Worldwide semiconductor sales may decrease 34% in 2001 after terrorist attacks stalled shipments last week and may hurt consumer purchases, market researcher IC Insights, said. This follows last weeks report that sales would increase in 2001.

The manufacturing sector has recorded its first quarter of positive growth in nine months, but the US tragedy, the Ansett collapse and falling semiconductor sales could impact in coming months.

A set of three Australian MultiBeam earth station antennas were installed at satellite control facilities in Luxembourg. The successful installation is opening up more opportunities for the Australian made antennas, CSIRO scientist, Dr Trevor Bird, said.

AEEMA will hold a series of free seminars at the Austronics, Electrix, and Automate Australia 2001, which will be held at Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre on 18-20 September.

The semiconductor market will grow 23% in 2002 to $374 billion, buoyed by this year's inventory cutting and renewed consumer demand, according to US technology market forecaster, Semico Research.

Future Fibres has raised $5 million to allow the company to expand its fibre optic sensing equipment into the US.

Manufacturers are turning to the domestic market to maintain output, given the local economic climate compared to that of Australia's major export destinations. The Australian Industry Group's latest Performance of Manufacturing Index showed strengthening activity through 2001, and with the recent cut in interest rates stimulating demand and encouraging investment, the domestic outlook is increasingly positive.

Australia will become a centre of excellence for Damovo, formerly the direct sales and services arm of Ericsson Corporate Networks. With 180 staff, growing to 500, it will provide expertise in call centre technology and installation to markets around the world.

Magnetic materials, built up as multi-layered sandwiches with successive layers only a few atoms thick, are giving computers larger memories. By building up sandwiches of magnetic and non-magnetic materials one layer of atoms at a time, it is possible to manipulate, enhance and control the magnetic properties of such sandwiches with extraordinary precision.

Australian hi-tech exporters will have greater access to the world's biggest international ICT exhibition, CeBIT Hannover, following a partnership agreement signed between Austrade and Hannover Fairs Australia, the subsidiary of Deutsche Messe AG. The agreement will see the two organisations join forces to promote and manage Australian participation at the event, held annually in Hannover, Germany.

Computer hard drives look set to hold up to 1000 times more data, thanks to research at Griffith University using nanotechnology, the science of miniature machines.

A venture between technology corporations, educational institutions, universities and research organisations has started earthworks and marketing to raise community and industry awareness.

Intel Australia has just announced the opening of its solution centre in Sydney to accelerate the deployment of ebusiness applications on Intel technology. The centre aims to reduce the total cost of ownership spanning all components of the ebusiness enterprise by migrating, optimising and consolidating solutions.

Is has been reported that Hewlett-Packard will buy Compaq for an estimated $47.5 billion. Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have reported the deal, citing people close to the negotiations, but both companies have declined comment. Compaq Australia said it could not confirm or deny the reports.

Mayer Krieg and REC Electronics have merged and will trade under the name of Mayer Krieg. The merger creates a components and subsystems vendor valued at over $50 million. However, in the merger 10% of the workforce will lose their jobs.