Recently Sandfire Resources, a gold and copper producer based in Western Australia, announced its new solar power plant will soon start powering its DeGrussa mine. By replacing diesel power, the 10-megawatt power station, with 34,000 panels and lithium storage batteries, is expected to reduce the mine’s carbon emissions by 15%. This is an exciting development … Continue reading The next solar revolution could replace fossil fuels in mining →

Australia gained a so-called seat at the table in April to be a part of the conversation on the next industrial revolution. Brent Balinski spoke to the AMGC’s managing director Jens Goennemann about where to next, and why it’s crucial to be involved.

As many firms will tell you, “business as usual” means falling behind. Brent Balinski spoke to senior management at Geofabrics Australasia about how they look to all employees to help refresh their operations.

Technology is all around us, and sometimes in us. We experience it daily in the way we stream music, in how we use an app to navigate a museum or a shopping centre, or to check our calorie burning and heart rate. This technology is changing our lifestyle and consumption. There is, of course, a … Continue reading A fourth industrial revolution is powering the rise of smart manufacturing →

The transfer of world-leading technologies to Australia’s manufacturers was part of the lobbying efforts from Future Submarine contestants. Brent Balinski spoke to Dassault Systèmes co-founder Philippe Forrestier about what the victorious French team brings to the table.

The mere mention of ‘automotive’ in Australia typically triggers an allergic reaction, so we won’t be talking about it … much.

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council calls on all parties to state their policies on driving success in Australian advanced manufacturing and to respond to where they stand on a range of important industry issues highlighted by the Council today. Chairman of the AAMC, Mr John Pollaers, said today the Council was urging the major parties … Continue reading Advanced manufacturing and the federal election →

The proposed federal government changes to insolvency that reduce the bankruptcy period from three years to 12 months need to be questioned. It has been argued the shortened default period will have the desired impact on encouraging entrepreneurial activity and reducing the associated stigma of being a bankrupt. While this may indeed allow a bankrupt … Continue reading Reducing bankruptcy to 12 months ignores realities of insolvency →

While there is a global movement built around creating smart, connected factories of the future, a new trend towards putting the human touch back in production is transforming the manufacturing process.

Human-machine interface (HMI) technology is becoming increasingly prevalent; not just in everyday life, but in industry too.

Success isn’t about just making things for a domestic market. Brent Balinski spoke to Michael Grogan, who recently finished up as CEO of Sutton Tools, about going global, and why the industry’s future is a bright one.

Traditional rivals Monash and Melbourne Universities are collaborating to create a new company that will market and sell medicines developed by the institutions to pharmaceutical companies, reinvesting any profit into research. Both universities are putting A$22.5 million towards the venture and the Victorian State Government is kicking in an additional A$10 million to get the … Continue reading Monash and Melbourne Universities join forces in new company to market medicines →

Recent Endeavour Awards champion Admedus is growing briskly, with their tissue engineering process being used to repair hearts all over the world. Brent Balinski spoke to the company’s chief operating officer, Dr Julian Chick.     Australia’s “clean and green” image is a benefit well-known to many of our food exporters. Regulations are among the reasons it’s … Continue reading Pumped about the future →

Vital Signs is a weekly economic wrap from UNSW economics professor and Harvard PhD Richard Holden (@profholden). Vital Signs aims to contextualise weekly economic events and cut through the noise of the data impacting global economies. This week: both the US and Australia show signs of economic sluggishness, with little upward pressure on interest rates … Continue reading Vital Signs: sluggish business investment shows caution is king →

The history of the dairy cooperative Murray Goulburn and its farmer suppliers shows how a close relationship of trust has developed and been broken with the collapse of the farmgate milk price. Roots of the current crisis can be traced all the way back to the deregulation of the dairy industry at the start of … Continue reading Murray Goulburn saga has roots in deregulation →

Tech giant Apple’s share price, that peaked above US$132 a year ago, is now around US$94. This is despite the news that Warren Buffett’s investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway had recently acquired more than 9.8 million Apple shares. Since last year’s market peak, Apple has lost around one quarter of a billion dollars in market capitalisation, with a … Continue reading From disrupter to disrupted: Apple could be next →

When Malcolm Turnbull outlined the National Innovation and Science Agenda in December last year, he got people in industry talking – from big businesses to budding entrepreneurs.  The statement signalled a shift in focus at the federal level – one that is expected to resonate across Australian state governments, industries, communities and cultures. The Agenda … Continue reading The Innovation Statement and manufacturing: what should the industry expect in 2016 and beyond? →

Data has completely revolutionised how we live from the way we utilise technology and interact with our loved ones to how we go about our work. In fact, almost 90 per cent of all the data in the world today has been generated over the past two years alone. People and machines are gaining easier … Continue reading Leveraging data for smarter energy management →

In March, 15,000 people attended the Lost Trades Fair in the country town of Kyneton, Victoria. Eighty rare trades were on show, including fletchers, bladesmiths, coopers and milliners. Common household items, such as knives and furniture, were on sale. These were hand-made and very high quality. But the point of the fair was really to see the … Continue reading An urban workshop? Why office workers want to make ‘real’ things →

From fashion to food and electronics, many industries are facing a backlash against cheaply made products that do not last. Sick of printers that break within two years, or suitcases that fall apart the second time you use them, there is a growing appetite for long-life guarantees – from the promise of the 30-year jumper to the … Continue reading Sales increase by up to 56% when shoppers know a product will last →