MIL Email Publisher – Foreign Submissions

Source: Eco-Business

Presented by Temasek Foundation and other partners, the annual global crowdsourcing platform launched a new Oceans theme – catalysing solutions from maritime and energy to ocean data and intelligence – with submissions now open.

Singapore, 10 September – The Liveability Challenge (TLC), Asia's largest sustainability solutions platform presented by Temasek Foundation, launched its milestone 10th edition today with a record of over S$5.5 million in catalytic funding for 2027 – its largest funding pool yet – as it adds a new Oceans track to address mounting climate and liveability risks across the region.

Since its establishment, TLC has attracted thousands of applications globally, shortlisted and incubated 62 start-ups and deployed S$18 million in catalytic funding – innovations that have gone on to raise hundreds of millions more.

Decarbonisation, cooling and ocean solutions are critical as carbon emissions and global warming continue to rise, while ocean health and marine ecosystems come under increasing pressure from environmental degradation and climate hazards.

Backed by integrated investment platform and co-presenter Asia Ocean Fund (AOF), the new Oceans theme will seek out pioneering solutions across Maritime & Energy, Materials & Circularity, Blue Food & Water, and Ocean Data & Intelligence.

“The ocean covers over two-thirds of our planet, and Asia Pacific sustains over two-thirds of global ocean economy employment – making it both our greatest climate buffer and an important economic engine. Yet, Asia Pacific faces a daunting US$5.5 trillion blue economy financing gap towards 2030,” said May Liew, Co-Managing Director, Asia Ocean Fund and CEO, OCTAVE Capital.

“Through our partnership with Temasek Foundation for the new Oceans theme, the Asia Ocean Fund is deploying the catalytic capital, regional networks and follow-on investment needed to develop a thriving commercial blue economy for the region,” she added.

In partnership with Temasek Foundation, these disruptive, deep-tech solutions will compete across three themes:

• Decarbonisation;
• Cool Earth; and
• Oceans.

“Over the past decade, TLC has grown from a global crowdsourcing platform for promising innovations into one that helps climate solutions move closer to real-world impact. As we mark the 10th edition, Temasek Foundation remains committed to catalysing greater support for solutions with the potential to scale, reflected in a record funding pool of more than S$5.5 million. The addition of a new Oceans theme, with Asia Ocean Fund coming onboard, also broadens our focus to an area critical to Asia's climate resilience. We look forward to bringing together more partners on this journey to help bold solutions go further and create lasting impact,” said Heng Li Lang, Head, Climate and Liveability, Temasek Foundation.

Meanwhile, Singapore's lead public sector research and development agency, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), returns as the Decarbonisation theme co-presenter, alongside Enterprise Singapore as Strategic Partner. Together with Temasek Foundation, these partners will provide the catalytic funding and scaling support needed to take these solutions from lab to market at a time when they are urgently needed.

“The solutions needed to address climate and liveability challenges already exist in many research labs and start-ups around the world. TLC helps innovators bridge the gap from breakthrough ideas to real-world deployment by connecting them with the partners, capabilities and opportunities needed to scale. As co-presenter of the Decarbonisation theme, A*STAR provides catalytic funding alongside access to research expertise, specialised laboratories and translational infrastructure, including facilities at A*StartCentral at One-North LaunchPad and A*STAR Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE²) on Jurong Island.

Together, these capabilities help innovators test, validate and scale their technologies, accelerating the pathway from innovation to impact.”, said Irene Cheong, Assistant Chief Executive, Innovation and Enterprise, A*STAR.

In its 10th edition, TLC 2027 was officially launched at Unlocking capital for sustainability 2026 – Singapore – co-hosted for the first time with AT ONE IMPACT WEEK 2026 in Singapore.

Call for submissions across the three themes is officially open and will close on 12 February 2027, with selected finalists to pitch their solutions to judges and investors at the TLC Grand Finale in Singapore in May next year. The TLC Grand Finale is a partner event of Ecosperity Week 2027 by Temasek.

Established in 2018, TLC – a global crowdsourcing platform presented by Temasek Foundation and organised by Eco-Business – has grown to become Asia's largest sustainability solutions platform, supporting the commercialisation of innovative technologies from the lab to market.

“Despite geopolitical and economic headwinds, TLC's record funding commitment, coupled with strong interest in next-generation technologies, demonstrate unbroken momentum for climate innovation. The addition of the Oceans theme expands this impact, unlocking novel solutions that safeguard ocean health and conservation while building long-term resilience. TLC serves as the vital link connecting leading innovators with the scale and support they need,” said Jessica Cheam, Founder and CEO, Eco-Business.

The winners of TLC 2026 include the Singapore-based Metha8, which developed a new method to generate clean and reliable electricity by converting methanol into power, and the France-based YAMA, which developed electrified carbon capture technology designed to decarbonise dilute gas streams from natural gas power plants.

For more information, visit The Liveability Challenge website.

Source: Flinders University

11 September 2026

Our oceans are in trouble and new research from Flinders University shows how changes in diatoms (microalgae) could further undermine the foundation of aquatic life’s food webs – as well as vital deep-sea carbon capture or sequestration.

A new study published in Marine Ecology used high-tech methods to test common microalgal species to assess how various stressors, including acidification from excessive carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels, affect absorption of trace metals and therefore undermine their overall health and role in Earth’s carbon cycling.

Although microscopic, the single-celled algae diatoms that live in oceans, lakes, rivers and even damp soil are among the most important organisms on Earth as they produce a significant portion of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Diatoms account for 40%-50% of primary production in oceans, and they contribute to organic carbon being exported to the deep ocean by fixing CO₂ from near-surface waters, says senior author Professor Sophie Leterme, director of the ARC Industry Transformation Training Centre for Biofilm Research and Innovation at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“We showed that changes in the ocean pH can affect the growth, abundance and elemental composition of these diatoms,” says Professor Leterme. “We need to investigate how these changes interplay between various trace elements and can lead to broader ecological impacts, such as disruption to marine food webs, reduced carbon and silicon export, and increased microbial and nutrient activity.”

Rising carbon emissions affect pH levels in seawater, which can alter planktonic algae’s absorption of trace elements including iron, zinc and cadmium, which are essential for inorganic carbon acquisition.

The dissolution of CO₂ into the ocean has already induced a global drop in pH of 0.1 units since the end of the Industrial Revolution, and values are expected to drop another 0.3–to-0.6 units by the end of this century.

Diatom species are great bio-indicators, often used to assess water quality and boost understanding of how ongoing ocean acidification and rising water temperatures downgrade their physiology and functioning – which have important consequences for the future of oceans.

The Flinders researchers say a better understanding how these complex processes work in seawater will help find solutions, including the development of novel biofilms to reduce shipping pollution in harbours.

Using seawater samples collected in South Australia’s Gulf St Vincent and from the CSIRO algae collection, the researchers’ highly sensitive neutron activation analysis was used in experimental setups on the species Thalassiosira pseudonana and Nitzschia navis-varingica.

The experiments, supported by ANSTO expertise, showed how trace metal uptake by marine diatoms could be applied to other marine organisms’ absorption to a wide range of a wide range of other elements in the environment.

“While a higher abundance and growth of diatoms might be beneficial to reduce carbon dioxide levels, the impact of lower concentrations of major and trace elements in the environment is not well understood.

The research article – ‘The impact of ocean acidification on the sorption of trace metals by diatoms’ (2026) by Sophie C Leterme, Tamar Jamieson, Alessandra Mazzoli, Angus Hambrook, Rachel S Popelka-Filcoff, John Bennett and Attila Stopic – has been published in Marine Ecology (Wiley). DOI: 10.1111/maec.70112.

Also see a new article published in the Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs – ‘Australia’s changing oceans: Building knowledge for actionable outcomes’ DOI: 10.1080/18366503.2026.2710564.

Acknowledgements: This project was funded by an ARC Discovery Project (DP110101679) and the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) Research Award.

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

Friday, 11 September 2026

Australian business innovation activity rose over the longer term, reaching its highest point in 2023–24, but was broadly flat between 2021–22 and 2023–24, according to the new CommBank-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index.

Developed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne in partnership with Commonwealth Bank, the Index draws on 18 years of data. To the authors’ knowledge, it is the first Australian measure available at this combination of consistency, coverage, geographic and time detail.

Built from secure, de-identified Government data sources covering Australian firms and workers rather than a survey sample, the Index brings together measures spanning R&D, skilled employment, intellectual property and knowledge-intensive trade, and tracks them across industries, regions and time.

Melbourne Institute Professor and report author Paul Jensen said: “As a nation, Australia needs to become more innovative to boost productivity. Examples of everyday innovations include embracing new software which saves administrative time, expanding a business interstate or overseas, or modifying processes, products and services. Making innovation investments can lead to something valuable; even if there is failure, the lessons learnt can still provide benefits.”

CommBank partnered with the Melbourne Institute to provide better evidence on where innovation is happening and what can help more Australian businesses put ideas into practice.

CommBank Group Executive Business Banking Mike Vacy-Lyle said: “This Index gives us a clearer picture of where Australian businesses are innovating and how that is changing. The opportunity is to help more businesses turn ideas into new products, services and better ways of working, and help successful ideas reach more customers and markets.

“For many businesses, innovation does not mean inventing something from scratch. It might mean adopting new technology, improving a process, using data better or getting a product to customers faster. Those practical changes can save time, reduce costs and help a business compete and grow. When gains like these are repeated across many businesses, they can lift productivity and, over time, support jobs and higher living standards.

“The Index gives us an important foundation. Building on this, we need to better understand how to encourage experimentation, development and commercialisation, so more businesses can turn good ideas into practical outcomes.”

Key findings from the CommBank-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index include:

• The national Index reached almost 110 in 2023–24, compared with a 2016–17 benchmark of 100. It rose steadily over the longer term but was broadly flat between 2021–22 and 2023–24.
• Wholesale trade recorded the highest broad-industry Index score, followed by manufacturing and professional, scientific and technical services.
• Victoria recorded the highest state Index score in 2023–24 and has ranked ahead of NSW since 2017–18. Victoria and NSW were the only states consistently above the national benchmark over the full period.
• Western Australia overtook Queensland in 2023–24 and has been a stand-out in recent years with the index growing at a much faster rate than the national average since 2021–22.
• Biotechnology ranked highest among the emerging technology sectors analysed, followed by space, clean energy and quantum.
• The highest-scoring group of firms engaged in complex global value-chain exports ranked alongside biotechnology among the leading groups in the Index, highlighting the link between international trade and innovation activity.

Professor Jensen said the trade findings highlighted the potential for Australian businesses to grow by looking beyond the domestic market. “The Index shows us that the typical Australian firm is small and young. If most companies are only looking to do business in Australia, that will cap their ability to grow over a certain size. We want Australians to be brave and courageous.

“If businesses start to think about tapping into global markets and how they can adapt and change in the process, that is one way for innovation to start happening,” said Professor Jensen.

Innovation beyond patents, labs and CBDs

• Beyond formal IP: While only 0.38 per cent of firms held a patent, the research shows around one in five introduced a new good or service and more than two in five introduced a new process in the previous two years.
• Unexpected industry leader: Wholesale trade ranked highest among the broad industries analysed. The category can include businesses that design and brand products while outsourcing manufacturing, as well as importers and distributors investing in automated warehouses, digital ordering systems and artificial intelligence.
• Regional hotspots: While activity was concentrated around the major capital cities, the Index also identified pockets of innovation in Far North Queensland, north-western Western Australia, Margaret River and the Tweed River region.

The Index forms part of CommBank Business Innovation, which brings together research, free online training and the CommBank Business Innovation Awards to celebrate businesses already putting ideas into practice and help more businesses take their ideas further.

Read the full report, Trends in Australia’s Innovative Activity and Capability.

Businesses can access the free online training and enter the CommBank Business Innovation Awards at CommBank Business Innovation.

About the CommBank-Melbourne Institute Innovation Index

Produced by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research in partnership with Commonwealth Bank. It tracks innovation activity across Australia from 2006–07 to 2023–24. The Index draws on the ABS Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment and Person Level Integrated Data Asset, known as BLADE and PLIDA. The Index is benchmarked to 2016–17, where the national average equals 100. A score above 100 indicates higher innovation intensity than the 2016–17 national benchmark.

The Index is a relative measure of innovation intensity, not a count of innovations or a measure of innovation quality. The Index combines eight indicators spanning innovation inputs, protected outputs and market translation: R&D expenditure, high-skilled employment, overseas royalty payments, patents, trademarks, design rights and complex global value-chain imports and exports.

About the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research

The Melbourne Institute is a department within the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, committed to supporting a fair and equitable Australian society. Our work delivers independent and impartial research for government, business and community organisations, while informing discussion on current economic and social policy issues.

About the CommBank Business Innovation Awards

The CommBank Business Innovation Awards recognise and support emerging, scaling and established Australian businesses turning ideas, technology and better ways of working into practical outcomes. Applications are open across three categories for businesses with annual revenue of up to $50 million. Further information is available at CommBank Business Innovation.

Source link: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Source: WRAP

Thursday 10 September

WRAP’s Durability Accelerator Initiative unites leading brands and retailers to define durability standards, prepare for regulation, and meet growing consumer demand for quality and value.

Environmental action NGO, WRAP, highlights the urgent need for clearer, evidence-based approaches to garment durability, as more than a decade of their research shows that consumers and many industry experts cannot reliably identify durable clothing.

Durability is consistently ranked among the top three drivers of consumer purchasing decisions. New insights from WRAP show that more than half of consumers would be much more likely to buy clothing described as durable, while most would respond positively to brands that can prove they design garments to last — by choosing to buy from them, continuing to do so, and being more likely to trust and recommend them.

Yet WRAP’s research demonstrates that commonly held assumptions about what makes clothing last simply do not hold up under testing.

The fashion industry contributes 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. WRAP has shown that increasing a products’ active lifetime is the single most effective intervention that can be made to reduce the environmental impact of clothing, and durability is fundamental to this. Being able to measure, improve and communicate the durability of their products will support businesses to reduce their overall environmental impacts and deliver on their climate commitments, and requirements of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and other voluntary initiatives.

Sofie Schop, Executive Director, EU & Global Partnerships Director at WRAP, said: “From over ten years of investigating durability, we know that price, fabric weight, fibre composition, and even brand reputation are not independent indicators of how long a garment will actually last. As a consumer, there are currently no indicators you can trust to tell you which product is more durable than the next.”

A decade of evidence catalyses industry action

Through the Durability Accelerator Initiative, WRAP is working with leading clothing brands and retailers to turn this evidence into practical, scalable solutions for the industry. To date, the initiative has:

• Collaborated with 35+ clothing brands, including: Primark, Target, Allsaints, M&S, Tesco, ASOS, John Lewis, ASDA, Gym Shark, next, Finisterre and Voice Norge.
• Tested over 200 garment styles
• Identified common modes of failure that cause garments to be discarded
• Developed robust testing protocols and benchmarks focused on real-world use

This work has enabled WRAP and its partners to move beyond assumptions and into a position of clarity.

Sarah Morley, Strategic Engagement Manager at WRAP: “We’re beginning to understand why garments are no longer utilized, how to test durability consistently, and how to begin setting meaningful benchmarks. Crucially, we are extending this work beyond the UK and building a global cohort that aims to include the broader supply chain. WRAP is among the first to collect global product and consumer focused insights on durability.”

Why durability matters to consumers and businesses

Recent WRAP research from the US, Germany, France, and Spain reinforces the importance of durability in consumer decision-making, not only as a marker of quality and value for money, but as a driver of emotional connection.

Dr Mark Sumner, Programme Lead at WRAP: “When a garment is physically durable, it has more opportunity to form an emotional bond with the consumer. That emotional durability is almost as powerful as physical durability in determining how long a product is used.”

WRAP’s research also highlights a critical market failure: consumers cannot tell which garments are durable at the point of purchase. Neither price nor fiber type offers reliable guidance, and even industry experts cannot accurately judge durability by sight or feel alone.

Expensive items can represent poor durability while lower-priced garments sometimes have excellent durability. Cotton products can perform just as well as polyester blends if the product engineering is right. Without trusted standards, consumers simply don’t have the information they need.

Defining durability effectively

To address this gap, WRAP’s work focuses on utilization, specifically, how many times a garment can be worn and washed while remaining fit for purpose. This approach aligns durability with environmental impact by spreading a product’s carbon footprint across more wears.

WRAP’s testing protocols standardize wash conditions to enable like-for-like comparisons and meaningful benchmarks, setting durability expectations well beyond minimum compliance. Standards set at 15 or 15 washes do not meet consumer expectations, nor do they drive the action needed to meet climate goals. WRAP’s research shows that higher durability thresholds are essential if the industry is serious about reducing its environmental footprint.

Unlocking value across multiple life cycles

WRAP is also exploring how durability labelling could unlock value beyond first use. Evidence from retailers, charities, and textile collectors suggests that garments verified as durable could retain higher value in second-hand markets, increasing the likelihood of second, third, or even fourth lives.

If physical durability is combined with emotional connection, and clearly communicated to consumers, we can extend product use, increase resale value, and embed circularity into the textile industry.

A business case for brands

Importantly, WRAP’s research challenges the idea that durability undermines commercial success. Durability is not just an environmental lever, it’s a customer need. Brands that help consumers identify and trust durable products can grow market share, build loyalty, and differentiate themselves from poor-quality alternatives.

Over time, this trust creates opportunities for new business models, including resale and circular services, while reducing reliance on low-quality, high-impact production.

Phase II of the Durability Accelerator Initiative

WRAP is now inviting stakeholders to join Phase II of the Global Durability Accelerator Initiative, which will build on a decade of durability research to convene a Standard Development Committee and pilot a first-of-its-kind, tiered apparel durability standard. Foundations and retailers interested in funding this critical piece of missing infrastructure for the sustainable-textiles market, and apparel and laundry brands interested in shaping and piloting the standard, are encouraged to reach out to WRAP to learn more about getting involved.

Join the Durability Accelerator Initiative

WRAP is now inviting more clothing brands to join the Durability Accelerator Initiative to set a higher standard for durability, based on real consumer behaviour and expectations. Durability is the sustainability action that directly aligns with what customers already want: good quality, long-lasting clothing.

This is a win for consumers, for brands, and for the environment.

Brands, retailers, and manufacturers interested in joining the Durability Accelerator Initiative are encouraged to contact WRAP to learn more – textiles@wrap.ngo

Durability Accelerator Initiative

Durability: the foundation for circularity

About WRAP

WRAP is a global environmental action NGO catalysing policy makers, businesses and individuals to transform the systems that create our food, textiles and manufactured products. Together these account for nearly 50% of global greenhouse emissions. Our goal is to enable the world to transition from the old take-make-dispose model of production to more sustainable approaches that will radically reduce waste and carbon emissions from everyday products. To do so we examine sustainability challenges through the lens of people’s day-to-day lives and create solutions that can transform entire systems to benefit the planet, nature and people.

Our work includes: UK Plastics Pact, UK Food and Drink Pact, UK Textiles Pact and the campaigns Love Food Hate Waste and Recycle Now. We run Food Waste Action Week and Recycle Week.

Source: KOF Swiss Economic Institute

Zurich, 09/10/2026, 2 PM CET

The Coincident and Leading Global Barometers rise in September, with both standing above the 100-point mark and indicating moderate growth for the world economy. This movement reflects a recovery of the Coincident Barometer, which had declined the previous month, while the Leading Barometer continues its upward trajectory.

In September, the Coincident and Leading Global Economic Barometers rise 1.4 points, to 104.6 and 105.9 points, respectively, returning to the level of early 2022. The Asia, Pacific & Africa region contributes positively with greater magnitude to both results, while the other regions contribute moderately.

“Not only are all regions distinguished in the coincident barometer above average this month, but so are all sectors. The last time this occurred was in March 2022, during the post-pandemic boom. A similar situation prevails for the leading indicator. To find a comparable, consistently positive outlook, we have to go back 4.5 years. The difference is that, at that time, the indicators were coming down from a high. Today, however, despite ongoing geopolitical turmoil, they indicate that the world economy has been improving cyclically for six months now”, comments Jan-Egbert Sturm, Director of KOF Swiss Economic Institute.

Coincident Barometer – regions and sectors

The 1.4-point rise of the Coincident Barometer in September results from a positive contribution of 1.1 points from the Asia, Pacific & Africa region and 0.3 points from the Western Hemisphere, while the indicator for the Europe region is stable this month. With all regional indicators above 100 points, the Western Hemisphere records the highest level among the regions, Asia, Pacific & Africa reaches 104.5 points, the highest level since February 2022 (108.3 points), and Europe reaches 101.0 points, the highest level since June 2022 (103.3 points).

Among the coincident sectoral indicators, all sectors rise this month. As a result, Industry presents the highest level since March 2022 (109.8 points) and distances itself from the other indicators.

Leading Barometer – regions and sectors

The Leading Global Barometer also rises 1.4 points in September, with the Asia, Pacific & Africa region and Europe contributing positively with 1.2 and 0.3 points, respectively. In the opposite direction, the Western Hemisphere contributes very slightly negative, with 0.1 points. As a result, the Asia, Pacific & Africa region reaches the highest level since January 2022 (107.1 points), while the Western Hemisphere region loses momentum since mid-2026. The Leading Global Barometer leads the world economic growth rate cycle by three to six months on average.

The leading sectoral indicators show heterogeneous results this month, with increases in the Economy (aggregation of business and consumer indicators), Services, Industry, and Construction, while Wholesale and retail trade declines. The Economy reaches the highest level since February 2022 (106.1 points) and Industry reaches the highest level since October 2021 (109.0 points).

Source: Skytrans Australia

11 September 2026

There are large differences between regional airline turboprop fleets. Some are nearing end-of-life, or they are struggling to operate effectively because spare part supply chains are becoming less reliable and more costly. More and more often, the monthly OpEx to maintain ageing fleets has now grown past monthly Capex payments regional airlines could make to execute more effective regional aircraft fleet strategies.

With a full regional airline Dash-8 aircraft fleet Skytrans does not have an ageing aircraft issue. OEM DeHavilland Co (DHC) actively supports registered Dash-8 aircraft. Via DHC there are no supply chain shortages or escalating cost issues for spare parts to support Dash-8 aircraft fleets. The Dash-8 also does not have any major capital refurbishment requirements outside the mandated maintenance procedures to maximise the useful life of the Dash-8 aircraft.

DHC provides Service Packs that enable airlines under an approved maintenance program to extend Dash-8 aircraft operating life. Norway airline Wideroe has confirmed it already has a large number of Dash-8 100 aircraft operating under the DHC extended life program.

OEM extension programs can extend the lifecycle of a turboprop aircraft by up to 100%, says Gytis Gumuliauskas, CEO of Skytrans Australia.

The Australian regional airline market

When stakeholders assess current feedback on regional air services a clear picture emerges. These aren’t people complaining because a flight was delayed once. They’re business owners, executives, service providers, regional residents and frequent travellers describing how they’ve changed the way they work. Many have stopped booking regional flights unless they have no alternative. Some now drive. Others hold meetings online. Many charter and many people say they’ve lost productivity and had further cost increases because the opportunity for same day regional return travel is diminishing. The reasons are consistent: high fares, unreliable regional services and too many trips that fail to go according to plan. For businesses, the public sector, essential regional travellers, this isn’t just an airline issue. It’s time, productivity and confidence.

Ageing aircraft and key regional aviation issues can be resolved. Skytrans presents as a model example. Collaboration and new investment, not just from the public sector, can address key regional aviation issues.

Some turboprop aircraft fleets and their operators are struggling because those aircraft are no longer being manufactured. In the case of operators with Dash-8 turboprop aircraft fleets, like Skytrans, the key programs are built around maintenance, fleet investment and working with the OEM to deliver the significant longevity that is part of the Dash-8 aircraft value proposition.

Aircraft with 30 to 50-seat capacity remain essential for serving many regional and remote communities as well as mining, FIFO and other regional charter operations. These regional routes are often long in distance and few in passenger numbers. With limited new aircraft options capable of meeting the same capacity and operating requirements OEM-supported Dash 8 aircraft remain highly suitable for the long-term viability of Australian regional connectivity” states Skytrans CEO Gytis Gumuliauskas.

Australia’s ageing turboprop fleet is a challenge. But, the dividing line is not simply between old and new aircraft, it is between aircraft with a credible long-term support pathway, like the Dash-8 and those moving towards end-of-life status brought on by limitations in spare part supply chains, or with high capital requirements to refurbish components like engines.

For Skytrans Australia, the continued support of the Dash-8 platform provides greater certainty when planning future regional capacity. It does not remove the eventual need for fleet renewal, but it means replacement decisions can be self-funded from operating cash accruals based on the aircraft’s actual technical and economic condition rather than its age alone.

“Skytrans is long term sustainable and that includes a program of management to continuously upgrade our Dash-8 aircraft fleet,” Gumuliauskas says.

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Annual wage growth rose in August, but CBA economists say it does not signal a strengthening labour market.

10 September 2026

Key points

• Annual wage growth increased to 3.3%, while quarterly growth remained at 0.8%.
• South Australia recorded the fastest pace of wage growth at 3.9%/yr overtaking WA for top spot.
• CBA Labour Insights data suggests employment increased by around 20,000 jobs in August.

Wage growth picked up in August, but the momentum does not reflect a strengthening in labour market conditions, according to the latest CommBank Wage and Labour Insights series.

Annual wage growth increased to 3.3 per cent, up from 3.2 per cent in July, the strongest level since June 2025. Quarterly wage growth remained unchanged at 0.8 per cent over the three months to August.

At the same time, the CBA Labour Insights series suggests employment increased by around 20,000 jobs in August, keeping employment growth close to the ‘break-even rate’.

Wage growth ticks higher, but the labour market is loosening

The CommBank Wage Insights series has ticked higher in recent months, with growth remaining at 0.8 per cent in rounded terms in the three months to August, while unrounded growth rose to 0.84 per cent.

CommBank Economist Harry Ottley said the pickup in momentum likely reflects the Fair Work Commission (FWC) Annual Wage Review, which lifted wages by 4.75 per cent, with several large Enterprise Bargaining Agreements also contributing.

But the pickup is still smaller than initially expected, Ottley said.

“We expected this pickup in momentum in our data in August but do not see the stronger wage growth as evidence of a strengthening labour market,” he said.

“Our methodology means it can take several months to fully reflect shifts in momentum. Even so, we are now more confident that the impulse from the FWC Annual Wage Review on broader wage growth has been smaller than we previously expected.”

Ottley said that wage growth for individual employees had cooled, amid a broader labour market in which employers were slowly finding it easier to get the workers they needed, helping offset upward pressure on wages created by the FWC review.

The lack of momentum in the wages market is at odds with the growth seen in 2022 and 2023, when sizeable increases were awarded into an exceptionally tight labour market for employers and large one-off wage resets were occurring in several sectors.

“We think those exceptional circumstances led our data to underestimate the quarterly pulse. We do not expect them to be repeated to the same degree in Q3 26, and have downgraded our Wage Price Index forecast from 1.0% to 0.9%,” Ottley said.

SA overtakes WA to lead in wages growth

The latest CommBank Wage Insights data showed South Australia recorded the strongest wage growth in the nation during August at 3.9 per cent, up from 3.6 per cent in July and overtaking Western Australia for top spot.

WA also saw wage growth pick up in August, lifting to 3.8 per cent from 3.6 per cent, while Tasmania’s wage growth increased to 3.7 per cent making it the third strongest rate in the country.

Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory all sat at 3.3%. QLD and NSW each edged higher in the month, while the NT was marginally softer. Victorian wage growth remains the weakest in the country at 3 per cent.

Employment growth holds steady

The CommBank Labour Insights series saw employment growth of around 20,000 jobs in August, keeping employment growth close to the ‘break-even rate’ required to keep the unemployment rate steady on an unchanged participation rate.

“Our data is not signalling a material pick-up in employment momentum in recent months,” Ottley said.

“We continue to expect employment growth to soften from here, while acknowledging that labour demand has been more resilient than expected so far,” Ottley added.

CBA Economists still expect the unemployment rate to rise from here and peak at 4.7% in late 2027.

Things you should know

NOT INVESTMENT RESEARCH. The Commonwealth Bank ‘Wage and Labour Insights’ is not investment research and nor does it purport to make any recommendations. The Commonwealth Bank ‘Wage and Labour Insights’ has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation (including your capacity to bear loss), knowledge, experience or needs. You should not act on the information contained in this document. To the extent that you choose to make any investment decision after having read this document, you should not rely on it but consider its appropriateness and suitability to your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and, if appropriate, seek professional or independent financial advice, including tax and legal advice. The data used in the ‘CommBank Wage and Labour Insights’ series is a combination of CBA Data and publicly available Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Cotality and Reserve Bank of Australia data. Any reference made to the term ‘CBA data’ means the proprietary data of the Bank that is sourced from the Bank’s internal systems and may include, but is not limited to, home loan data, credit card transaction data, merchant facility transaction data and applications for credit. All customer data used, or represented, in this report is de-identified before analysis and is used, and disclosed, in accordance with the Group’s Privacy Policy.

Source release: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Source: Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology

• Researchers discovered aminovaleramididine synthetase (AvaS), the first pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme involved in tRNA modification, expanding scientific understanding of how RNA shapes the reading of genetic information
• The discovery reveals a previously unknown mechanism that bacteria use to regulate protein production and offers new ways to study bacterial biology and discover future antimicrobial therapeutics
• SMART AMR’s mass spectrometry-based epitranscriptomics platform enabled researchers to discover AvaS and serves as a tool for uncovering other unknown RNA-modifying enzymes and deepening the understanding of how RNA modifications control bacterial survival mechanisms

Singapore, 10 September 2026 – Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology’s (SMART) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) interdisciplinary research group, alongside collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), and institutions in the United States, Poland, and France, have discovered aminovaleramididine synthetase (AvaS), the first identified pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme responsible for producing a chemical modification linked to how bacteria respond to metabolic stress. This fundamental discovery sheds new light on how bacteria use RNA modification to control protein production, opening new avenues to study bacterial adaptation and identify future targets for antimicrobial therapeutics.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global health and development challenges of our time. Bacteria and other pathogens are rapidly developing resistance to existing treatments, making infections harder to treat. Without new approaches, minor inconveniences today, such as routine surgeries or even a paper cut, could become life-threatening tomorrow. Against this backdrop, fundamental discoveries like the identification of AvaS, notably as the first PLP-dependent tRNA-modifying enzyme, offer researchers a critical new lens to study how bacteria survive, adapt, and resist treatment, and can contribute to better strategies for overcoming antimicrobial resistance.

Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics using various strategies, many of which are dependent on the bacteria’s ability to regulate which proteins are made, when they are made, and how accurately they are produced – whether by pumping drugs out of their cell, creating enzymes that break down drugs, or developing new cell processes to avoid the antibiotics’ target.

To build these proteins, bacteria rely on RNA molecules to read genetic instructions and direct protein production. Among these RNA molecules are transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNAs), a specialised class of RNA that acts as molecular delivery vehicles bringing chemical ‘stickers’ to help bacteria control how proteins are made in response to stress and changing conditions such as exposure to antibiotics.

In a paper titled “Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent biosynthesis of aminovaleramide by AvaS in tRNA”, recently published in Nature Chemical Biology, the researchers described their discovery of a new enzyme, AvaS, and identified it as the enzyme responsible for creating a tRNA chemical modification known as aminovaleramide cytidine (ava²C) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a harmful bacterium responsible for a range of serious human infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. While ava²C had previously been detected in several bacteria and plants, the enzyme responsible for producing this modification was previously unknown.

SMART AMR research team operating the RNA modification profiling platform (Photo credit: SMART AMR)

Using SMART AMR's high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based RNA modification profiling platform, previously reported in Nucleic Acids Research, the team systematically screened thousands of Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants and discovered AvaS. The researchers also confirmed the presence of ava²C in other organisms, including the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii and Vibrio cholerae, as well as the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

The research revealed that AvaS uses PLP, a vitamin B6 derivative, to convert a known modification, lysidine (k²C), into ava²C; marking the first time that a PLP-dependent enzyme has been linked to tRNA modification. Traditionally, PLP-dependent enzymes have only been associated with amino acid metabolism and related biochemical pathways.

The research findings revealed a few important insights about PLP-dependent enzymes. First, the discovery establishes PLP-dependent enzymes as a previously unrecognised class of tRNA-modifying enzymes, expanding the known chemical mechanisms, such as methylation, thiolation and isomerisation, that bacteria use to regulate protein production. Second, it reveals an entirely new biological function of PLP-dependent enzymes, demonstrating that they can directly modify tRNA in addition to their well-established roles in metabolic processes.

The research also found that ava²C changes how bacteria read genetic codes, enabling the bacteria to produce protein faster and more efficiently while helping them adapt to metabolic and oxidative stress.

“While many RNA modifications have been known for decades, researchers are still uncovering the full extent of their roles. The discovery of AvaS opens a previously unknown chapter in RNA biology and is an important step forward in our understanding of processes relevant to antimicrobial resistance. As we continue to map the RNA modification landscape, we expect many more discoveries with meaningful implications for infectious disease, antimicrobial resistance, and fundamental biology”, said Prof Peter Dedon, Co-lead Principal Investigator (PI) at SMART AMR, Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT and co-corresponding author of the paper.

“Our discovery has revealed, for the first time, that PLP-dependent enzymes can directly modify tRNA, expanding our knowledge and understanding of RNA-modifying chemistry. This opens up new avenues for studying bacterial adaptation and developing new and more effective strategies to overcome drug-resistant bacteria,” added Dr Jingjing Sun, Research Scientist at SMART AMR, first author and co-corresponding author of the paper.

Building on this discovery, the SMART AMR team plans to investigate how ava²C affects bacterial stress responses and metabolism and explore how the modification can be disrupted or prevented. Understanding this process could uncover new ways to fight harmful bacteria and develop future antimicrobial therapeutics. With ava²C also being observed in plants, future studies could explore whether other living organisms use similar biological tools to produce certain chemical modifications and how ava²C influences the way proteins are built beyond bacteria.

More broadly, this work highlights the strength of SMART AMR’s first-of-its-kind epitranscriptomics platform as a powerful engine in discovering more unknown RNA-modifying enzymes at scale. This capability could also support biotechnology and pharmaceutical researchers in finding new drug targets and developing better treatments, particularly as bacteria continue to develop resistance against existing drug treatments.

The research conducted at SMART is supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.

About Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR IRG)

The AMR IRG is a translational research and entrepreneurship program that tackles the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. By leveraging talent and convergent technologies across Singapore and MIT, we aim to tackle AMR head-on by developing multiple innovative and disruptive approaches to identify, respond to, and treat drug-resistant microbial infections. Through strong scientific and clinical collaborations, our goal is to provide transformative, holistic solutions for Singapore and the world.

For more information, please visit https://amr.smart.mit.edu/.

About Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) [新加坡-麻省理工学院科研中心]

Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) is MIT’s Research Enterprise in Singapore, established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in partnership with the National Research Foundation of Singapore (NRF) since 2007. SMART is the first entity in the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) developed by NRF. SMART serves as an intellectual and innovation hub for research interactions between MIT and Singapore. Cutting-edge research projects in areas of interest to both Singapore and MIT are undertaken at SMART. SMART currently comprises an Innovation Centre and six Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs): Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP), Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP), Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S), Wafer-scale Integrated Sensing Devices based on Optoelectronic Metasurfaces (WISDOM), and Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care (WITEC).

SMART research is funded by the National Research Foundation Singapore under the CREATE programme.

For more information, please visit https://smart.mit.edu/.

Source: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

10 September 2026

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is strengthening its social and environmental impact through its work with local not-for-profit SisterWorks, supporting meaningful employment opportunities for women from migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds.

Since the program started in 2023, Australia's leading business events venue has employed five women through SisterWorks, providing valuable Australian work experience and supporting their journeys toward economic independence.

SisterWorks alumna Corrina Snuggs joined MCEC as a kitchen hand in 2023 after graduating from the not-for-profit's Hospitality Program. It was her first employment opportunity in Australia after migrating from India. Three years on, Corrina works full-time as a Team Leader in MCEC's Food and Beverage team.

“This journey hasn't just been about getting a job. It's been about rebuilding my identity, finding purpose, and feeling empowered,” Corrina said.

“MCEC is quite a special partnership for us on the employment side,” said Shamila Gopalan, Chief Commercial Officer at SisterWorks. “Giving employment to migrant and refugee Sisters is core to why SisterWorks exists.”

Giving retired uniforms a second life

MCEC and SisterWorks are also exploring innovative ways to reduce textile waste by repurposing retired uniforms through SisterWorks' social enterprise, CircularWorks.

At CircularWorks' Manufacturing Hub in Melbourne's Springvale, the social enterprise has developed prototypes that transform elements of MCEC uniforms, including apron ties and pants, into durable tote bags.

Following the successful development of the prototypes, MCEC is now collecting retired uniforms to provide to CircularWorks for future production. The resulting tote bags will be gifted to MCEC clients, giving the textiles a second life while supporting skills development and employment opportunities for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

“Our work with SisterWorks demonstrates MCEC's commitment to reducing our environmental impact through repurposing and recycling, while supporting an organisation that helps migrant women participate in the local economy,” said Miriam Pape, Sustainability and Impact Manager at MCEC.

MCEC launches new four-year Sustainability and Impact Strategy

MCEC's collaboration with SisterWorks exemplifies the venue's commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact and economic prosperity, which are the three core priorities in MCEC's newly launched 2026-30 S&I Strategy.

The strategy includes a range of ambitious targets, including:

• Net zero by 2045 across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
• At least $2.5 million in annual community investment
• A gender pay gap of +/- 5 per cent, based on mean base salary, maintained annually through to 2030
• $1 billion in annual economic impact by 2030

About SisterWorks

SisterWorks is a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to empowering women from migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds on their journey to economic independence. SisterWorks offers several core programs that equip women to train and find jobs in hospitality, customer service, small business, and warehousing and manufacturing.

More than 85% of SisterWorks program participants secure employment within six months. For many, this is their first employment opportunity in Australia and an important step towards building financial independence, confidence and connection within their new community.

About MCEC

At Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), visionary ideas come to life, and the world's thought leaders gather. The iconic venue hosts dynamic exhibitions, conferences, galas, and concerts—everyone who visits leaves inspired and excited.

MCEC loves all communities and interests, creating a space where everyone feels welcome. Blending trendy eats, sustainability, and cutting-edge tech, it creates mind-blowing, globally recognised events.

Thanks to its progressive sustainability practices, choosing MCEC means making a positive environmental impact. Feel Melbourne's vibe, discover the next big thing, and be part of the conversation that shapes the future.

Acknowledgement of Country

Built on the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River), Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Narrm, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to Elders of all First Nations communities that visit MCEC. We recognise the ongoing significance of the Birrarung to Traditional Owners as a life source and a meeting place for millennia and seek to honour this long-standing tradition of building community and exchanging ideas on these lands.

Source: Visa Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO – Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector, are partnering on an innovative risk-sharing initiative designed to help expand financial inclusion by increasing access to digital financial services in emerging markets.

Under the agreement, IFC will share credit settlement risk for Visa transactions associated with enrolled financial institutions, enabling these institutions to connect more underbanked consumers and small businesses to digital payments. The facility is expected to support approximately $200 million in risk sharing over five years, with an initial focus on 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and reach approximately 50 financial institutions with below-investment grade ratings.

Together, Visa and IFC aim to help financial institutions enable millions more people and small businesses to save, spend, borrow, grow, and participate more fully in the formal economy.

“Access to digital payments can help unlock economic opportunity,” said Paul Fabara, Visa's Chief Risk and Client Services Officer. “Through this first-of-its-kind partnership with IFC, Visa will help financial institutions bring secure and reliable payment solutions to more people and small businesses in emerging markets. Together, we can expand financial inclusion and help more communities participate in and benefit from the global economy.”

“This initiative exemplifies the power of innovation and partnership to expand economic opportunity where it is needed most,” said Mohamed Gouled, IFC's Vice President of Products & Clients. “By reducing constraints that limit the participation of financial institutions, we are enabling greater access to digital payment solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs across emerging markets. This will help them reach new customers, scale their operations, and create jobs. Ultimately, this is how financial inclusion drives sustainable growth and delivers lasting impact.”

Digital financial services can help increase the speed, security, and transparency of transactions, while giving consumers and businesses more ways to participate in the global economy. By helping financial institutions access Visa's global network, this partnership will support broader participation in digital payment ecosystems across emerging markets.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.