China has had the world’s fastest growing economy since the 1980s. A key driver of this extraordinary growth has been the country’s pragmatic system of innovation, which balances government steering and market-oriented entrepreneurs. Right now, this system is undergoing changes which may have profound implications for the global economic and political order.
By Dr Jesse Adams Stein It is now a common trope of Australian election campaigns that both major parties pay lip service to the importance of supporting ‘advanced manufacturing’, while regularly donning hard-hats and high-vis vests. But what does ‘advanced manufacturing’ really mean for jobs, for communities, or for the environment? Image by Matt Roberts…
In the recent floods in eastern Australia the footpaths of recovering cities were quickly piled high with waste furniture and furnishings. With little of this waste recyclable or recycled and ending up in landfill, Patrizia Torelli explores what industry is doing to create a more sustainable Australian furniture and furnishings sector. Bushfire and flood emergencies…
By Katherine Wynn, CSIRO and Michelle Colgrave, CSIRO As demand for alternative protein sources grows, Australians are increasingly looking for options that are healthy, sustainable and ethically made. At CSIRO, we have produced a “protein roadmap” to guide investments in a diverse range of new products and ingredients. We believe plant-based patties, lab-made meat and…
For years, decarbonising steel production has been seen as particularly challenging. But now, alternatives to the centuries-old practice of using coal to produce iron and steel are emerging. Researchers have been working on a number of new pathways to make steel with little or no emissions. The most promising process relying on the use of hydrogen.
By Joseph Mellors, Northumbria University, Newcastle Boeing has faced a lot of bad press in recent years, and deservedly so. After two Boeing 737 Max crashes killed 346 people, the American aerospace giant was criticised for its “slow” and “defensive” handling of the crisis, and nearly 400 planes were grounded for 20 months following a…
Australia was promised a new research focus for PhDs on the needs of industry. Here Dr John Howard forensically examines the national innovation and research system and asks whether, when the money runs out, will we have a more robust research infrastructure and research workforce? On 31 January 2022, the Prime Minister announced that the…
RMIT will get a new electric vehicle research facility, which the university says will be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with a $5.2 million grant from the state government announced on Tuesday.
The Western Australian government has announced $780,000 in assistance to companies in the Peel region through round three of the Regional Economic Development grants program.
Uggs’ appeal to the public in iconic boot’s Australian-made battle Ugg boot and sheepskin product manufacturer Australian Leather has turned to the Australian public to support its product which is the subject of a US court battle. The Sydney company has been making ‘Australian made Original Ugg Boots & Ugg Shoes’ since 1982, but is…
