ABB and Statoil have entered into a joint industry program to develop solutions for transmission, distribution and power conversion systems designed to power and control subsea pumps and gas compressors at depths of 3000 m and over vast distances. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation has been awarded an order in excess of $6.7 million by South Korean company DSME. Rockwell will deliver fully integrated safety solutions for Transocean, a leading provider of offshore contract drilling services. [ + ]

Coal seam gas producer QGC has awarded Thiess a $1.8 billion contract to construct gas compression facilities and associated works for the QCLNG project in the Surat Basin. [ + ]

University of Sydney researchers recently received a $1.36 million grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia which will allow the international research team to continue its work in the field of membrane technology. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation has launched an initiative to help manufacturers better protect their control systems from cybersecurity threats. Automation and IT professionals will be able to more effectively secure their industrial processes with the initiative, which uses control system design and best practices, contemporary technologies and professional services from Rockwell and its strategic partnerships. [ + ]

GE and XD Electric Group have formed a partnership to help modernise and expand Australia's electric grid. The joint venture will benefit from GE's grid automation capabilities and XD's high-voltage equipment portfolio. [ + ]

WFevents today announced the launch of a new, targeted event for industrial professionals. ACI Connect will focus on automation, instrumentation and control and will be held in Melbourne in early April, 2014. [ + ]

AquaHydrex has received $2.2 million to produce a competitive alternative to fossil-fuel-based hydrogen. The company says the funding will develop high-tech manufacturing that will drive employment and economic prosperity in the Illawarra region. [ + ]

Orica has reported a liquid ammonia spill at its Kooragang Island facility. According to the company, a leak developed at the plant and 100 kg of liquid ammonia had been lost but was contained on-site. [ + ]

Improvements in the production, employment and new orders subindexes saw the manufacturing sector contract at a slower rate in August. The Ai Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index was 4.4 points higher at 46.4 for the month. [ + ]

Uncertainty is brewing in Australia's manufacturing sector, Business Review Australia has reported. While Australia appears to have escaped the global economic crisis relatively unscathed, the manufacturing sector has been hardest hit by China's decelerating economy. [ + ]

Endress+Hauser has signed an agreement with Rockwell Collins to acquire Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc. The companies anticipate the transaction will be completed in the next few months. [ + ]

The new Australian Anti-dumping Commission has launched an investigation into wind towers imported from China and Korea in response to an application from the Australian Wind Tower Manufacturing Alliance. [ + ]

Measurement company Agilent Technologies has announced the opening of its new Spectroscopy Technology Innovation Centre in Mulgrave, Victoria. The $25 million centre houses cutting-edge research and testing laboratories, as well as user demo and training facilities. [ + ]

Oil and gas producer Drillsearch has doubled its production target for the year ahead, leading to a surge in its share price. [ + ]