Government News

The Victorian advanced manufacturing industry supports jobs for more than 283,000 people. Victoria is the manufacturing base of choice for local and multinational manufacturers. Victoria’s advanced manufacturing capabilities attract investment in health tech, zero and low emissions technology, food, defence, aerospace and digital technologies. In addition to its established and rapidly growing pharmaceutical manufacturing base, which is the largest in Australia and includes CSL; the fastest growing brand in the biopharmaceutical industry globally. Victoria also has a range of local and global manufacturing and supply chain capabilities for medtech products. Victorian manufacturers’ top export markets include New Zealand, the United States, China and Japan. Victoria is home to 41 ASX-listed medtech companies with a combined market capitalisation of $14bn. The MedTech manufacturing sector in Victoria includes large-scale state-of-the-art ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 qualified contract manufacturers with rapid scale-up capability that provide responsive manufacturing services through all stages of design, development and market supply. Industry players include Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions, Hydrix, Invetech, Planet Innovation, SCHOTT MINIFAB and SRX Global. The Victorian Medical Device Prototyping and Scale-up…

In January this year, a deadly red imported fire ant (RIFA) was discovered in Tasmania in an Australia Post parcel that originated in Queensland. First discovered in Australia in 2001, the highly invasive species can wreak havoc wherever they spread, destroying animals that nest, feed, or simply go near the ground. Fire ants have now established colonies in Southeast Queensland with the pests jumping the border with their discoveries in northern NSW. The USA failed to prioritise their eradication program and it now costs the industry and agriculture sector US$7bn a year to manage. Fortunately, Australia has access to a locally developed solution that has been proven. “The challenge is to drive its wide adoption,” said Sundew Solutions CEO, David Priddy. His company has spent ten years developing, testing, and refining a treatment to deal with fire ant infestations. The company’s ANTagonistPRO rapid response large area treatment is currently Australia’s only approved spray treatment that can be applied rapidly over large surface areas by tractors, utes, quad bikes, and other farm vehicles equipped with…

Monitoring the health of humans hundreds of kilometres above the Earth and in the infinite space beyond is a major challenge in the complex microgravitational environment of space. Australia’s population, dispersed across a vast geographic landscape, offers a similar challenge to health professionals. The ability to access real-time data that could aid in precise diagnosis, predictive assessment, and, consequent treatments during human spaceflight could in turn save lives for those operating in isolated areas such as mining, defence, or those living in remote environments on Earth. Australia is already a world leader in delivering medical care to remote regions. This iLAuNCH Trailblazer project will build on this expertise, transferring the capability to predict and monitor physiological changes to human spaceflight. “I applaud Aspen Medical for making the leap into the demanding environment of space, and showcasing how space technology can help us here on Earth. It's a great project led by the Australian National University, partnering with industry leaders including Saber Astronautics, Aspen Medical, and Liquid Instruments,” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer Executive Director, Darin Lovett. Aspen Medical is one partner…

The Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance, together with the Job and Skills Council, has released the 2024 Manufacturing Workforce Plan, highlighting the numerous opportunities the multi-billion-dollar sector presents to jobseekers and the country. The plan is a roadmap outlining the key skills and emerging workforce needs for the industry. With projected employment growth indicating a likely increase in employment equivalent to around 120,000 additional workers (16.8%) by the year 2033, the plan is designed to turn challenges into solutions and begin to build the capacity of the manufacturing workforce in Australia. It highlights sectors with the greatest opportunities for growth, development and expansion including the defence, clean energy, medical and space sectors, and the urgent need for skilled workers. Australia’s highly diverse manufacturing industry, which encapsulates everything from food manufacturing to machinery, metals to transport and robotic engineering, is the fifth largest industry in Australia and contributed $124bn to the economy in the 2021-2202 FY, according to the Manufacturing Alliance. Sharon Robertson, CEO of Manufacturing Alliance, said that most people’s understanding of manufacturing is that it is dying out in Australia, when in…

AMTIL’s 25th birthday was always going to be a big event. A party everyone would remember for a long time—one for the record books. Organised over several months, the occasion brought together AMTIL members to acknowledge the opportunities and business milestones of the last quarter century. With an unrivalled view of the sun setting over the entire city of Melbourne, AMTIL members were served an array of beautifully presented hors d'oeuvres by a small army of impeccably dressed staff. The venue boasted floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the city skyline, illuminated by a billion or so lights as night fell. Drinks flowed throughout the evening, and the live music provided by Rita Satch and her band, added to the party atmosphere. The main event of the evening was the awarding of trophies to companies that had been members of AMTIL since the association's foundation. Many attendees flew in from interstate. Brigitte Stavar, the president of AMTIL, handed 22 representatives their large…

A new facility at The University of Queensland is set to provide Australian researchers with cancer vaccines tailored to individual patients. The lab at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) will combine equipment and expertise to enable the design, manufacture, and delivery of new mRNA cancer vaccines. Backed by a $3.3m grant from the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) National Critical Research Infrastructure program, the new hub will provide the local research community with vaccines that match each patient's specific treatment needs. Deputy Director of AIBN’s BASE facility, Dr. Seth Cheetham said it could transform cancer treatment. “Personalised mRNA cancer vaccines are now being used to train the body’s immune system to recognise and eradicate cancer cells,” Dr. Cheetham said. “Despite the huge potential, Australian researchers haven’t had the necessary infrastructure to build these vaccines, leading to a critical gap in the local drug development pipeline. “This lab changes that, with a leading team of investigators in a purpose-built space, working with local industry and academics to progress a range of high-quality mRNA cancer vaccine candidates from design…

Composed of site visits across August and September, the 2024 Medtech Manufacturing Roadshow is a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the cutting edge of Victorian medtech and experience our sector's manufacturing capabilities first-hand. Hosted by the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF), Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions, and Cell Therapies*, the Roadshow offers valuable insights for both industry and students. Students can discover our sector's range of career pathways and internship opportunities, helping them chart a course from graduation to success. Professionals and entrepreneurs can learn more about the advanced manufacturing capabilities in our sector, helping them select the right partner for their next project. Places are strictly limited! Please note some events are intended for specific industry or student audiences. We look forward to seeing you there!   Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions REGISTRATION LINK 2.30 to 5.30pm – Thursday, August 22nd 1555 Centre Rd, Clayton VIC 3168 Transport from city centre available   Australian National Fabrication Facility REGISTRATION LINK 2.30 to 5pm – Thursday, August 29th…

The Australian Antarctic Division, which is in Hobart, Tasmania and is part of the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), coordinates the Australian Antarctic Program. The Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) is a collaborative partnership between the government and more than 150 national and international research institutions. The AAP’s Antarctic, sub-Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research contributes to understanding the world’s climate and the effects of climate change. The AAP’s scientific research is supported by Australia’s leading international policy role in preserving Antarctica as a natural place devoted to peace and science.   The Mazak QTE-300MY SG The simple and compact Mazak QTE-300MY SG, which is manufactured in Mazak’s Singapore factory, is designed to fit into even the smallest machine shop, but with no compromise on power. The Mazak QTE-300MY SG is equipped with a powerful 5,000 rpm built-in spindle motor that is capable of ultra-high-speed acceleration and deceleration delivering high-efficiency, high-accuracy machining. Since there is no loss of power through mechanical transmission, the built-in…

PsiQuantum will build the world’s first utility-scale quantum computer at a strategically located site near Brisbane Airport in Brisbane, Australia. The Australian Commonwealth and Queensland Governments will invest $940m into PsiQuantum through a financial package, comprised of equity, grants, and loans. PsiQuantum is on an aggressive plan to have the site operational by the end of 2027. A fault-tolerant quantum computer will be able to solve commercially useful problems across industries built upon chemistry, math, and physics; thereby transforming critical industries – including renewable energy, minerals and metals, healthcare and transportation – that will propel the global economy for decades to come. The quantum computing industry has long faced complicated scaling challenges in building a quantum computer with enough physical qubits to enable error correction, making it capable of delivering on quantum computing’s promise. PsiQuantum has scaled its fusion-based architecture using a photonics- approach, encoding qubits into particles of light, and leveraging advanced infrastructure in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to fabricate and test millions of photonic…

In the early hours of 22 March 2024, a rocket blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. On board was a small device labelled ‘Multi-resolution scanning’, packed with CSIRO smarts. Its goal was to test a new CSIRO-developed 3D sensing and mapping payload for a NASA robot called Astrobee, which operates inside the International Space Station (ISS). Leading the project was Dr Marc Elmouttie. For Elmouttie, this launch was the culmination of years of hard work and extensive international collaboration. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s take a step back. What is the Astrobee anyway? Why does it need multi-resolution scanning? And what are they doing up in space? Let’s start with Astrobee. This system of three free-flying robots moves around the ISS autonomously, or via remote control, to document experiments or even move cargo. As modular platforms, they can be loaded with other technologies, one of which will be multi-resolution scanning. The multi-resolution scanning device brings together…

Bosch, a pioneer in automation solutions, has teamed with RayGen, a leading innovator in solar and long-duration storage technologies, to expedite the deployment of its state-of-the-art concentrated solar photovoltaic (PV) system. This collaboration showcases the pivotal role of automation in modern energy solutions. The project centres around the assembly of heliostats (mirrors used to focus sunlight), a crucial component of the concentrated solar PV system. These heliostats are designed to track the sun throughout the day, optimising solar energy capture. The process, to be deployed on-site at RayGen’s first utility-scale project, after rigorous in-field testing, involves the assembly of the heliostats on a highly automated production line designed by Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS) automation engineering specialists. BAMS’ cutting-edge automation capabilities are instrumental in making this assembly a faster and lower cost process. The project aims to assemble a heliostat every three minutes. The heliostats, each measuring approximately 4x5 metres, are comprised of eight individual mirror panels that must be assembled to tight tolerances to maximise the energy produced by the solar technology. Scheduled for deployment by the end…

The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Hub has welcomed news that the Australian Manufacturing Capability Network (AMCN) has been selected as an Industry Partner Organisation for the Industry Growth Program. Australian Government Minister for Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic recently announced that several not-for-profit organisations will work with the Industry Growth Program to help participating small and medium businesses bring new products and services to market. The Industry Growth Program provides expert advice on commercialisation and early-stage business growth to startups and high-growth small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) operating within the priority areas of the National Reconstruction Fund priority, and to help build Australian manufacturing for the future. This advice is provided by Industry Growth program advisers. As an Industry Partner Organisation, the AMCN will complement this advice, and add value to and enhance the support provided to SMEs by offering specialised advisory services, drawing on its sectoral expertise. ARM Hub Founder and CEO Professor Cori Stewart said this was an opportunity to better enable SMEs and startups to become global innovation leaders. “On behalf of the…

Plastics that would otherwise go to landfill can now be repurposed into building materials at Australia's first RESIN8 production facility that opened in Melbourne recently. CRDC Australia, in partnership with the Australia and New Zealand Recycling Platform (ANZRP), are proud to officially open the state-of-the-art facility, located in Tottenham. The opening marks a significant leap in Australia's efforts to tackle the plastic waste crisis, by transforming hard-to-recycle plastics into a valuable material for the construction industry. The launch event, attended by over 100 stakeholders from government, non-profits, academia, and industry, highlights the collaborative effort towards innovative environmental solutions. RESIN8, a versatile, high-performance, low-carbon hybrid mineral-polymer, is engineered for both structural and non-structural building applications. It meets and surpasses international ASTM standards, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional building materials. Unique to RESIN8 is CRDC’s proprietary, carbon-negative production process, which accepts all types of plastics (resins 1-7)— a significant advancement over traditional recycling methods that typically only handle resins 1 and 2. Shane Ramsey, Managing Director of CRDC Australia, said officially opening the full-scale RESIN8 facility was a landmark in…