Government News

Plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. The accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and oceans has reached alarming levels, demanding innovative solutions to tackle this crisis. In recent years, a revolutionary concept has emerged—a game-changing method of plastic waste recycling using an induction furnace. This cutting-edge technology has the potential to transform the industry by bypassing traditional granulating processes and directly converting plastic waste into extruded products. In this editorial, we explore the revolutionary induction furnace and its potential to revolutionise the plastic waste recycling industry. The induction furnace represents a significant leap forward in plastic waste recycling. Traditionally, recycling plastic waste involves a labourious and energy-intensive process that includes sorting, shredding, granulating, conveying, agglomeration and extrusion. However, the induction furnace offers a breakthrough approach by directly processing plastic waste into extruded or form moulded products without the need for these additional processes. This streamlined method not only saves time and energy but also reduces the cost associated with recycling plastic…

Sus scrofa is one of the most successful environmental and agricultural pests in Australia. Commonly known as feral pigs, their numbers are said to range between 3.2 million and 30 million and they inhabit 45% of the country’s land mass. Farmers and scientists have been working on containment programs for several years, with limited success. These animals reproduce at an alarming rate, destroy livestock, spread weeds, and damage infrastructure. Common food sources for these voracious creatures are food at landfill dump sites and food waste that is being composted. Food waste can contain contaminated animal products (whether legally imported or otherwise) that may not be safe for feeding to domestic or feral livestock. The biggest risk is that pigs may get infected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or African swine fever (ASF). The risks of spreading FMD and ASF through Australian livestock are very high. The 2001 outbreak of FMD in the UK was traced to a small farm that fed their pigs with swill, which is prohibited in Australia. Swill is animal food that contains or has been in contact with, meat products or…

Leading renewable energy developer ACEnergy is setting its sights on a portfolio of distribution scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as it seeks to expand its project range and support regional communities. The company is also calling for industry collaboration to introduce reforms that will expedite the rollout of renewable energy projects that are critical to the transition to net zero. ACEnergy has assembled an expert team across the development value chain; from land acquisition to grid connection and operation and maintenance, and often holds the assets it develops for the long term. This approach means ACEnergy becomes part of the communities in which it operates, working with local suppliers and providing job opportunities to local people. The initial 50MW/100MWh distribution battery portfolio is currently undergoing planning studies, with sites selected across Victoria and NSW. ACEnergy intends to retain ownership and operate the assets over their life. ACEnergy has picked locations where BESS can work in concert with local grid demand. By coordinating their operation according to the local network demand profile, the distributed BESS will increase network capacity, alleviating curtailment…

The newest round of the Innovate to Grow program, coordinated by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, will equip small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the cyber security and digital technology sectors with critical research and development (R&D) know-how to grow their businesses. CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow program links businesses to expert knowledge, resources, and mentors to help businesses validate, and develop their R&D ideas that could lead to commercial outcomes. On completing the program, eligible participants can apply to work with CSIRO’s expert researchers and access dollar-matched R&D funding through the Kickstart program. Dr Marthie Grobler, Principal Research Scientist in human-centred cyber security at CSIRO’s Data61 strongly urged eligible businesses to consider applying to stay at the forefront of research impact in these critical sectors. “SMEs are the lifeblood of Australia, and many have innovative business ideas and solutions that could help mitigate cyber security threats and deliver a positive impact to other Australian businesses and the economy,” Dr Grobler said. “These businesses tend to face a myriad of challenges in bringing their ideas to life, namely investment of money, time and resources.…

Clinical-stage biotechnology company Vaxxas, in partnership with the Queensland Government, opened its global headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility this June in Brisbane. The custom-built 5,500m² Vaxxas Biomedical Facility is a first-of-its-kind manufacturing site, designed to support the scale-up of Vaxxas’ needle-free vaccine technology platform, the high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP), for late-stage clinical trials and first commercial products. AMT spoke to Vaxxas’ Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Angus Forster, the day after the new facility opened. “It’s been an exciting couple of weeks and it was an excellent day yesterday. Queensland’s Deputy Premier, Dr Steven Miles opened the facility and we had around 80 invited guests from industry in attendance.” Vaxxas’ new facility is located in Brisbane’s Northshore and the company was previously based at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Campus in Brisbane’s inner suburbs. “We are still keeping a presence at the TRI for its pre-clinical infrastructure, while our new facility is focused on manufacturing our vaccine patches for late-stage clinical trials and commercial product. It's great to still be connected with the vibrant TRI research community, as there…

The Award winners were announced at the Gala Dinner at Palladium at Crown on Thursday 10 August. Now in its 21st year, the annual Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards recognises outstanding achievements in Victoria’s manufacturing industry. After pre-dinner foyer drinks, the room filled to the brim with an estimated 920 people, right on time, even after the many infamous barriers in traffic on the way in for many. These evenings are run with military precision. The field of nominations was full of great people as well. Clearly, they all love their work, their companies and their profession. The food was tremendous too, and Tracy Spicer was light and professional as MC. Thank you to the sponsors and organisers of this fantastic event.   Here they are in order of appearance: Leader in Defence, Aerospace and Space SPEE3D, in Dandenong South, and Byron Kennedy came up on stage to collect.  He said, "It's all in the name. We make 3D, really fast!" Leader in Digital and Advanced Technologies Modra Technology, from Warrigul – Tony Modra came up to collect, saying, “R&D is what…

The Hon Tim Ayres, the Assistant Minister for Industry and Science appeared at Weld Australia’s National Manufacturing Summit, on an unnervingly mild mid-winter morning in Canberra. He spoke of the challenges ahead for Australia. “We must move fast in this changing environment. And everything needs to work together,” he said. After a decade of inaction by the LNP governments, Minister Ayres said his government was ready to sign on to actionable plans. There are some positive moves in the Powering the Regions Fund, the National Reconstruction Fund, Rewiring the Nation, and the Capacity Investment Scheme which was the start of the transformation of industry policy in Australia. What’s needed though, as stipulated by other speakers at the event was the biggest piece of economic policy since the post-WW2 Marshall Plan. The EU, Canada, and the US have all brought their programs into action, pushing manufacturing and construction in the States with their IRA and CHIPS Act. According to the CEO of…

RMIT University’s exciting Discovery to Device (D2D) advanced manufacturing facility will open this September at its city campus in Melbourne. The $16.7m Victorian Medical Device Prototyping and Scale–Up facility will enable entrepreneur start-up manufacturers and researchers to work together to develop new medical technologies for healthcare and diagnostics. Earlier this year, Victorian Minister for Higher Education, Gayle Tierney announced $12.7m in funding from the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF) for RMIT’s new facility. D2D Director, Professor Sharath Sriram says that this complex will be the first ISO-accredited prototyping facility in the Asia-Pacific to support rapid translation of partnered and industry-led research projects in wearable, nearable and flexible medical technologies. It will also follow the ISO 13485 standard used in the design and production of medical devices. The facility will be available for universities and industry across Victoria for collaborations on wearables (wireless electronic devices that can be worn as accessories, embedded in clothing or implanted in the body), nearables (smart devices that can sense and send data but don’t need to be attached to a person) and point-of-care…

These grants will help Australian manufacturers work together on nine large projects worth $1.87bn. Successful businesses receive funding for up to a third of their project costs. Successful projects include establishing an Australian vanadium battery industry, building a facility to turn landfill waste into energy, and making Australia a regional hub for cancer drugs and health analytics. These projects will help build Australia’s manufacturing sector and supply chains. Eight grant proposals were originally approved for funding under this stream. These aren’t proceeding because they no longer meet the conditions of the program. The Collaboration stream is the largest grant program under the $1.3bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). Grants between $20m and $200m and up to one-third of eligible project costs, are awarded to large projects that feature or will create an environment that fosters collaboration. Successful projects will help transform the manufacturing industry by increasing collaboration and building economies of scale in the six National Manufacturing Priority areas. The following projects are announced: Gilmour Space Technologies will receive a grant worth over $51.4m; SAAB Australia…

In today's increasingly globalised world, the strength and resilience of a nation depends on its ability to nurture and grow strategic industries. As demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, countries that can rely on domestic manufacturing capabilities are better positioned to withstand external shocks and rely on a resilient supply chain. For Australia, investing in advanced manufacturing, and the new technologies that bolster the sector is essential not only for economic growth but also for fostering sovereign resilience. At ANCA we define technological progress, or what some call innovation, as achieving more output with less input. More productivity in manufacturing means our customers have more output with fewer dollars invested, more output with less human workforce required, and less energy consumed. And that means Australia can have a competitive manufacturing sector for the domestic and export market. Checklist of action ANCA is calling on governments - at all levels, and of all persuasions - to move their focus to crafting consistent policies to ensure manufacturing capability stays onshore and local businesses can thrive. The…

Deakin University’s expanded $20m ManuFutures hub in Geelong has been officially opened by Victoria’s Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll. The hub has doubled in size and will boost regional manufacturing capabilities through the addition of new manufacturing incubator programs, training, and product engineering services, providing opportunities for an increased number of innovation-focused tenants and start-ups. Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said that the completion of ManuFutures laid strong foundations for building sovereign manufacturing capability in Victoria. “First established in 2018, ManuFutures showcases Deakin’s commitment to building Australia’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and creating a skilled local manufacturing workforce for the future,” Professor Martin said. Deakin Research Innovations Regional Manufacturing Director Mark Curnow said the completion of the ManuFutures expansion put Deakin at the forefront of manufacturing innovation for entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing businesses. “Our new ManuFutures building includes collaborative working spaces and further rental tenancy bays for manufacturing businesses. It also has an Innoveering Centre that boasts product engineering and development capability, as well as opportunities for research collaboration and integration. “Four manufacturing businesses have already moved into the new spaces as tenants, with room for…

Some of the most common challenges faced in the Australian manufacturing sector are a lack of real-time visibility into operations, bottlenecks in production, inefficient maintenance procedures, and high operation costs. The cost of information flow remains too high which negatively impacts the competitive edge, yet most manufacturers often struggle with justifying the ROI of having a cohesive Digital Transformation strategy. The piecemeal approach to Industry 4.0 may result in an organisation focusing on non-urgent projects, investing in gear that further adds to the cost of information flow due to the missing alignment and a common strategy. Why is it important to have a Digital Transformation strategy, that is much more than a siloed Industry 4.0 project? Much has been written and discussed about Digital Transformation. The term has been dissected and interpreted in many ways. This ubiquitous term is more than a mere adoption of digital tools and technologies; it signifies a revolution that recalibrates business operations and heightens customer value. The digital revolution moves beyond the shop floor, permeating all business aspects, including supply chain management and customer service.…

Please join the Moreton Bay Regional Council and our invited guests for an opportunity to connect, share stories and intel, build your business networks, and learn about the array of business resources and support services being offered across the Moreton Bay region. For this upcoming event, we are delighted to welcome special guest the Hon. Glenn Butcher, Queensland Minister of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water to meet with our manufacturers. Learn about: What's happening across the manufacturing sector for the Moreton Bay region and beyond; Various business development workshops and training courses; Upcoming networking events to leverage your business opportunities and connections; The team at Elexon Electronics will be hosting interactive tours of their Advanced Manufacturing facility and showcasing their ability to design, develop, and manufacture a diverse range of world-class electronic products for local and export markets. Moreton Bay Regional Council is committed to supporting the growth and development of local businesses and growing our region’s economy by delivering on the Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS). This event aims to connect you with other individuals in the region in order to strengthen our…