Innes Willox

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 →

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 →