productivity

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 →

The NSW government has developed a first-of-its-kind report to measure the state’s innovation and productivity performance and compare NSW to other states and similar international economies. The new NSW Innovation and Productivity Scorecard showed the State was a leader on economic growth in 2015-16, ranking second out of 10 locations on GDP growth, beating Victoria … Continue reading New scorecard measures NSW performance →

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released this week, stevedoring costs are at their lowest point since records began.

Linking computer vision with robotics is a tricky problem, but the benefits in places like factories, fields and the ocean floor are worth the trouble. Brent Balinski spoke to Professor Peter Corke of Queensland University of Technology about giving robots the power of sight.

More and more factories – and the robotics companies that supply them – are seeing the appeal of collaborative robots. Brent Balinski spoke to Dr Esben Østergaard and Dr Rodney Brooks, both CTOs/co-founders of the two leading “co-bot” companies, about the development of the category, what it offers, and what the future might hold.

​The Industry 4.0 revolution will continue to gain pace, with attitudes, impact and preparedness considered in a new McKinsey report.

The next megatrend will need Australia to be more innovative, particularly if the country is to play a significant role in the world’s economy.

Last month Rethink Robotics received a substantial chunk of new funds from investors, led by GE Ventures. Brent Balinski spoke to the company’s CMO Jim Lawton about plans for investing in expanding into newer markets and improving its Baxter industrial robots.

The effect of the United States’ “manufacturing renaissance” is mostly hype, according to a new report by a Washington-based think tank.

​META has announced a collaborative project involving Hospira, GlaxoSmithKline and CSL aiming to increase the effectiveness of manufacturing.

​Japanese industry, with the backing of its government, has plans to regain the country’s number one ranking in robotics manufacturing.

​The Australian Industry Group would like the Abbott government ​to act on its policy to put the Fair Work Act to a Productivity Commission Review.

​The Australian Industry Group would like the Abbott government ​to act on its policy to put the Fair Work Act to a Productivity Commission Review.

​The Australian Manufacturing Forum was front and centre at the start of something we believe will have a real impact on public policy.

International research is mounting on the case for a group of management tools–known as high performance work practices–for improving business performance.

With its fateful decision not to support car assembly in Australia, we might be forgiven for thinking the federal government has written off manufacturing. But we could be in for a surprise, as options narrow in the wake of the mining boom.

​The Asia Pacific Honeywell Users Group has wrapped up for another year.

The Honeywell User Group has begun today, showcasing the company’s latest developments in processing technology and equipment.

The mobile workstation allows an operation to boost safety by connecting systems, tools, and culture directly to the workshop floor

​Biotherapies company CSL has decided to build a new, $500 million plant in Switzerland due to factors including a lower corporate tax rate.