Innes Willox

Whenever there are calls for governments to divert our fragmented industry policy efforts and to concentrate their attention on “what we are really good at”, alarm bells should ring. It is true that governments have important roles to play in fostering the development of Australian industries. It is also true that our industry policies are … Continue reading Growing manufacturing: what role for industry policy? →

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) fell by 4.2 points to 49.3 in August, indicating broadly stable conditions (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion). There was significant divergence between the larger manufacturing states, with Victoria’s PMI falling back into … Continue reading Stable conditions despite overall contraction in PMI →

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) rose by 2.0 points to 53.5 in July, the first time since October 2019 that a positive result was recorded for two consecutive months. The expansion was driven by the machinery and equipment sectors (up 3.2 points to 54.3) and the food and beverage … Continue reading Australian PMI records first two-month positive streak since 2019 →

The Australian PMI moved back into the black in June, increasing by 9.9 points to 51.5 (readings above 50 points indicate expansion in activity, with higher results indicating a faster rate of expansion), according to the AiGroup. The June result comes in the wake of April’s largest ever monthly fall in the Australian PMI. However, … Continue reading Manufacturing goes positive again for June →

The Energy Efficiency Council and Australian Industry Group have welcomed a new report Pivot – Rebound – Transform that sets out a practical plan for rapidly transforming Australia’s energy and carbon management market. The report highlights the crucial role of a vibrant energy and emissions management sector that supports Australian industry to build a new energy … Continue reading New roadmap supports emissions reduction journey for Australian industry →

Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox has welcomed the federal government’s call for a greater emphasis on manufacturing to reboot the Australian economy. Willox said manufacturing had gained unprecedented public and political attention in recent weeks. He believes the shortage of vital equipment has raised an important debate about Australia’s management of global supply chains. … Continue reading Ai Group welcomes federal government call for more manufacturing →

The Ai Group Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) has jumped 9.4 points to 53.7 after four months of contraction, led by shopper demand for food, personal care and other essential household goods. Local businesses that manufacture items such as processed food, toilet paper, cleaning products were recognised as key contributors to the overall improvement in … Continue reading Food stockpiling sees April PMI surge →

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) and Ai Group have united to call for continued domestic manufacturing to support households, business, community organisations and health providers. In a joint statement, Ai Group CEO Innes Willox and AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said it was “crucial” that businesses, particularly in the food processing, packaging, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and … Continue reading Industry calls for continued manufacturing during COVID-19 →

National employer association Ai Group has called on Australian governments to consider wage support mechanisms in response to escalating impacts of the coronavirus. Ai Group CEO Innes Willox said Australia should investigate new methods to mitigate further economic losses. “To cushion the broader impacts of the virus, a common goal in Australia and other countries … Continue reading Wage support worth considering, Ai Group says →

Goods and services for food production and hygiene are no less important than the industries that support and distribute them, and it is “vital” that they are able to operate, Ai Group CEO Innes Willox said. A clear and consistent definition of essential services for manufacturers is needed as the country prepares for lockdown. “As … Continue reading Essential services “vital” for manufacturers →

Retail sales are expected to boost for machine and equipment manufacturers under the federal government’s $1.3 billion stimulus package, Ai Group CEO Innes Willox said. The extension of instant asset write-off provisions and temporary measures to accelerate depreciation deduction on new investments for SMEs are particularly welcome by the Ai Group. “Both these measures will … Continue reading Manufacturers to benefit from government stimulus packages →

The Ai Group has issued a statement suggesting a review of the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) program, in light of Naval Group’s announcement that it was investigating Australian industry capabilities for the manufacture of the Attack Class submarine fleet. Ai Group’s chief executive, Innes Willox, on Friday said that “while the foundations are sound, the AIC … Continue reading Ai Group issues statement on local shipbuilding capacity →

The performance of the Australian manufacturing sector improved slightly in December, but remained in negative territory. December was the second month in a row of contraction in the Australian manufacturing sector, with the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) recording a figure of 48.3 points. This marks the first time since … Continue reading December PMI shows impact of economy on manufacturing →

The jittery national economy has led to a downturn in manufacturing productivity. In the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Statement on Monetary Policy, the bank outlined how GDP and employment levels have played out in each industry, up to June 2019. While employment has continued to grow, at between 2 and 3 per cent throughout 2018 … Continue reading RBA figures point to productivity challenges →

Thinking about outcomes when supplying can lead to innovation, explains Innes Willox, CEO of Ai Group. Outcomes-based procurement has attracted significant attention over recent years both internationally and across Australia. It has, for instance, been incorporated into Queensland’s Procurement Policy which now requires Queensland government agencies to pursue opportunities to develop innovative supply solutions, either … Continue reading Using innovative approaches to deliver value for money through outcomes-based procurement →

The Australian manufacturing sector has remained in positive territory for the month of October, with the Australian Industry Group Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) coming in at 51.6. This indicator of expansion in the sector remains positive, despite a 3.1 point drop from the previous month. According to Ai Group, an earlier-than-expected boom in … Continue reading Food and beverage keeps manufacturing positive →

The benefit of industry-based work experience for students has been reconfirmed via a new report from CSIRO Data61’s Ribit. Ribit, a platform which connects tertiary students with jobs in the digital, STEM, research and business fields, found in its report “Higher Education and Employment In Australia” that course-integrated work improves graduate employability, while increasing graduate … Continue reading Industry placements found to improve job outcomes →

The trade war between the US and China presents both challenges and opportunities for Australian businesses, writes Innes Willox. While it is often said there are no winners in a trade war, the current impasse between the US and China is having mixed and some unexpected impacts on Australian businesses. Ai Group members are telling … Continue reading Australian winners and losers in US China trade war →

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a dreary global outlook for the world economy, and the fate of manufacturing lies at the heart of future projections. Noting that slowdowns in manufacturing around the globe has been part of sluggish growth in 2019, the sector that is of most concern is the automobile manufacturing industry, … Continue reading Australia bucks global manufacturing downturn →

The Australian manufacturing sector has picked up again after a run of slower months, rising 1.6 points in the September Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). Employment and new orders rose, buoyed by growth in the food and beverage and machinery and equipment sector. In addition, manufacturers who supply the mining and defence sectors reported … Continue reading Employment and new orders drive positive PMI →