Push to Attract More Women Into Queensland Manufacturing Careers
Manufacturing Skills Queensland (MSQ) has launched a new campaign to draw more women into the state’s $28.9 billion manufacturing sector, which faces acute skills shortages. The initiative centers on the Manufacturing Industry Influencer Program, featuring female professionals from boilermaking to rocket design who will visit schools and community events. MSQ’s Acting CEO emphasizes that visibility—“if you see it, you can be it”—is key to accelerating female participation. Influencers also promote MSQ’s training and mentoring pathways to support upskilling.
Manufacturing Begins on Guided Missiles in Australia, Defence Says
The Australian Defence Department has launched domestic production of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) at a new facility in Port Wakefield, South Australia. The first batch of missiles is slated for completion by mid‑March 2026, marking the first GMLRS...
Manufacturing Reform Urged to Unlock Clean Aluminium Recycling Opportunity
The Australian Aluminium Council released an L.E.K. Consulting report urging policy reform to unlock large‑scale clean aluminium recycling. While recycling consumes only about five percent of the energy required for primary production, high energy costs, tight scrap margins and fragmented...
UK Rail Research Leader Speaks on Manufacturing, Collaboration in Melbourne
Luisa Moisio, Director of Research at the UK Rail Safety and Standards Board, delivered the 13th Stephen Marich Annual Lecture at Monash University, outlining two decades of British rail research collaboration. She emphasized the UK Rail Technical Strategy and the...
Victoria Expands Battery Recycling Network with 50 New Collection Points
The Victorian Government announced the addition of 50 new battery recycling collection points, supplementing upgrades at 17 existing sites, to make disposal safer and easier. Funding will support local councils and registered charities, with more than 30 locations placed in...
Manufacturing Clarity Needed on Proposed Work-From-Home Legislation, Says SEMMA
Australian manufacturing group SEMMA has warned that Victoria’s proposed work‑from‑home legislation could clash with federal industrial‑relations law and is ill‑suited to many manufacturing operations. The alliance highlighted that most small and medium manufacturers already negotiate flexible arrangements directly with employees...
Advanced Manufacturing Investment Supports $21M Northern Territory Glass Facility
The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre helped launch a $21 million advanced glass manufacturing plant in East Arm, Darwin, operated by Northern Glass Solutions. The purpose‑built facility produces high‑performance glass—including bullet‑ and cyclone‑resistant types—reducing supply‑chain distances by roughly 3,000 km. Funding came from...
South Australia Chosen for HAMR Energy’s First Australian Methanol-to-Jet SAF Plant
South Australia has been chosen as the site for HAMR Energy’s $700‑800 million methanol‑to‑jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant, the first of its kind in the country. The facility will use Honeywell technology to convert 300,000 tonnes of low‑carbon methanol into about...
TGA Seeks Public Feedback on New Manufacturing Rules for Medicines, Medicinal Gases
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has launched two concept papers for public consultation, proposing revisions to PIC/S GMP Annex 6 for medicinal gases and Annex 15 for qualification and validation processes. The Annex 6 update seeks to reflect modern manufacturing technologies and computerized...
Schneider Electric Concludes Sustainability Impact 2021-2025 Program with 8.86/10 Score
Schneider Electric released its 2025 extra‑financial results, closing the 2021‑2025 Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) program with an overall rating of 8.86 out of 10. The initiative delivered 862 million tonnes of avoided CO₂ emissions, a 56 % cut in supplier emissions, and...
Automation and Inkjet Reshape Print Manufacturing in 2026 – Jet Technologies
Australian print manufacturers are accelerating automation and digital inkjet adoption to counter chronic labour shortages, tighter turnaround expectations, and rising job complexity. Jet Technologies reports a structural shift toward production lines with fewer human touchpoints, leveraging connected digital platforms beyond...
WA Gov’t Targets Manufacturing and Key Industries in New Workforce Strategy
The Western Australian Government announced a new WA Workforce Strategy aimed at bolstering priority sectors such as advanced manufacturing, defence, clean energy, construction, tourism, hospitality and the care economy. Six industry‑focused roundtables and an online consultation running until 30 April 2026 will...
Australia Doubles Down on Manufacturing with Critical Minerals Rise
The Australian Government’s 2025 edition of Australia’s Identified Mineral Resources (AIMR) highlights a surge in critical mineral reserves and production, reinforcing the nation’s role as a reliable supplier for high‑tech manufacturing, defence and clean‑energy sectors. Eleven critical minerals, including fluorine,...
Manufacturing Growth Slows in February as S&P Global PMI Signals Softer Expansion
Australia’s manufacturing PMI slipped to 51.0 in February, the fourth consecutive month above the growth threshold but the weakest since the expansion began. The index fell from 52.3 in January, marking the first output contraction in four months. New‑order growth...
Advanced Navigation Launches Chimera Land Laser Navigation System for Mining
Advanced Navigation has introduced Chimera Land, a 3D laser velocity sensor system that delivers high‑precision vehicle positioning in deep underground mines where GPS signals are unavailable. The self‑contained solution integrates with the company’s Boreas D90 inertial navigation system and AdNav Intelligence...
Manufacturers Call for Policy Action as Land Tax Costs Escalate
Manufacturers in Victoria are confronting steep land‑tax hikes, with SEMMA reporting an average 80% increase between 2024 and 2026 and spikes above 200% for some firms. The surge is diverting cash that would otherwise fund new machinery, apprenticeships and process...
SPC Global Resets Manufacturing Strategy, Cuts Investment to $3M
SPC Global Holdings Ltd announced a post‑merger overhaul of its manufacturing network, slashing planned capital expenditure from $23.5 million to just under $3 million. The new strategy targets more than $8 million of annual savings from FY27 and includes exiting the Mill Park...
AUKUS Partners Launch First UK Submarine Maintenance in Australia
The Australian Submarine Agency announced that the UK‑built HMS Anson has arrived at HMAS Stirling for the first ever UK Submarine Maintenance Period (UK SMP) conducted in Australia. Around 100 personnel from the Royal Navy, the UK Submarine Delivery Agency,...
$6.9M Boost for Australian Manufacturing of Printed Solar and Semiconductors
The Australian Government has allocated $6.9 million through its Industry Growth Program to accelerate manufacturing‑focused innovation. Spark3D will receive $4.8 million to commercialise the Achyon semiconductor packaging tool, while Kardinia Energy secures $2.1 million to launch a pilot printed‑solar production line. Both projects...
ARENA Advances Industrial Emissions Cuts with $400M Fund
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the Powering the Regions Industrial Transformation Stream (ITS), a $400 million fund to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions from regional industrial facilities. The program, part of the broader Powering the Regions Fund, supports projects that...
CSIRO and AMRF Connect Launch Advanced Manufacturing Program for SMEs
CSIRO has teamed with the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) Connect to launch "Innovate to Grow: Advanced Manufacturing," a free eight‑week online program aimed at Australian SMEs. The initiative blends self‑paced learning, expert coaching and peer discussion to help firms...
Australian-Made AS9 Huntsman Howitzers Roll Off Geelong Production Line
The first Australian‑made AS9 Huntsman self‑propelled howitzers have rolled off the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Geelong, marking the next phase of the LAND 8116 programme. The debut follows an earlier batch built in South Korea and initiates...
La Trobe Research Partnership Scales Food Productivity System to Commercial Level
La Trobe University, together with Breakthrough Victoria’s Eagle Fund, has moved its YieldX hydroponic system from lab to commercial scale. The technology now runs in a 4,000‑square‑metre greenhouse at Butler Market Gardens, capable of producing up to one million basil...
NSW Backs Startup Manufacturing and Innovation with $1M MVP Ventures Boost
The New South Wales government has allocated more than $1 million to 22 early‑stage companies through the first round of the 2025‑26 MVP Ventures Program. The grants target priority sectors such as housing, manufacturing, energy, health and digital technologies, helping firms...
Kennametal Announces Search for ‘Machinist of the Year’
Kennametal has launched a global "Machinist of the Year" program to honor long‑term customers who excel in machining. Regional marketing teams in the Americas, EMEA, APAC and India will each select a winner based on video submissions that showcase tool...
LFI Expands Manufacturing Focus with Asia Pacific HQ in Newcastle
La Force International (LFI) has launched LFI Asia Pacific Pty Ltd in Newcastle, marking its first overseas entity outside the United States. The new hub will serve Australia, Singapore and the broader Asia‑Pacific market, targeting mining, aerospace, advanced manufacturing and...
From Leftover Plums to Health Products: Nutrafruit Advances Manufacturing From Fruit Waste
Australian firm Nutrafruit is converting bruised or sun‑burnt Queen Garnet plums—fruit that fails supermarket standards—into health‑focused powders, drinks and other nutraceuticals under its PurQ brand. The plums are freeze‑dried to lock in colour, flavour and antioxidant content, turning waste into...
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Rolls Out Secure Edge Data Center Brand DIAVAULT
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has launched DIAVAULT, an industrial‑grade edge data centre platform that integrates power, cooling and AI compute for on‑premise processing. The solution targets low‑latency, secure workloads in manufacturing, defense and 5G environments, addressing data‑privacy and latency concerns of...
Queensland Startup Receives ARENA Backing for Critical Minerals Innovation
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing up to $5 million to Queensland‑based Banks Minerals to develop a pilot plant for its electro‑chemical copper extraction technology. The funding, delivered through the Advancing Renewables Program over three years, aims to de‑risk the...
3ME Technology Eyes Arctic-Ready Battery Systems Under South 8 LOI
3ME Technology and South 8 Technologies have signed a Letter of Intent to develop lithium‑ion batteries for extreme cold‑weather and Arctic defence use. South 8 will supply its LiGas‑enabled cells, which operate from –60 °C to +60 °C, for integration into 3ME’s EdgeVOLT Cold...
Smart Strategies that Will Help Australian Manufacturers Succeed in 2026
Australian manufacturers face high labour, energy and logistics costs in a small domestic market, forcing them to seek niche growth rather than volume. To stay competitive, firms must maintain deep customer insight and articulate a clear "secret sauce" that differentiates...
Hazer Reports Revenue Growth and 27% Cost Reduction in H1 FY26
Perth‑based Hazer Group reported a strong start to FY26, posting $1.5 million revenue in the first half, primarily from an R&D tax refund and two paid project studies. Operating expenses were cut by 27%, reflecting a leaner cost structure as the...
AMGTA Expands Manufacturing Collaboration as MTDG Becomes Principal Member
The Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) has promoted the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (MTDG) to Principal Member status, expanding its leadership role within the global additive‑manufacturing community. The elevation brings Dean Bartles onto AMGTA’s Board of Directors effective 1 February 2026, reinforcing...
UNSW Turns Peanut Shells Into Sustainable Graphene in Manufacturing Advance
Researchers at UNSW Sydney have devised a method to turn discarded peanut shells into high‑quality graphene using a rapid flash‑joule heating process. The technique heats pre‑treated shell char to roughly 3000 °C for milliseconds, yielding single‑layer graphene at an estimated energy...
$1.9B SEED Precinct Targets Advanced Manufacturing, Factory Opportunities in Western Sydney
Mirvac and Australian Retirement Trust have secured state approval for the first stage of SEED, a $1.9 billion industrial precinct in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. The 39‑hectare development, part of a 90‑hectare masterplan adjacent to the upcoming Western Sydney International Airport,...
Australia-Based Manufacturing to Deliver Custom mRNA Vaccines for Brain Cancer Trial
Southern RNA and Providence Therapeutics announced the PaedNEO‑VAX trial, a world‑first personalized mRNA vaccine study for children with advanced brain tumors. The multi‑site trial, funded by Providence, the Australian government and donors, will launch in March 2026 across eight pediatric...
Felton Industries Launches Manufacturing Push with Tow & Fold Mobile Grandstand Range
Australian outdoor‑furniture maker Felton Industries has introduced the Tow & Fold mobile grandstand, a towable trailer that expands into a nine‑tier, 200‑seat spectator platform. The system targets regional councils, schools and event operators seeking high‑capacity, flexible seating without the labor‑intensive...
Ethical Clothing Australia Urges Local Manufacturing for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Uniforms
Ethical Clothing Australia has launched a campaign urging that the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic uniforms be produced locally under accredited ethical standards. A YouGov poll shows 82% of Australians support domestic manufacturing of the gear, while 85% want government...
UNSW Sydney Researchers Target Cleaner Manufacturing with Waste-to-Fertiliser Breakthrough
UNSW Sydney researchers have developed a copper‑cobalt catalyst that electrochemically combines carbon dioxide and nitrogen pollutants to produce urea using renewable electricity. The method sidesteps the high‑temperature, high‑pressure, fossil‑fuel processes that dominate today’s fertilizer industry. Laboratory tests show higher selectivity...
Queensland Gov’t Trade Mission Targets Manufacturing and Resources Growth in East Asia
The Queensland Government announced a trade mission to South Korea and Japan, led by Minister Dale Last, to boost investment in the state’s mining, critical‑minerals and manufacturing sectors. The delegation will promote coal, gas, and the revived Queensland Train Manufacturing...
Additive Manufacturing Set to Drive $110B Market by 2034, Reports AM Research
Additive manufacturing is projected to generate $110 billion in market impact by 2034, up from $24.5 billion in 2025, according to AM Research. The forecast draws on more than ten years of historical data and covers metal and polymer parts across eight...
