Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility Pty Ltd (VVMF) has received a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) manufacturing licence for its Sydney facility, allowing the company to manufacture viral vectors under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions.

VVMF, which describes itself as Australia’s first viral vector Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO), said that the TGA had granted its Westmead facility a Licence to Manufacture Therapeutic Goods.

In a media release, VVMF stated the licence authorises the GMP manufacture of replication-incompetent viral vectors using recombinant technology, including sterile active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and sterile medicinal products, as well as associated quality control testing.

The company said the licence followed an assessment of its facilities, quality systems, manufacturing operations and operational capability against GMP requirements.

“Receiving our TGA Manufacturing Licence is a defining moment for VVMF and an important milestone for Australia’s advanced therapeutics sector,” VVMF CEO Stephen Thompson said.

“This achievement establishes a sovereign capability that will enable innovators to access world-class viral vector manufacturing services locally while supporting the growth of Australia’s cell and gene therapy ecosystem,” he said.

VVMF said its facility in Sydney’s Westmead Health and Innovation Precinct was established to provide local viral vector manufacturing capabilities for developers of gene therapies, genetically modified cell therapies and other advanced therapeutics.

The company said the facility is intended to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers and strengthen domestic manufacturing capability across the advanced therapeutics value chain.

VVMF provides process development, analytical development, GMP manufacturing and quality control testing services, according to the company. It said these capabilities are designed to support programs from early development through clinical translation.

Chief Quality Officer Maria Adesida said the TGA licence reflected the company’s manufacturing and quality systems.

“The granting of our TGA Manufacturing Licence demonstrates the strength of our quality systems, facility, operational controls and manufacturing capability,” Adesida said.

“This achievement reflects the expertise, dedication and commitment of our team in building these systems from the ground up and establishing a strong quality culture embedded in how we operate,” she said.

VVMF said the licence will allow it to provide GMP-compliant viral vector manufacturing services to Australian and international clients. The company also said it aims to expand access to advanced therapeutics manufacturing across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

According to VVMF, the facility could provide biotechnology companies, researchers and therapy developers with access to specialist viral vector manufacturing capabilities in Australia.

The company also cited Australia’s regulatory environment, clinical trial ecosystem and research and development tax incentives as factors supporting the country as a manufacturing destination for local and international therapy developers.

“The importance of this moment extends well beyond the licence itself,” Adesida said. “VVMF can now deliver GMP-compliant viral vector manufacturing services to our clients, enabling us to support the advancement of the next generation of cell and gene therapies.”

The TGA licence represents a regulatory milestone for VVMF, while the company’s stated expansion plans will determine how its newly licensed manufacturing capability develops across the Australian and Asia-Pacific advanced therapeutics sectors.

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Australian manufacturing has outperformed broader industry growth for two consecutive years, reversing a decades-long trend of below-average expansion, according to Export Finance Australia (EFA).

EFA said the share of manufacturing in the Australian economy increased to 7.34% in 2025, up from a multi-decade low of 7.19% in 2023. The sector has also maintained its recent momentum into 2026, with manufacturing output rising 3.2% year-on-year in the first quarter, compared with national GDP growth of 2.5%.

The increase contributed 0.1 percentage points to overall economic growth during the quarter, EFA said.

Food products manufacturing, which accounts for 22% of the manufacturing sector, was the largest contributor to recent growth, expanding by 8% year-on-year in 2025. EFA said food manufacturing had remained a consistent area of strength, recording average annual growth of 7% over the past five years.

Other manufacturing segments also recorded growth in 2025, including fabricated metals, which represents 11% of the sector and grew 7%, and chemicals, which accounts for 8% and increased 11%. Transport equipment manufacturing, representing 10% of the sector, grew 7%, while machinery and equipment manufacturing, which makes up 14%, increased 4%.

EFA said manufacturers were increasingly looking to overseas markets for further growth as Australian producers meet domestic demand.

Australian manufactured goods exports have risen steadily in recent years, with the United States remaining the largest destination for manufactured goods. However, EFA said export growth over the past five years had been strongest in India, Taiwan, Japan and ASEAN markets.

The export outlook is also being shaped by changes in US trade policy. EFA said the US introduced Section 301 forced labour tariffs on Australia in July, applying a 12.5% tariff to Australian goods and tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% to goods from 59 other economies.

The tariffs replaced the 10% Section 122 Temporary Import Surcharge introduced in February, following a US Supreme Court ruling against the earlier tariffs imposed under the so-called Liberation Day measures in April 2025.

EFA noted that the tariff treatment varies across economies, with some countries facing additional tariffs beyond the Section 301 measures. Despite the changes, the agency said 70% of Australian exports to the US continued to enter duty-free.

The latest manufacturing performance therefore comes alongside ongoing external pressures, particularly for businesses seeking to expand through international markets. 

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Autra Batteries Australia has partnered with Australian electricity retailer CovaU Energy to connect residential battery installations with energy plans designed for households using solar and storage.

The partnership will allow eligible customers who purchase an EnergyLIB residential battery system through Autra Batteries Australia and use its accredited installation services to access relevant CovaU Energy plans from the time their system is switched on, according to Autra Batteries Australia.

The company said the arrangement is intended to provide a more direct pathway between installing a battery system and selecting an electricity plan suited to solar and storage use.

“[We] want to offer customers a more convenient and valuable package — quality storage, expert installation, local support and access to an energy plan designed around the way solar-and-battery households use power,” said Salvy Li, Sales Director of Autra Batteries Australia.

Eligible customers can choose between CovaU’s SolarMax Plan, which includes a free import window, peak feed-in rates and an overnight EV charging rate, and a VPP Plan, under which eligible batteries can be automatically dispatched to support the grid in return for bill credits while maintaining a minimum reserve for the household.

CovaU Energy said the partnership reflects differences in how solar-and-battery households generate, store and consume electricity.

“Our plans are built around how customers generate, store and use power — from free import periods and improved export returns to bill credits when their battery supports the grid,” the retailer said.

The partnership comes as the Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program drives increased residential battery uptake.

Autra Batteries Australia cited government program figures showing installed battery capacity had reached 7.4 GWh in the first nine months of the program, with the scheme expected to support more than two million Australian homes by 2030.

Autra Batteries Australia is EnergyLIB’s local retail partner for residential inverters and battery systems across New South Wales and South East Queensland.

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Medical technology manufacturer International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA) Surgical has opened a new facility in Port Melbourne, Victoria, with the expansion expected to create 10 high-skilled jobs and support $3.5 million in capital investment over two years. 

In a news release, the government said IMRA manufactures synthetic human organs and tissue designed to replicate real anatomy for robotic surgery training. 

The new facility is set to expand the company’s manufacturing capacity as it responds to growing global demand for its products.

The company’s training model torsos incorporate a “rehealing” technology that allows them to be reused, which the Victorian Government said provides a more sustainable and lower-cost alternative to traditional surgical training models.

The technology is intended to support surgical training that can contribute to faster patient recovery, less invasive procedures, fewer complications and lower healthcare costs, according to the government.

The Victorian Government said the new facility also strengthens the state’s position in advanced manufacturing and health technologies, while supporting IMRA’s research partnerships with organisations including CSIRO, RMIT and the University of Melbourne.

The government said it supported the establishment of IMRA in 2017, when it operated as the Australian Medical Robotics Academy. 

It has since expanded into medical robotics education and the manufacture of synthetic tissue and organs.

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Bellevue Orchard is set to expand its juice manufacturing operations in Victoria, with upgraded equipment and a new bottling line at its Officer facility expected to double production of its Summer Snow Australian juices. 

According to the Victorian Government, the expansion is expected to improve the quality of juice products supplied across Australia, support faster order fulfilment and help increase the company’s domestic and export revenues.

Bellevue Orchard has grown apples for four generations and has been producing apple juice for almost 30 years. The business began as a traditional apple orchard in 1953 and has since expanded into the production of juices, cider and apple cider vinegar.

The Victorian Government said the investment comes as Greater south east Melbourne continues to serve as a major manufacturing hub, generating $89 billion in economic output and employing more than a quarter of Victoria’s manufacturing workforce.

The government said the Victorian Industry Policy and the $150 million Victorian Investment Fund are supporting the state’s industrial base through investment in targeted areas including advanced food manufacturing.

According to the government, these initiatives are intended to support jobs, exports and innovation across Victoria’s manufacturing sector.

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NVIDIA is working with Australian data centre and AI infrastructure providers to expand capacity for manufacturing and other industries, with the companies targeting up to 2 gigawatts of AI infrastructure buildout by 2027.

The initiative involves NVIDIA Cloud Partners and infrastructure providers including Firmus, Sharon AI, IREN, Megaport, ResetData, CDC, NEXTDC and AirTrunk. 

According to NVIDIA, the partners are expanding land, power and data centre capacity to support multiple generations of NVIDIA DSX AI factories.

The participating providers will operate the AI factories, while NVIDIA will supply its DSX platform, accelerated computing, networking, software and ecosystem support.

“AI factories turn energy into intelligence — the essential resource of the AI economy,” said Raj Mirpuri, vice president of global AI clouds and infrastructure ecosystem at NVIDIA. He said the DSX platform is designed to support multiple generations of NVIDIA compute while expanding access to accelerated computing and NVIDIA Nemotron open models.

NVIDIA said the additional capacity is intended to support Australian startups, universities, researchers, enterprises, developers and AI-native companies developing AI models, applications and agents for local industries.

Among the infrastructure projects, Firmus is expanding its Project Southgate initiative, while IREN is applying the NVIDIA DSX architecture to its planned 800-megawatt Bundey campus in South Australia.

Sharon AI plans to deploy up to 68,000 NVIDIA GPUs using NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand and Spectrum-X Ethernet networking. CEO James Manning said access to domestic computing capacity would be important for developing AI capabilities while addressing security and sovereignty requirements.

Data centre operators CDC, NEXTDC and AirTrunk are also developing infrastructure for high-density AI workloads, including liquid-cooling technologies. CDC said it operates more than 550 megawatts of capacity across Australia and New Zealand, with another 800 megawatts under construction.

Beyond infrastructure, NVIDIA said Australian organisations are already using its accelerated computing and Nemotron open models. Healthcare technology company Heidi is using Nemotron models for clinical AI applications, while Atlassian is applying NVIDIA AI technology to its Rovo enterprise search platform.

The expansion comes as NVIDIA says growing AI adoption across industries is increasing demand for high-performance computing. 

The company said the planned infrastructure is intended to give Australian organisations greater access to computing capacity while also supporting regional and global demand for AI services.

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Stanford University researchers are developing multimaterial 3D printing techniques aimed at expanding manufacturing applications across cultivated meat, robotics, energy storage, aerospace and other industries.

Assistant Professor Natalie Larson, who leads a 3D printing research lab at Stanford’s School of Engineering, is developing methods that can dispense multiple materials into complex geometries. The approach is designed to combine materials with different properties or functions within a single part.

“3D printing offers a whole new way of thinking about how we make things,” Larson said, adding that the technology has become increasingly accessible to individual creators and hobbyists.

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing builds objects layer by layer or voxel by voxel from 3D model data, rather than removing material from a larger piece. According to Larson, researchers can now print plastics, ceramics, metals and composites, while multimaterial techniques are enabling combinations of different materials within a single component.

One area of research is cultivated meat, where Larson is working with Stanford researchers to develop a scalable 3D bioprinting process. The team is investigating sustainable, non-GMO ingredients and techniques for producing complex, thick, steak-like structures using muscle and fat bio-inks alongside sacrificial inks that can create channels for nutrient delivery during cell culture.

Larson said the work aims to address challenges including scalability, material sourcing and consumer appeal. The project is supported by the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator.

The lab is also applying multimaterial printing to soft robotics, with the aim of producing robots that can interact with delicate objects and systems. Such applications could include healthcare and handling tender produce such as berries.

“Multimaterial 3D printing, we aim to achieve similar performance by manufacturing multifunctional soft materials with embedded sensors and actuators in programmable complex geometries for target applications,” Larson said.

Larson said 3D printing has already become a standard production method in some areas requiring customised, low-volume components, including hearing aids, dental aligners and dentures. She noted, however, that the sustainability benefits of 3D printing depend on the application and production scale.

The technology can eliminate the need for moulds in some applications and allow parts to be produced when and where they are needed, potentially reducing inventory and shipping requirements. More complex geometries can also enable lighter components, which Larson said could support fuel efficiency in aerospace applications.

Her lab is additionally beginning research into 3D-printed structural battery composites with Stanford Associate Professor Adam Boies. Supported by the Precourt Institute for Energy and Sustainable Mobility Center, the project aims to combine energy storage and structural load-bearing functions in a single component.

Looking ahead, Larson said the lab is focused on developing printers with greater control over how multiple materials are placed, alongside imaging and computer-vision techniques to automate the printing process.

“Our overarching goal is to advance manufacturing processes to enable new classes of multifunctional materials,” Larson said.

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Supply chain automation company Dematic has argued that Australia’s productivity challenge extends beyond office-based work, with manufacturing, logistics and other industries handling physical goods facing opportunities to improve productivity through warehouse automation.

The comments follow the Productivity Commission’s June 2026 quarterly bulletin, which found labour productivity fell 0.6 per cent in the March quarter and increased just 0.3 per cent over the year. In the market sector, which includes manufacturing, wholesale, retail, transport and warehousing, productivity fell 0.7 per cent while hours worked increased 2.2 per cent.

“We talk about productivity as though it is something that happens at a desk. In reality, close to a quarter of every hour worked in Australia is worked in an industry that makes, stores, moves or sells physical product,” said Phillip Makowski, Marketing Director at Dematic Australia.

Dematic said manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and transport, postal and warehousing generated about $493 billion in industry value added in 2024/25 and accounted for 1.44 billion of the 6.10 billion hours worked in the March quarter.

“The most telling detail in the latest data is where the weakness sits. It is not evenly spread. It is concentrated in the sectors that handle the physical movement and distribution of goods,” Makowski said.

The company also pointed to changes in retail demand, citing Australia Post’s 2026 eCommerce Report, which found Australians spent a record $82.6 billion online in 2025, up 14 per cent year on year. Online spending accounted for about 24 per cent of total retail spending, while the average online basket fell to $90.

According to Dematic, the combination of more individual transactions and smaller average baskets is increasing the amount of physical handling required across warehouse and distribution operations.

“A business can be growing revenue while its cost to serve quietly climbs, because the number of individual transactions it has to physically handle is rising faster than the money coming in,” Makowski said.

Dematic said order picking can account for up to 65 per cent of labour in a typical manual warehouse, with workers spending significant time moving around facilities.

“Australian businesses are not short on effort. They are short on capacity,” Makowski said. “Automation gives operators a fourth option, which is getting more out of the footprint and the workforce they already have.”

The company also cited CBRE data showing Australia’s national industrial vacancy rate stood at 3.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, alongside what CBRE described as a structural shortage of serviced and appropriately zoned industrial land.

“Space is scarce and slow to deliver. Labour is expensive and hard to find. Neither of those constraints is going to loosen quickly, so the productivity gain has to come from the operation itself,” Makowski said.

Dematic said warehouse automation could provide businesses with a measurable way to increase output from existing facilities and workforces, while acknowledging that factors including artificial intelligence, skills and regulation also form part of the broader productivity debate.

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ABB and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have identified a growing role for direct current (DC) technologies in future power systems, with the report highlighting potential applications across manufacturing, data centres, buildings and other energy-intensive industries.

ABB said the report, The Strategic Case for Hybrid AC/DC Power: Shaping the Transition to the Next Electrical Architecture, examines how rising electricity demand, artificial intelligence (AI) computing, electrification and renewable energy are increasing interest in DC power systems.

The report argues that future electricity infrastructure is likely to combine alternating current (AC) and DC rather than shift entirely to one technology. While AC is expected to remain the backbone of most transmission and regional distribution networks, DC could become more prominent within facilities where technologies such as solar photovoltaics, batteries, electric vehicles, AI data centres and industrial automation systems already operate on DC.

According to ABB and BCG, reducing the number of power conversions between generation, storage and consumption could improve efficiency, increase usable capacity from existing grid connections and simplify the integration of renewable energy and storage.

AI data centres are identified as one of the most immediate drivers of DC adoption. The report states that increasing power-density requirements from AI workloads are placing pressure on conventional electrical architectures, with 800 VDC distribution emerging as a potential architecture for next-generation AI infrastructure.

The report also highlights opportunities in automation-intensive manufacturing facilities, where DC systems or subsystems could potentially reduce conversion losses, support onsite renewable generation and storage, and provide greater operational flexibility.

“In a world that will require more power while operating within the constraints of existing infrastructure, enabling broader adoption of DC systems will require stronger collaboration among business leaders, policymakers and technology stakeholders,” ABB CEO Morten Wierod said.

Wierod said broader deployment would also require common technologies, harmonised standards and workforce capabilities.

“AC and DC each have important roles to play, and together they can help build a more efficient, resilient and future-ready electrical system,” he said.

ABB and BCG said concerns around the scale, safety and economics of DC systems increasingly reflect outdated assumptions, while fragmented standards and a shortage of DC-specific skills remain challenges to wider adoption.

ABB said it has more than 700 DC-related patents and has developed DC solutions for applications including electric transport, microgrids and data centres. The company is also working with industry partners to explore DC distribution for low-carbon aluminium production and green hydrogen production.

The full report is available from ABB.

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Australian manufacturing and processing companies Almondco Australia, PWR Advanced Cooling Technology and Resmed are among five Australian businesses set to be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame, recognising their sustained export performance, innovation and contribution to international markets.

Austrade announced the five 2026 inductees, with PWR Advanced Cooling Technology, Resmed, SunRice Group and UOW Global Enterprises recognised across agriculture, advanced manufacturing, health technology, food and education.

Australian Trade and Investment Commission Deputy CEO Dan Boyer said the businesses demonstrated “sustained excellence, innovation and global ambition over many years”.

“Through their long-standing relationships with Austrade and our shared commitment to growing Australia’s presence in international markets, they have made an enduring contribution to Australia’s export community, economy and reputation on the world stage,” Boyer said.

PWR Advanced Cooling Technology, founded on Queensland’s Gold Coast in 1997, began manufacturing aluminium radiators for race cars before expanding into advanced cooling and thermal management systems for motorsport, aerospace and defence.

The company now operates manufacturing facilities in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, with exports to markets including the UK, US, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and Japan. Its technology has also been adopted by Formula 1 teams.

PWR founder and chairman Kees Weel said the Hall of Fame induction recognised the work of the company’s team.

“The Awards have helped elevate our profile globally, supporting our growth as an Australian manufacturer competing successfully on the world stage,” Weel said.

Resmed, which was founded in Sydney 35 years ago, is also being recognised for its export history and advanced manufacturing capabilities. The company designs and manufactures respiratory devices including CPAP masks, CPAP machines and in-home life support ventilators, with products delivered to more than 140 countries.

Resmed chairman and CEO Michael Farrell said the recognition reflected the company’s development and its workforce.

“This recognition reflects almost three decades of market-leading innovation, the dedication of 11,000+ Resmedians and our commitment to delivering life-saving sleep and breathing technology to people around the world,” Farrell said.

The other inductees include South Australian grower-owned almond processor Almondco Australia, which reported exports accounted for more than 69.5 per cent of sales in 2024, and SunRice Group, which sells more than 1,500 products under 45 major brands across 50 countries.

UOW Global Enterprises, the University of Wollongong’s wholly owned global education subsidiary, is the fifth inductee. In 2025, it delivered more than 200 programs to more than 19,000 students representing 130 countries.

The Australian Export Awards, presented by Austrade, are Australia’s longest-running export awards program. The Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to recognise exporters that have won the same or similar national category three times or achieved five wins across categories.

The five businesses will be formally inducted at the 64th annual Australian Export Awards in Canberra on 18 November 2026.

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