Latest Manufacturing News

Waterco Limited (ASX:WAT) delivered record FY26 EBIT of $23.8 million and lifted net profit after tax 59.6% to $15.4 million, despite only modest revenue growth. The stronger result supports a higher fully franked dividend, but the group is carrying more debt and inventory as it expands manufacturing capacity.

KTEK Aerosystems has won a binding US$200,000 order to design an airframe component for an unnamed Israeli aerospace and defence manufacturer. The order opens a quoted US$994,100 work package and a potential US$5 million design-engineering opportunity, but almost all of that future work remains conditional.

Telix will acquire ITM in a proposed US$1.65 billion deal that combines a commercial radioisotope supplier with Telix’s precision medicine and therapeutic pipeline. The transaction could give Telix greater supply-chain control and entry into a validated cancer treatment market, but it also brings dilution, integration risk and an unresolved FDA pathway for ITM-11.

BluGlass has begun a three-to-five-month, A$286,000 feasibility collaboration with global photonics company Coherent to develop a novel gallium nitride device for scientific and medical applications. The agreement offers technical and commercial promise, but does not yet include a production commitment or confirmed product launch.

Vulcan Energy has started commercial-scale production in Germany of VULSORB, the proprietary adsorbent at the centre of its planned direct lithium extraction process. The material will supply first-fill volumes for Project Lionheart, although lithium production remains targeted for the second half of 2028.

Innovaero Technologies is seeking A$40 million through a proposed ASX listing to advance its OWL loitering munition program and expand manufacturing capacity. The replacement prospectus also makes clear that the company remains loss-making and heavily dependent on the Department of Defence converting development work into production orders.

AdAlta says a 10-year, up to US$120 million agreement between manufacturing partner Oribiotech and an undisclosed commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company validates its choice of IRO automation for future cellular immunotherapies. The deal does not create direct revenue for AdAlta, and its lead asset EW-001 will continue with a separate manufacturing process.

Arafura Rare Earths has extended a binding offtake agreement covering up to 500 tonnes a year of NdPr oxide from its Nolans Project. The deal adds multi-year sales coverage, but leaves the counterparty, pricing formula and financial value undisclosed.

Bannerman Energy has opened a non-underwritten share purchase plan targeting approximately A$10 million to support construction and working capital at its Etango uranium project in Namibia. The offer gives eligible Australian and New Zealand shareholders access to the same A$4.00 issue price as the company’s A$124 million institutional placement.

Ionic Rare Earths is pushing toward commercial magnet recycling in Belfast and the United States, but its FY2026 report flags a material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern. The company reported a larger A$14.9 million loss and A$13.9 million in operating cash outflows, despite government support and new strategic partnerships.

Codan Limited (ASX:CDA) has entered FY27 with record revenue, profit and a sharply larger Communications orderbook, while targeting approximately 20% Communications revenue growth. The forecast is conditional on supply-chain capacity as demand for unmanned systems and new gold detectors accelerates.

Hydrix has secured a three-year contract with Singapore’s National Heart Centre to deploy the Implicity remote cardiac monitoring platform. The agreement is expected to generate about A$0.625 million, although the final value depends on patient volumes and implementation.