News

Gilmour: Final push toward maiden orbital test flight

It has been years in the making but the maiden test flight of Gilmour Space Technologies’ three-stage orbital rocket is within sight, with final preparations targeting a launch early...

Govt puts Microsoft in AI ‘driver’s seat’ ahead of locals

The Prime Minister’s announcement that he was handing Microsoft a government trial of its generative artificial intelligence just hours before consultations with local industry on the technology has triggered...

Clean tech innovation endorsed in Indo-Pacific framework

Australia on Friday joined Indo-Pacific Economic Framework partners in endorsing the acceleration of research and commercialisation of clean energy and climate technologies, as other agreements on regional trade stalled....

Critical infrastructure and the resilience tightrope

The Australian innovation ecosystem demands a more precise definition of resilience for critical infrastructure that moves beyond cataloguing vulnerabilities, and leaders must encourage bold strides to build it. The...

The Australian bioeconomy market is more than medicine

Synthetic biology is high on Australia’s critical technology list. Yet one suspects it’s potential is pigeonholed in the medical applications queue while the wider opportunities lie unrecognised. Granted, mRNA...

ARC centre achieves gender parity ‘without quotas’

An Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence has achieved gender parity among its researchers and students in half a decade, without the need for quotas. Its leaders say its...

Digital ID’s biggest challenge may be explaining how it works

Australians are struggling to understand the “concept” of the upcoming national Digital ID system, government commissioned research has found, confirming a key concern about the roll out of the...

National rail procurement plan leaves the station

The Albanese government has committed to adopting a nationally coordinated approach to rail procurement, including local content, after the sector warned disjointed state policies had cost governments billions. On...

Govt to deploy Microsoft AI across the Public Service

Australia will be one of the first countries in the world to deploy generative artificial intelligence across a national public service, with the Prime Minister announcing a partnership with...

Optus, a brand innovator in the service of competitors

Over the last two years, Optus has led innovation in the telco sector in exactly one field – brand management. Unfortunately, the innovation has mostly been for the benefit...

SA Hydrogen Act passes to streamline approvals

The world’s first hydrogen act has passed through both houses of the South Australian parliament as the government found crossbench support to push the bill past a Greens and...

Putting a laser focus on dual-tech opportunities

The Defence Strategy Review released earlier in 2023 states that the threats Australia faces in the Indo-Pacific region include economic, military and climate change. It is noteworthy then, that...