The OPC Training Institute has launched a vendor-neutral online resource centre for standards-based OPC technology used in process control and manufacturing automation.

Backplane Systems Technology (BST) celebrated 20 years of trade in January 2009.

Hideaki Miura, Senior Executive Officer and GM, Engineering Division, JGC Corporation, will be the keynote speaker at the Fieldbus Foundation 2009 General Assembly, 4–5 March in Yokohama, Japan.

Endress+Hauser Australia has developed ‘Mine Model on Wheels’, a working demonstration rig for the mining industry that can be transported around the country to provide a hands-on model for designing complex wet processes, such as flotation cells and thickeners.

Rockwell Automation will showcase its machine safety products and services at ‘Safety in Action 2009’, being held in Melbourne this March.

ICP Electronics Australia has been appointed the Australian distributor for ORing Industrial Networking Corp.

Expressions of interest are being sought from experienced professional logisticians and junior practitioners in NSW and Victoria to participate as mentors or mentees in the LAA/APICS 2009 logistics chain mentoring program.

Emerson Process Management’s Fisher Fieldvue DVC2000 digital valve controller was named Best Product of the Year 2008 by readers of Control Engineering China Magazine, beating 101 products from 62 countries for the prize.

RFID devices with up to 4 W of power are now permitted for use in Australia in the 920-926 MHz band, clearing the way for commercial adoption of the devices across all industries.

WA Premier Colin Barnett has endorsed the 2009 Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition (AOG), due to be held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre from 17 to 19 February.

National Instruments has added to its list of training and certification courses for 2009.

Australian compressed-air technology group, Champion Compressors, has signed a national distribution agreement with global compression system expert, Cameron Compression Systems.

Amira International has announced a research project aimed at enhancing the performance of thickeners used in the minerals industry.

Chun-Yen Lai from RMIT University has won ABB's 2008 National Robotics Innovation Competition, after devising a robot that automated the manufacture of key furniture components.

Autodesk signed an agreement to acquire analysis and simulation software provider, Algor, for approximately $34 million.