TNA shows tenacity is the key ingredient

A local market too small for meaningful sales of a highly-specialised product. Overseas copycats. Prospects interested yet stuck on the notion that “it’s too good to be true.” TNA Solutions saw a set of problems familiar to many early-stage Australian businesses setting out with an interesting bit of technology. Their breakthrough invention, launched in 1985,…

A frank discussion on grants, government’s role and getting our self-belief back

Panels don’t always cover topics such as unforeseen disasters attached to winning a grant or the untapped potential of propaganda, but the final discussion at the recent Spotlight on Scaling Up seminar did. Simon Crane, CEO and majority shareholder of 95-year-old industrial and automotive supplier Lovells Group, shared that his company had only once applied…

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, July 7 – July 11, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Methane-to-turquoise hydrogen catalyst project awarded $492,526 grant from AEA A team including energy technology company 1414 Degrees has been awarded an Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite grant of $492,526 for a project progressing a proprietary hydrogen reactor. According to a…

Spotlight on Scaling Up event wrap-up

Focus and finance were the dominant themes at Spotlight on Scaling Up, a recent half-day seminar by @AuManufacturing in partnership with AMGC, BDO, and the Australian Business Growth Fund. Keynote speakers Alf and Nadia Taylor shared their adventure from husband-and-wife engineering consultancy to an international food packaging and processing solution provider with a headcount of over 600…

Australia’s next GigaFactory: The promise of local advanced manufacturing

Australia stands at a pivotal juncture in its industrial evolution, according to Dr Thomas Nann, CEO at flow battery business Allegro Energy.  The convergence of technological innovation, strategic investment, and a renewed focus on sovereign capability heralds a renaissance in advanced manufacturing. I’ll use the journey of my own company, Allegro Energy, as an example…

Lovells gains post-registration modification approval for vehicle GCM revisions in WA

Lovells Automotive Systems has become the first local Second Stage Manufacturer (SSM) to gain approval for the fitment of its Australian designed and engineered suspension enhancements for post registration Gross Combination Mass (GCM) revisions under new Western Australian laws. According to a statement from Lovells on Tuesday, WA’s new legislation brings the state in line…

Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, May 19 – May 23, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Introducing Spotlight on Scaling Up: an unmissable June 25 event about one of Australian manufacturing’s key issues @AuManufacturing is excited to announce an upcoming event on the morning of June 25, in partnership with BDO, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth…