From Sydney to space: This Aussie robot can build a home ‘in 24 hours’

Sydney-based Crest Robotics and Earthbuilt Technology have unveiled “Charlotte,” a world-first building robot designed to tackle Australia’s housing crisis and construct sustainable shelters on the lunar surface. Key Takeaways Key background Crest Robotics, founded to boost safety and productivity for blue-collar workers, has teamed with another Sydney-based firm, Earthbuilt Technology, to tackle two pressing frontiers: […]

bioreactor

$18m bioreactor upgrade in sugar country aims high, but scaling challenges loom

Australia’s precision fermentation ambitions received a boost this week with the unveiling of the upgraded QUT Pioneer BioPilot in Mackay, Queensland. Key Takeaways Key background The Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant (MRBPP), established 15 years ago, has been rebranded as the QUT Pioneer BioPilot. It has supported biomass-to-fuel and chemicals research for years; the latest […]

Nourish Ingredients

Aussie fake-fat startup bets on Europe as US turns cold on alt-meat

Aussie alternative meat pioneer Nourish Ingredients sets up in The Netherlands, betting on Europe’s food-tech ecosystem as the global vegan flesh market stumbles. Key Takeaways Key background Canberra-based Nourish Ingredients was founded in 2019 by ex-CSIRO lipid engineers James Petrie and Ben Leita to tackle the “fat gap” in alternative proteins. The company’s precision-fermented fats […]

Catriona Wallace

Why this former ASX-listed founder says psychedelics create better leaders

Former Flamingo AI founder and Shark Tank shark Catriona Wallace says the fastest way to create better leaders isn’t business school – it’s psychedelics, ritual, and a conscious embrace of technology. When Catriona Wallace looked at the world’s most prominent leaders – think Trump, Putin, Netanyahu – she saw ego-driven boys, not elders. Her solution? […]

AI will make ‘some of us become idiots, and some a lot smarter’, ex-Google exec says

Former Google exec turned happiness guru, Mo Gawdat, says in order for AI to guide us to better times, the human race has to first navigate a decade or two of misery with the potential to destroy us all. And we’re already living it. Ex-Google X executive Mo Gawdat, who will be appearing at SXSW […]

Moderna

Bringing Moderna vax factory to Australia ‘worth $4.8 billion’

Australia will soon produce its own mRNA vaccines, with Moderna’s Melbourne plant set to deliver doses by the end of 2025. The facility promises 100 million shots a year, $220 million in annual GDP, and $4.8 billion in avoided costs over three decades. Key Takeaways Key Background When COVID-19 struck, Australia was left at the […]

Rajasthan’s warrior ways

India offers unique, magical experiences to travellers. Stewart Hawkins writes about the exhilaration of spending time with the legendary war horses of Rajasthan.   This story featured in Issue 17 of Forbes Australia. Tap here to secure your copy. Ravindra Jadeja, the “rockstar” (according to Shane Warne) Indian cricketer, walked on to the pitch at the Gabba in December […]

Where I’m putting the money; Mick O’Brien

Stewart Hawkins spoke to Equity Trustees managing director, Mick O’Brien – a seasoned finance professional – about how you play the long game, build and protect wealth in tumultuous times and the advantages actual income can have over unrealised capital gains.  This story is featured in Issue 18 of Forbes Australia. Tap here to secure your […]

Inside Mini Lokanta: A Turkish delight

Turkish couple Enver Tuğrul and Gökçe Özbecenes welcome 10 guests to their North Adelaide home every Saturday night for a degustation that transports guests right to the streets of Istanbul.   This story is featured in Issue 18 of Forbes Australia. Tap here to secure your copy. It’s a chilly Saturday night, but a warm light beckons […]