Innes Willox

Australian steelmaker, Bluescope Steel, has announced that it will invest almost $1 billion in its Ohio, US steel mill, North Star. Bluescope will expand its US production facilities by 40 per cent, and hopes that the expansion will be completed by 2023. One of the drivers of the expansion into the North American market is … Continue reading Bluescope to invest a billion in US production →

Australian businesses are beginning to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, yet cyber threats remain an impediment. Innes Willox explains. Australian industry is currently in a state of transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution – or Industry 4.0. It is fair to say that substantial progress in embracing Industry 4.0 has so far been confined to a … Continue reading IoT value untapped while cyber security threats grow →

The Australian Industry Group’s (Ai Group) Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) has remained in expansionary territory at 52.7 points in May. It marks the 33rd consecutive month of stability and reading over the 50-point mark. Despite its positive streak, the PMI has dipped 2.1 points from the previous month, indicating a slower rate … Continue reading Australia PMI recovery slows in May →

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) climbed 2.3 points to 59.0 in September, indicating faster growth across the manufacturing sector and extending the index’s period of uninterrupted growth to a full two years. Australian PMI is a national composite index calculated from a weighted mix of the diffusion indices for production, … Continue reading Australian PMI: Two years of uninterrupted expansion in manufacturing →

A new report released by the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) has identified critical skill issues facing Australian businesses, with 75 per cent of employers reporting skill shortages and 99 per cent impacted by low levels of literacy and numeracy. These significant findings from the Australian Industry Group come at a time when digital technologies are … Continue reading Ai Group’s new report reveals major skill gaps →

The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) has welcomed the Victorian government’s decision to increase renewable power generation targets in the state to lower power prices. Yesterday, the Victorian government announced details of the winning bids for the state’s first renewable energy auction, which will generate more than 900 megawatts (MW) of new clean energy, exceeding the original target of 650MW. Under … Continue reading Victoria’s renewable push gets positive response from industry →

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) climbed 4.7 points to 56.7 in August, indicating faster growth across the manufacturing sector. Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said the rebounded PMI in August places Australia on the cusp of two years of uninterrupted expansion. “The manufacturing sector has confounded doubters in … Continue reading Manufacturing rebounds in August despite drought impacts →

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to dump emission reduction targets from the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) has been criticised by the business groups, saying the move can destroy any sense of policy certainty. The Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Industry Group both issued statements following the announcement on Monday, arguing that the decision could hamper long-term … Continue reading Business groups voice concern over NEG decision →

A framework engagement agreement, signed by the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) and Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, is set to significantly increase awareness and uptake of Industry 4.0 within the Australian manufacturing industry. Fraunhofer is considered the leading organisation for applied research in Europe, working collaboratively with companies, public-sector bodies and institutions to develop strategies, business models and … Continue reading IMCRC, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to boost Industry 4.0 collaboration →

In just about every industry we can think of businesses are now being digitally disrupted and transformed by digitisation in one way or another, writes the Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox. While the productivity benefits of digitalisation may be clear, concern remains about what digital disruption will mean to businesses and jobs, and how … Continue reading Seven strategies for a competitive digital economy →

Australian manufacturing has picked up where it left off last year after recording an accelerated rate of growth following a promising end to 2017. The industry moved past 16 months of consecutive expansion at the end of January, according to the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). For the third consecutive month all seven activity … Continue reading Australian manufacturers to reinforce strong start to year →

Australia’s manufacturing industry entered 2018 in good health after completing a year of continuous month-on-month growth. Further building on the recovery the sector has experienced over the year, the Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI) recorded a reading of 56.2 in December – down a slight 1.1 on the previous month. … Continue reading Australian manufacturing ‘seeking progress’ in 2018 →

October marked a second year of growth in the Australian manufacturing industry, despite the closure of the automotive assembly sector in South Australia. Six of the eight manufacturing sub-sectors expanded last month, according to results from the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). Growth was led by the non-metallic mineral products sector, which stayed at … Continue reading Automotive closure fails to slow manufacturing growth →

The Ai Group Defence Council Australian says that the local industry has the capability, capacity and determination to meet the Naval Shipbuilding Plan challenge. The Council called for greater recognition of these local capabilities, as well as a more considered debate focussing on a national approach to further building that capability and delivering outcomes. “Australia’s … Continue reading Australia highly capable of meeting Naval Shipbuilding Plan challenge: Ai Group →

According to the Ai Group, Australia’s PMI fell by 5.6 points to 54.2 in September, indicating a deceleration in growth after August’s spike to a 15-year high (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase) at 59.8. Ai Group chief executive, Innes Willox said, “This … Continue reading Manufacturing in Australia slows down after record month →

Australian manufacturing recorded its highest monthly expansion for 15 years in August, according to the latest industry figures. The Australian Industry (Ai) Group’s Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) jumped by 3.8 points to 59.8 last month, marking an eleventh consecutive month of growth. “The alignment of the stars continued for domestic manufacturing with the … Continue reading Stars align as Australian manufacturers record strongest month since 2002 →

The Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council (AAMC) has welcomed new leadership into its organisation. It has announced that Mark Goodsell, current Head of Manufacturing at the Australian Industry Group, will take on the role of executive director for the AAMC. AAMC Chair, Mr John Pollaers, welcomed Mr Goodsell’s appointment as part of an important strategy to build … Continue reading AAMC appoints Mark Goodsell as new executive director →

The Australian Industry (Ai) Group’s Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) inched 0.2 points higher to 55.0 in June – a ninth consecutive month of expansion for the manufacturing sector. “Sales, exports and production all lifted and growth was widespread across the sector,” said Ai Group chief executive, Innes Willox. There was higher activity in the … Continue reading PMI: Australian manufacturing continues to expand →

The Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) has remained in expansionary territory for the eighth consecutive month in May. The pace of expansion has eased by 4.4 points to 54.8, however, indicating a slower pace of growth than last month. This month’s key findings: All seven activity sub-indexes in the Australian PMI expanded in May, … Continue reading PMI: Australian manufacturing continues on growth streak →

Telstra has reportedly seen its power costs increase by $100 million in the past year, with a senior executive calling on Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos for urgent action to address Australia’s energy crisis. This follows a recent decision by the Federal Court to increase NSW electricity prices by $3 billion over the next few years, on … Continue reading Telstra’s power costs up $100m; company calls for price correction →