Alcoa’s bauxite mines and alumina refineries in Western Australia have received a sustainability certification, after a comprehensive, third-party audit. “This recognition validates the strong commitment we have to responsible and sustainable production and to working with our stakeholders to deliver long-term value,” Alcoa’s executive vice president and chief external affairs officer, Michelle O’Neill, said. “It … Continue reading Alcoa’s WA operations win sustainability certification →

A Sydney University team has received $363,152 from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to develop new technologies to better characterise aerosols. The project aims to develop new optical technology to predict the surface area and dissolution behaviour of aerosols, a critical question for the pharmaceutical industry and a wide range of industries. “Using an optical … Continue reading ARC funds aerosol measurement technology →

An AGL Energy and Vena Energy collaboration will see one of Australia’s biggest batteries built near Wandoan in Queensland. The massive lithium ion battery will be capable of delivering 100 megawatts of energy into and out of the National Energy Market, and storing up to 150 megawatt hours of energy. AGL Energy and Vena Energy … Continue reading Vena Energy to build Queensland’s biggest battery →

The French government has presented the country’s ambitions for sustainable aviation fuel, based on the conclusions of a working group which included government agencies and Airbus, Air France, Safran, and Suez. For the last 18 months, the industrial entities have worked alongside the government to promote the emergence of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in … Continue reading France working towards sustainable aviation fuel →

To gain a deeper level of industry intelligence, Naval Group Australia is asking local suppliers about the capabilities and products they can offer to the Attack Class Submarine Program. The Building Australian Industry Capability survey is open to all suppliers registered with Naval Group Australia on the ICN Portal. Once the detailed supplier capability profile … Continue reading Naval Group seeks local suppliers for industry capability survey →

Australian scientists at the University of Melbourne are the first to develop a lab-grown coronavirus outside China, in a major break-through that will speed up work towards a vaccine for the disease. Scientists from the Peter Doherty Institution for Infection and Immunity – a joint venture between the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne hospital – … Continue reading Australian researchers race to develop coronavirus vaccines →

A nano-thin, ultra-flexible electronic material that could be printed and rolled out like newspaper, for the touchscreens of the future, has been developed by RMIT researchers. The electronic sheets are readily compatible with existing electronic technologies and the touch-responsive technology is 100 times thinner than existing touchscreen materials. Because of their incredible flexibility, the sheets … Continue reading Nano-thin, flexible touchscreens could soon be printed like newspaper →

The team behind Viralytics, which was bought in 2018 for a record $502 million in one of the biggest biotech deals in Australian history, is reuniting for a new private venture aiming to develop cutting-edge cancer therapies. The company, ImmVirX, will build a body of pre-clinical and manufacturing data ahead of a substantial capital-raising venture … Continue reading Biotech team behind Viralytics launches new venture →

Defence and aviation manufacturer, RUAG Australia, has completed major upgrades to their Hydraulic Actuator Centre of Excellence manufacturing facilities in Bayswater, Victoria. To better integrate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and ensure higher manufacturing throughput for F-35 and JSF program supply chains, the Bayswater facility now includes a total of eleven CNC machining centres. The … Continue reading RUAG Australia upgrades manufacturing facilities →

Infigen has been awarded a retail contract to supply Tesla fast-charging supercharger stations with energy as the company’s Lake Bonney Wind Farm and Battery nears full commercial operation, according to the South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Dan van Holst Pellekaan. Tesla is one of the new commercial customers supported by the company’s expansion … Continue reading Infingen awarded Tesla contract as Lake Bonney Wind Farm enters final stages of testing →

Australian Research Council (ARC) grants have been awarded to Australian researchers working towards producing better energy storage devices, utilising green hydrogen, and developing technology to accurately assess the performance of various materials. University of News South Wales’ associate professor Dewei Chu is developing better performing cathode coating materials in order to manufacture more durable and … Continue reading Green hydrogen, better cathode coating materials among latest ARC grants →

Australian manufacturers of the ocean cleaning “Seabin” will be reshoring the manufacture of their “Seabin 6.0” from France to Brisbane from June 2020. “We are extremely excited to begin the process of bringing both our IP and manufacturing to Australia in June this year,” Seabin co-founder and CEO, Pete Ceglinski, said. “Manufacturing will now only … Continue reading Seabin to reshore manufacturing to Brisbane →

Steel manufacturer Bisalloy has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Leong Jin, a Singaporean/Chinese manufacturer, in order to extend its range in Australia. Bisalloy is Australia’s only manufacturer of quenched and tempered (Q&T) wear and structural steels used in mining, construction, fabrication and to produce armour plate for the military. Leong Jin operates a Q&T … Continue reading Bisalloy links with overseas manufacturer to expand product range →

Austal will build a 41-metre, high-speed catamaran, having been awarded the $15.5 million contract by ferry company SGTM. The vessel will be built at Austal’s new Vietnam shipyard, growing the company’s investment in facilities and people. Austal CEO, David Singleton, said that the contract would provide production continuity to Austal Vietnam as it completes the … Continue reading Austal awarded $15.5 million for catamaran build →

The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) has awarded a co-funding grant to VSPC, in order to advance its lithium-cathode manufacturing processes. AMGC will provide matched grant funds of up to $185, 000. “Advanced manufacturing in all its forms represents a significant opportunity for the Australian economy,” AMGC’s managing director, Dr. Jens Goennemann, said. “AMGC is … Continue reading VSPC awarded grant for ground-breaking lithium-cathode manufacturing process →

THC Global has this week secured a licence to commence commercial manufacture of medicinal cannabis at its Southport Facility. The Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Licence, a mandatory requirement for the commercial manufacture of medicinal cannabis in Australia, was granted by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), after which the company’s shares went up 14 per … Continue reading THC Global secures license for cannabis manufacture in Australia →

With the manufacturing sector suffering from a skills shortage, attracting a more diverse workforce is more important than ever before. The new Engineering for Australia Taskforce has released a report claiming more action is needed to bridge the gender divide in STEM. The report explores the factors which affect girls’ participation in STEM and engineering … Continue reading Taskforce says action needed to make STEM more inclusive →

Zenuity, a developer of software for self-driving cars, will team up with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to develop next generation autonomous driving systems. HPE will provide the artificial intelligence  and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure for the systems. HPE’s core data processing services will allow Zenuity to gather, store, organise and analyse the data it generates … Continue reading HPE and Zenuity to develop next gen autonomous driving systems →

Pact will put  its contract manufacturing division up for sale in order to be able to pay down rising debts, the Australian packaging group announced this week. “Contract Manufacturing is an attractive business that enjoys leading positions in sectors with strong growth potential,” said managing director and CEO, Sanjay Dayal. “However, Pact’s success over the … Continue reading Pact Group to sell contract manufacturing division →

A report into the job market for the manufacturing sector has revealed the top skills shortfalls for the first half of 2020. Field Service Technicians, Production Managers, Project Engineers, and Mechanical and Electrical Technicians were among the list of the top skills shortfalls, according to the Hays Jobs Report for January to June 2020 – … Continue reading The top in-demand jobs across manufacturing →