Seaweed-based plastic alternative makes global fashion debut Luxury sleepwear brand Papinelle has said its latest collection will feature buttons made from seaweed, as part of a collaboration with Perth biotechnology startup Uluu, marking the first time Uluu’s materials have been used in fashion. According to a statement from Uluu, the buttons (pictured) were created by…
Last month Space Machines Company, which plans to one day offer “roadside assistance in space”, completed what it says is an important milestone. The company successfully completed its 3D printed Scintilla engine, which passed a critical design review as well as more than 1,200 seconds of testing time at a private farm somewhere in Queensland.…
Appreciation has grown in the last decade or so for a modern, holistic view of manufacturing. It’s “more than just production”, you will have heard countless times, and production is the lowest point in the “smiley curve” model of where value is added. The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, for example, chose to open its inaugural…
By Melanie MacGregor, Flinders University Progress towards a legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution stalled and went into reverse this week. The United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, ran overtime. It’s likely to conclude this evening, without agreement. This is an incredibly disappointing result. As a member of the Scientists’ Coalition…
By Aayushi Badhwar, RMIT University Today’s consumers are swimming in a sea of information. Products are marketed with big, bold words such as “sustainable”, “ethical” and “organic”. They sound good, they catch our attention, and they make us feel better about what we buy. The reality is, in today’s market, figuring out which claims are…
AnteoTech receives $2.6 million R&D tax rebate Surface technology company AnteoTech, which is commercialising products for the battery and medical technology industries, has announced receipt of $2.59 million in cash for 2025 under the Research & Development (R&D) Tax Incentive. In a statement on Monday, it said the rebate from the Australian Tax Office “relates…
EPCA Expands into Latin America Mining equipment electrification company EPCA has announced a strategic partnership with Escala Consulting, which will represent EPCA across Mexico and Latin America as the official sales representative for the region. “With established operations in Australia and Mexico, Escala leverages deep regional insight and cross-border industry experience to unlock commercial opportunities…
Australia’s energy technologies have received their annual report card, and renewables are still the class champions whilst nuclear small modular reactors remain firmly planted at the bottom of the cost league table, according to CSIRO’s latest GenCost report released on Tuesday. The comprehensive study found wind and solar backed by storage and transmission continue to…
Bin Lu, Australian National University and Marnie Shaw, Australian National University As the electrification of transport and heating accelerates, many worry the increased demand could overload national power grids. In Australia, electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050. If everyone charges their car and heats water using electric systems at the same time, peak…
Australia risks becoming a mere consumer of technology rather than a producer if it continues following global best practices instead of charting its own course in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, according to Professor Henrik von Scheel, the strategist who coined the term “Industry 4.0”. Speaking ahead of his keynote at Industrial Transformation Australia next week,…