July 22, 2022
Austal Limited has announced the Department of Defence will order an additional two Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats (ECCPB’s) for the Royal Australian Navy, for $124m. The two new vessels are in addition to the six Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats that are currently being delivered by Austal Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said, “We are incredibly proud to be supporting the Royal Australian Navy by providing and enhancing fleet capability; working in collaboration with the Department of Defence and Industry partners. “This announcement for additional Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats further strengthens and supports Australian sovereign shipbuilding capability and provides Austal, and our outstanding supply chain partners, with a level of continuity that will provide stability and security for the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise. Austal will also continue to invest and develop our facilities in Henderson to ensure we have the capability and capacity for the future programme of work,” Gregg said. Austal delivered the first of the Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats, the ADV Cape Otway last month. Eight Evolved Cape Patrol Boats…
July 4, 2022
With inflation growing at its fastest pace in 20 years according to the Reserve Bank of Australia, associated rising costs are arguably the biggest challenge for Australian businesses. This is making it difficult for businesses to price their products correctly and could potentially strain margins and customer relations as these companies either absorb the costs or pass them on to the buyer. The manufacturing sector, in particular, has been under increased pressure, grappling with supply chain disruption, labour shortages and fuel price rises. Almost one in seven manufacturers agree that inflation is likely to remain elevated at the end of 2022, according to a PwC Pulse Survey. And this situation is unlikely to ease over the next two years. If not addressed, we run the risk of further business closures and dampening our national economic recovery from the pandemic. Adjusting pricing strategies now will support manufacturers to contain costs with inflation on the rise. Manufacturers must look to nuanced pricing approaches that allow for pricing adjustments that move as quickly as market fluctuations, to drive…
June 24, 2022
The grant program, which attracted over 5,300 applications in the last round (2,600 of which were first-time applicants), aims to foster economic benefits for Australia by supporting the development and expansion of foreign markets for Australian products and services, specifically by providing funding for promotional activities and development of marketing skills to SMEs. What funding is available? There is a Tier 1, which is targeted at eligible exporters who are ready to export in the grant year, have not previously exported, have appropriate skills in marketing eligible products in a foreign country. There’s a maximum funding cap of $40,000 per financial year for up to two years and the grant will be up to $15,000 per financial year. There is also a Tier 2, which is targeted at eligible exporters who are exporting eligible products or are seeking export promotion activity for eligible products. There’s a maximum funding cap of $80,000 per financial year for up to three years and the grant will be up to $23,000 per financial year. Then there is a Tier 3, which…
June 17, 2022
The Australian Technologies Competition is an internationally recognised national awards and growth support program for technology scaleups. It comprises a three-stage national competition for sector awards and Australian Technology Company of the Year, high calibre mentoring from successful technology entrepreneurs and senior corporate executives, an International Growth Masterclass and access to partner and investor connection events. The 12 categories of the Competition reflect the enormous capabilities of the Australian technology sector and the more than 250 high-growth companies that have previously reached the semi-finals or finals read like a Who’s Who of Australian ‘deep’ technology. They include Agridigital, BindiMaps, BluGlass, Calix, CancerAid, CIM Enviro, Fleet Space, Gilmour Space, RedEye, Sound Scouts, StormSeal, SwitchDin, Wattwatchers and many more. This year Impact Tech Ventures is partnering with Investible to deliver the program. The early-stage VC has a proud record of investing in, mentoring and supporting tech companies to grow internationally. It is also investing substantially in the Australian ecosystem with Greenhouse — an emerging innovation hub, supported by the City of Sydney, built for climate tech companies…
May 31, 2022
Western Sydney will be at the heart of Australia’s high-tech manufacturing capability with the investment of $260m in a national-first shared-use research facility to be built on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International Airport. The full-scale Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) will be the focal point of the new Bradfield City Centre, the 115ha urban and employment area next to the airport. Premier Dominic Perrottet said the AMRF will be at the leading edge of Australia’s advanced manufacturing revolution helping to strengthen our economy now and into the future. “We are securing a brighter future of our families and our country, right here in Western Sydney,” Mr Perrottet said. “The NSW Government is building what matters to make Western Sydney an even better place to live, work, learn, play and raise a family. “The AMRF will create new high-paying jobs of the future in Western Sydney by making Bradfield City Centre the national capital of advanced manufacturing bringing industry and universities together.”…
May 20, 2022
Nominations for the 2022 awards are now open. The Victorian Government has announced the return of the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards to recognise the achievements of exceptional manufacturers across the state, marking the 20th anniversary of the awards. Key dates for your calendars include nominations closing on Tuesday, 31 May 2022 and the announcement of winners will be at the Gala Dinner on Tuesday, 26 July 2022, at the Palladium at Crown. ‘Making it in Victoria’ is the theme for this year’s awards, which highlights the breadth of products, technology and equipment produced in the state and recognises the importance of local manufacturing. Nominations close on Tuesday, 31 May 2022. Companies and individuals can nominate for the awards by visiting the Business Victoria website: see below. Award recipients will be announced at the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner on Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at the Palladium at Crown. Nominations are sought for the following award categories: Individual awards: Honour Roll – Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Young Manufacturer of the Year Woman Manufacturer of the…
May 15, 2022
Western Sydney-based company Custom Denning has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture and assemble 79 new electric buses. Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott toured the St Mary’s factory on 14 February to inspect the production line and meet workers. “This is a true Western Sydney success story and our government is proud to have played a part in this business producing the first locally-built electric bus,” Perrottet said. “Custom Denning employs 160 workers at their St Mary’s factory and this investment will now provide more jobs to ensure our buses are built to the highest standard. “Our government is getting closer to securing a cleaner, healthier future for the people of NSW and at the same time this electric bus transition will generate hundreds of local manufacturing jobs, which is an amazing outcome for our state.” Elliott added that the $70m investment takes the number of bus orders placed with Custom Denning past 100, which will help…
May 13, 2022
US President Joe Biden announced in February that Brisbane-based EV charging company Tritium will build a manufacturing facility in Tennessee, while reiterating his commitment to electrify the US government's car fleet. The new plant will produce up to 30,000 EV chargers per year and create 500 local US jobs over the next five years. The facility is expected to house up to six production lines for Tritium’s DC fast chargers, including its award-winning RTM and PKM150 models. Production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2022. Tritium CEO Jane Hunter appeared alongside Mr Biden at the White House and said Pres. Biden's policies "have contributed to enormous demand" for Tritium products in the US. This directly led us to pivot and change our global manufacturing strategy. Tritium’s investment in a US-based, cutting-edge facility for manufacturing is part of our strong push toward global growth in support of the e-mobility industry. We are thrilled to work with the US Federal government and the State of Tennessee on this initiative. With the help of the hard-working residents of Tennessee, we expect to double…
May 11, 2022
Supporting the Electrification of Victoria’s Future Fleet is a major project bringing government, university and industry partners together around the expertise and infrastructure needed to support widespread adoption of electric vehicles in Victoria. The $5.2m funding was announced today by the Hon Gayle Tierney MLC under the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF). It marks an important step towards the state’s net zero targets, while boosting skills and employment for Melbourne’s pandemic recovery. With transport responsible for around 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in Victoria, Minister Tierney said electrification of transport was critical for tackling climate change, as well as creating new jobs in low-carbon industries. “This is an important project for the future of clean, green transport in Victoria but also for our plan to meet net zero emissions by 2050 through innovative research and the development of new technology,” said Minister Tierney. RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and Vice-President, Professor Calum Drummond, said activity would focus around a new Electric Vehicle Living Lab with EV…
March 10, 2022
As a result, businesses continue to collect sensitive information about employees, contractors and other visitors to the workplace, including vaccination status information and medical certificates. Information about a person’s vaccination status and medical certificates are ‘personal information’ which must be collected, used and disclosed according to Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and associated Australian Privacy Principles. The following outlines the key principles to be aware of and considered regarding privacy obligations when collecting this type of information. In what circumstances can businesses collect vaccination status information about employees, labour hire workers, contractors, volunteers, candidates and other visitors? Vaccination status information is ‘sensitive information’ about an individual and is afforded higher protection under the Privacy Act. This means, generally speaking, a person’s vaccination status must only be collected if: the information is necessary for one or more of the business’ functions or activities; and the individual has consented. Businesses may need to collect vaccination status information to prevent and manage…
March 1, 2022
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula on 22 February welcomed Hanwha Defense Australia’s announcement that its $170m Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence will be established at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct. “We’re backing Hanwha to make the Geelong region its home because we know it will grow the economy for years to come,” said Pakula. “Victoria continues to lead the way in advanced manufacturing and this state-of-the-art facility in Avalon will create hundreds of jobs and deliver major benefits for local businesses in the supply chain.” Hanwha will use the new Avalon facility to build self-propelled howitzers to deliver the Commonwealth’s approximately $1bn LAND 8116 program. The investment will strengthen the state’s defence capabilities and create hundreds of highly skilled local jobs in design, engineering and advanced manufacturing. Construction on the 32,000 square metre state-of-the-art facility is expected to start later this year and take two years to complete – creating more than 100 jobs during construction. Richard Cho, Managing Director of Hanwha Defense…
February 17, 2022
New technologies and methods of production are shifting the focus from mass production to more bespoke, advanced, and higher value-added manufacturing. Design and associated service delivery are now as important as the production process itself. The Government’s vision is for Australia to be recognised as a high-quality, skilled and sustainable manufacturing nation that supports a modern and resilient economy. The ability to make things here, and do it well, will drive investment and innovation, grow our exports and create new jobs, including critical high-skilled jobs. The lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic have provided a powerful impetus to increase our self-sufficiency in key sectors, including vaccine production and defence. The pandemic has presented a number of big challenges which our manufacturers have overcome with ingenuity and agility. Many Australian industries have rapidly embraced digital solutions to continue operating. But just when the worst of the crisis seemed to be passing, the Omicron variant has put severe strains upon workforces and supply chains. It is yet another test of the…
February 15, 2022
Western Sydney-based company Custom Denning has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture and assemble 79 new electric buses. Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott toured the St Mary’s factory on 14 February to inspect the production line and meet workers. “This is a true Western Sydney success story and our government is proud to have played a part in this business producing the first locally-built electric bus,” Perrottet said. “Custom Denning employs 160 workers at their St Mary’s factory and this investment will now provide more jobs to ensure our buses are built to the highest standard. “Our government is getting closer to securing a cleaner, healthier future for the people of NSW and at the same time this electric bus transition will generate hundreds of local manufacturing jobs, which is an amazing outcome for our state.” Elliott added that the $70m investment takes the number of bus orders placed with Custom Denning past 100, which will help…
