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 move from prototype to real‑world testing and market uptake. Recipients include Bubbafly’s patented baby bottle and Thermal Dawn’s residential thermal storage system. An additional $6 million was earmarked in the state budget, allowing the program to fund up to $3 million per round across three rounds.
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...