Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s innovation agenda is being questioned again after both the Coalition and Labor agreed to make cuts to Australia’s R&D tax incentive.

An innovative “smartwood” project is turning pulpwood into a material almost identical to tropical hardwood that is stronger and more environmentally friendly. Researchers from the Flinders Centre for NanoScale Science & Technology (CNST) in South Australia have collaborated with Australian company 3RT Holdings Pty Ltd to develop a method for converting cheap pulpwood into a … Continue reading Pulp friction: new wood to shake up furniture industry →

The future is predicted to see unmanned aerial vehicles in a fast-growing number of places. Brent Balinski spoke to Dario Valenza, founder of UAV maker Carbonix, about his company’s leap from racing boats to drones, a few design considerations, and what he hopes the future brings.

Not only is Apple suffering from a major lack of hardware innovation but it’s also being outdone in software and online, where apps reign supreme. It quite possibly signals the company’s eventual demise.

The Industrial IoT (IIoT) provides manufacturers in all industries with greater connectivity that in turn, generates valuable information and intelligence regarding operations. By leveraging this intelligence, they are able to attain significant efficiencies and manufacturing improvements.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently said: “China has more freedom to invest in Australia, indeed all foreigners have more freedom to invest in Australia, than almost any other country.”
But is this true? We asked two experts to discuss the evidence for and against this statement.

Electricity is a major cost for many manufacturers and a business-critical requirement for all. Price and reliability matter. And right now both seem to be under a cloud. In South Australia, contract prices have been increasing sharply, and short-term spot prices reached extraordinary highs in July.

Last month I had a somewhat public rant about the decision by the NSW state government to award the contract to build new trains for NSW to an overseas (mainly South Korean) consortium.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) is unlikely to secure compensation for customers from German car maker Volkswagen and its Australian subsidiary for breaching emission standards.

The tech revolution continues to barrel forward lately, and 2017 will see some of the most innovative and evolutionary disruptions we have seen thus far. There will be more connection, more automation, and more significant impact in business and investment than ever before, and the revolution has just begun. The innovations coming to fruit in … Continue reading Five disruptive trends in technology for 2017 →

A recent report from the Apprenticeship Reform Advisory Group makes for some interesting reading in regard to what they propose for the apprenticeship and traineeship system.

The Victorian government has announced it will permanently ban unconventional gas, often produced through the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”. Legislation to implement the ban will be introduced this year.

According toAutodesk, Australian manufacturers are cautious in adopting a collection of trends that are redefining how things are made. Brent Balinski spoke to Autodesk’s Rod Hunt about local interest in some of the disruptive technologies highlighted by the company.

Concern over the employment consequences of globalisation is again driving political debate. Look no further than the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and the rise of protectionism in American and Australian politics to see the disenfranchisement of low-skill workers with the effects of international trade.

Third-generation manufacturer Queensland Gaskets is preparing for the next chapter in its long history. Carl Quarterman, the company’s managing director since 2012, told Brent Balinski about some of the reasons for the family-owned business’s endurance.

Australia’s leading national all-discipline, multi-sector postgraduate internship program, AMSIIntern is using research and innovation to transform Australian industry. From big business to SMEs, access to specialised research expertise is giving local companies, such as Omni Tanker, the leading edge.

Australian manufacturers are facing ever-escalating prices for gas. In 2016, local spot gas prices have gone from being substantially less than those in Japan to being substantially more. Spot prices will put pressure on contract prices.

Kimberly-Clark ANZ’s Sustainability Advisor Ryan Kane spoke to Brent Balinski about the company’s sustainability drive in the last five years, and the priorities that will take it through to 2020.

Yesterday’s shocking announcement by the NSW Coalition government that a $2.3 billion contract for 500 intercity train carriages has been awarded to a multinational (mainly South Korean) consortium including UGL, Hyundai Rotem and Mitsubishi Electric Australia was met with a wave of outrage and derision across the state and Internet.