• Industry update with Aleks Lajovic, Impact International
    Industry update with Aleks Lajovic, Impact International
Close×

Australia’s manufacturing sector is facing a new wave of disruption, with supply chain instability, rising costs and shrinking local capability creating what Impact International managing director Aleks Lajovic describes as a “COVID 2.0” moment.

Speaking with PKN in a one-on-one video interview, Lajovic said the pressures currently impacting the plastics and packaging sector mirror the uncertainty experienced during the pandemic, but with a more fragile industrial base.

The conversation follows Lajovic's comments in an article on the resin crisis published in PKN last week, and his forthright opinion piece this week.

Food & Drink Business

The latest rounds of funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has included up to $25.3 million for NewVolt to build a shared fast‑charging network for electric trucks in Victoria, and up to $1.77 million for 4 Pines Brewing Co to support the electrification of its Brookvale brewhouse.

The Queensland government has launched its $30 million Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund (SSFIF), designed to accelerate agricultural innovation, adoption and productivity across the state’s primary industries.

The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) has appointed Emily White as the organisation’s new executive director, following an extended search for the ideal candidate. She will take over the role from Chris Waters after a two month collaborative transition period.