Entries by Rob

Lithium export boom in Australia

The value of exports of Australian lithium has boomed in the recent year from AUD 5.2 billion to AUD 18.6 billion, according to figures published by the Office of the Australian Chief Economist. Global demand for the critical raw mineral is expected to soar in the next few years as the material is used in […]

European Union introduces draft Critical Raw Materials Act

The European Commission proposed on 16 March a comprehensive set of actions to ensure Europe’s access to a secure, diversified, affordable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The critical raw materials are indispensable for a wide set of strategic sectors, including the net-zero industry, the digital industry, aerospace, and defence sectors. Currently, Europe heavily […]

Quantum Brilliance announces AUD 18 Million investment

German Australian Business Council member, Quantum Brilliance, announced an AUD 18 million investment round to continue supporting their development of a room-temperature computer based on synthetic diamonds. The spin-out from the Australian National University in Canberra has established a German base in Stuttgart and is collaborating with the Fraunhofer Institute IAF in Freiburg and the […]

Critical Raw Materials

Economist magazine reports on the supply of critical raw materials, such as lithium, aluminium and cobalt. Many of these are supplied by countries with unstable governments, such as the Congo, or subject to sanctions, such as Russia.

EU – Australia Free Trade Agreement

The European Union and Australia are currently negotiating a free trade agreement to promote and increase trade between the two countries. We have already submitted some comments, but there is still a chance to contribute to the discussion and we’d be delighted for your input. The submission will be a collective effort developed by the network […]

New Australian Government Announced by Prime Minister

After the Australian elections, the new (old) Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has announced the new cabinet lineup for the Australian Government, as reported by the ABC here. The government includes a number of women ministers – seven, which is an all-time high for Australia – and the country’s first indigenous cabinet minister, Ken Wyatt, who […]

AfterPay Australia becomes ClearPay in the UK

Australian-based Afterpay has had to re-brand itself ClearPay for its launch into the European marketplace. Its brand name “Afterpay” was already taken by a Dutch company and the Australian company’s trade mark registration was opposed, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald. The two services are similar – both intending to enable online shopping to be simpler […]

Rheinmetall Land Vehicles on their way to Australia

The first of the Rheinmetall boxer land vehicles for the Australian Defence Forces were recently inspected by the German Australian Business Council’s Patron, Ambassador Lynette Wood. As has already been announced, Rheinmetall will be establishing a production facility in Ipswich, Queensland, to manufacture land vehicles in the future. Gestern war ich bei der Übergabe des […]

No-Deal Brexit will benefit Australia

Brexit will benefit Australia according to a report by the Bertelsmann Stiftung The AFR reports that a study by two economists found that Australia could be €840 million ($1.3 billion) a year better off if Britain heads into a no-deal Brexit next month (about €34 per Australian resident). The benefit basically reflects a change in the […]