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Articles on Manufacturing

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Prepare for more handouts: the taxpayer is the meat in the sandwich between politicians and manuocrats - those who believe the source of all our wealth is manufacturing. AAP

2013: The battle between the taxpayers and the manuocrats

The battleground between business, taxpayers and government for 2013 is taking shape. It is manufacturing and jobs. On Wednesday, building materials company Boral announced at least 700 job cuts in Australia…
We agree Australia’s productivity has to improve: plotting the trajectory from the macro to the micro will be big future themes of debate in the coming year. AAP

The productivity conundrum: current thinking and future trends

Amid the emerging decline in Australia’s terms of trade and drop in commodity prices, there is general consensus among most commentators that improving Australia’s productivity is critical. Looking back…
Instead of relying on unconditional government largess, car companies in Australia should be asked to provide guarantees. AAP

Moving the car industry debate beyond a squabble over subsidies

A famous quote from Albert Einstein states that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity. Yet this is exactly what has occurred in the car industry which has…
Trade minister Craig Emerson met with India’s minister for Commerce and Industry Dr Anand Sharma at free trade talks earlier this year - but don’t expect trading links to accelerate in the next decade.

Increasing our trade relationship with India will not be so simple

Ongoing efforts on the part of the Australian government to deepen ties with India are well known. The recent Asian Century White Paper frequently couples China and India in its analyses, which suggests…
Three recent reports into productivity highlight differing issues but agree that targeting industrial reform is not the key to lifting outputs. Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com

Changing work practices alone will not boost productivity

The Australian Government’s recently released white paper on Australia in the Asian Century identified productivity as one of five key areas for action, at a time when we are engaged in a major national…
The Asian Century will present Australia with economic opportunities, as well as significant challenges. shutterstock

In the Asian Century, there’s no such thing as success without sacrifice

By 2025, Asia will account for nearly half of world output. Even under conservative growth scenarios, three out of the world’s five largest economies will be in Asia. By the same year, income per person…
The banks have pulled the plug on loss-making company Gunns after it announced a $904 million loss. Image from www.shutterstock.com

Timber giant Gunns felled by the ‘perfect storm’

Forestry company Gunns has been entered into voluntary administration after posting a $904 million loss today. Tough economic conditions, including a high Australian dollar and falling woodchip prices…
The closure of BlueScope’s no 6 Blast Furnace at Port Kembla was an acknowledgement that Australia simply cannot compete with our cheaper Asian rivals.

Glimmers of hope in the steel industry’s darkest hour

The $1 billion dollar annual loss announced by BlueScope Steel confirmed what is common knowledge: the Australian steel industry is in crisis and fighting for survival. The latest statistics show that…
The Manufacturing Taskforce has delivered 41 recommendations across all levels of of the economy: but the sheer breadth may prove hardest to implement. AAP

Some big ideas for manufacturing, but will they happen?

The recently released Report of the Non-Government Members of the Prime Minister’s Manufacturing Task Force provides a comprehensive and well-considered blueprint for the future of Australia’s manufacturing…
Manufacturing has a future in Australia - but only if it can reposition itself up the global value chain.

The blueprint for a smarter Australia starts with manufacturing

Can anything new be said about the future of manufacturing in Australia? Yesterday’s report, Smarter Manufacturing for a Smarter Australia submitted yesterday to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, is a detailed…
Australia’s unique manufacturing DNA - comprised of tens of thousands of small-to-medium enterprises - means that we must forge our own path to innovation. DNA Art Online

Finding a unique path for Australia’s manufacturing future

As the manufacturing landscape shifts in response to new economic and social pressures, Australia is looking for an answer to the question: What does the future look like for Australian manufacturing…
Associated with sexy, outdoor aesthetic, Australia’s surfboard culture defines a way of life. But it is in danger of disappearing? Flickr/Desobry23

Once a cultural icon, is Australia’s surfboard industry destined to disappear?

Last October surfboard company BASE abruptly closed its factory on the Gold Coast, with the direct loss of 30 jobs. Since then, nearby D’Arcy Surfboards has announced it is shedding workers and downsizing…
Australia can learn from US companies such as Mattell about keeping brands Australian, while manufacturing products in China. EPA/Wilson Wen

More than a farm on top of a mine: Australia’s soft power potential in Asia

AUSTRALIA IN THE ASIAN CENTURY – A series examining Australia’s role in the rapidly transforming Asian region. Delivered in partnership with the Australian government. In this instalment, Dr Richard Pomfret…
The future health of Australian manufacturing depends on bridging the gap between research organisations and business. AAP

Closing the innovation gap is the key to the survival of manufacturing

As we are only too aware, manufacturing in Australia is currently under a great deal of pressure, operating in a relatively high cost environment, facing significant international competition and taking…

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