in November last year, @AuManufacturing announced Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers for 2025 at an event at Crown Melbourne’s River Room on Wednesday. Following a national search and the judgments of six experts, this title is very happy to share the list, as well as the category award winners. Please see…
James Cook University engineers have created a groundbreaking bendable ceramic material that could revolutionise aerospace design, the university announced on Wednesday. The material, which can be 3D-printed and withstand more than 10,000 loading cycles without breaking, has attracted the attention of global aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, which will partner with the JCU team over the…
By Dr John H Howard The NSW Innovation Blueprint 2035 provides a valuable strategic foundation for positioning innovation at the heart of the state’s economic and social missions, including housing, clean energy, and advanced industries. It affirms a clear role for government in coordination, investment, and vision-setting and maps a range of early-stage initiatives with…