An industry leader has called for increased awareness of the potential of compressed natural gas to help ease the problems caused by rising fuel prices and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions.

Bosch Rexroth plans to acquire all shares in Hägglunds Drives AB, which is based in Mellansel, Sweden. Hägglunds Drives is an international supplier of complete hydraulic drive systems, separate drive motors and services.

Oil giants ExxonMobil and BHP Billiton will develop a $1.4 billion gas and oil field in Bass Strait but, although oil production will start in 2011, gas production will not start until 2015.

Schneider Electric has signed a definitive arrangement agreement with Xantrex Technology to acquire all of its common shares.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has granted GS1 Australia an extended licence that allows for radiofrequency devices with up to 4 W of power.

Australia’s largest weighing equipment manufacturer and exporter, A&D Mercury, has become the major shareholder in one of Australia’s leading industrial automation and control companies, TechEng.

Emerson has announced it has acquired TopWorx, a manufacturer of industrial sensors and controls that monitor and manage automated valves and other field devices.

The Highly Commended Award for Australian Industrial Product of the Year has gone to Peacock Bros this year for its innovative indoor vehicle and product tracking solution.

Information and research on water recycling available in Australia will be boosted with the establishment of an Australian division of the influential US WateReuse Association.

Crescent Gold shares have sunk to a 12-month low, after the gold producer suspended its Laverton operation in Western Australia following problems with the processing plant.

Emerson Process Management has opened a process instrumentation technical centre in Bao’an China, creating a fully integrated process control instrumentation facility to meet increasing demand for automation technology.

GroundProbe and Geoforce have announced the signing of an agreement for GroundProbe to purchase the shares of Geoforce and merge the two companies.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration has been named one of the first four companies to join Beamex’s recently announced Premium Partner Program.

Following on from the acquisition of Controlsoft by Zi-Argus in May 2007, Controlsoft will change its name to Zi-Argus effective 1 July 2008.

Advantech, a global provider of Industrial PC and eAutomation solutions, has been elevated from current Associate to Premier level in the Intel Embedded & Communications Alliance.