Developments

A proactive approach to wellbeing

Fostering mentally healthy workplaces is top of mind for all employers, but actioning this across diverse workforces and in hybrid work environments poses a very real challenge. Medline empower managers and minimise risk Managing the priorities of keeping people safe at work, while also building psychologically safe workplaces, has caused a headache for many HR leaders who feel caught in a reactive cycle. If employees are only talking to their managers about wellbeing issues when things reach a critical point, the impact on the workplace is more widely felt. A proactive approach With this in mind, taking a proactive approach to helping people take care of their wellbeing in a holistic and preventative way can have long-term benefits to our workforces. For global healthcare company Medline, which has staff across manufacturing, warehouse, office and on-the-road work environments, this approach to supporting wellbeing was a puzzle to be solved. HR Business Partner at Medline Alana Rodwell was determined to find a user-friendly option for workplace wellbeing: “We’ve got around 300 people in our business nationally, and a very diverse workforce. For many, English is their second language. We looked to Sonder partly because of the multilingual service. It’s a massive opportunity to provide employees with a service where they can chat to somebody in their language, in a way that feels comfortable for them.” A culture of care While Medline had an existing culture of care, the legislation introduced in 2023 on psychosocial safety in the workplace prompted Alana and her team to look for a more meaningful way to deliver wellbeing support. They wanted a solution that would help their people when they needed it most. Whether that was with an article on how to improve their confidence as a leader, access to medical information around the clock, or simply […]

A future made in Australia needs to be built on Australian research and development

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) welcomes the vision for innovation and prosperity that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined today. ATSE has long called for ambitious action to take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us in energy, manufacturing, advanced technologies and more. Such action will crucially help arrest Australia’s slowing productivity growth and declining economic complexity that puts us at 93rd in the World. We look forward to seeing the details of the new initiatives as they are announced. The Prime Minister has called for ideas to allow Australia to best capitalise on our comparative advantages and invest in new industries. Australia’s science, research and innovation sector will need to lead the way in this transformation – developing new industries, skills, products and opportunities for the nation. A step change is needed to enable this. As a first step, we call on the government to boost investment in research and development (R&D) to 3% of GDP. Australian investment in R&D has reached a 30-year low. We only spend 1.68% of our GDP on R&D. Meanwhile, our competitors are growing their R&D spending, with the USA, Japan, Germany and many other developed countries spending over 3% of their GDP on R&D each year. “The Prime Minister has said the world won’t wait for us. He’s right. We need an immediate and sustained increase in R&D funding to make sure Australia doesn’t get left behind.” “Australian research and innovation will be the driving force behind our future prosperity. Australia cannot afford to neglect R&D any longer,” said ATSE CEO Kylie Walker. ATSE looks forward to working with the Australian Government as this plan is developed and implemented. Australia’s leading scientist, technologists and engineers stand ready support Australia’s innovation future. ATSE has recently developed a number of high-impact proposals that directly […]

Deepen Desai, Chief Security Officer, Zscaler AUS MN

Encrypted Attacks Report 2023

-Deepen Desai, Chief Security Officer, Zscaler Why do you think threats to manufacturing companies are increasing? / Why was manufacturing the leading category targeted? The rise in threats targeting manufacturing companies can be attributed to several factors: manufacturing organisations have become hubs of innovation, driving significant economic impact as they work to rapidly adopt new technologies, IoT/OT devices, and dramatically expanding connectivity in their networks while overhauling legacy systems for improved productivity. This means, in turn, that they have become rich cyber targets. Not only do they have valuable intellectual property, but their expanded attack surface and complex supply chains mean that attackers can often find substantially more weak entry points into manufacturing networks. Meanwhile, the role of manufacturers as critical infrastructure providers and key drivers of GDP can make them attractive targets to nation-state backed threat actors seeking to disrupt commerce. In light of these challenges, the manufacturing sector faces a critical need to balance innovation with cybersecurity measures. While embracing Industry 4.0 innovations like smart factories and the internet of things (IoT) and adopting generative AI applications hold the promise of increased efficiencies, these advancements expand the attack surface and expose manufacturers to increased security risks, creating additional entry points that cybercriminals can exploit to disrupt production and supply chains. Recently, Zscaler ThreatLabz research revealed manufacturing as the industry most targeted by encrypted attacks in 2023, accounting for 31.6% of total encrypted attacks observed across the Zscaler cloud. No industry is immune from having to navigate the paradox of encryption. It is essential for all organisations to inspect every aspect of traffic to minimise the risk of encrypted attacks infiltrating the enterprise. Are these attacks/threats related to [disrupt] technology or attempting to find a way into [disrupt] administration? Encrypted attacks are sophisticated and versatile, targeting various sectors by […]

New report shows Kimberly-Clark Australia’s $520m contribution to GDP and keeping jobs local

Kimberly-Clark Australia contributes $520m to Australia’s GDP annually and supports over 2,600 direct and indirect jobs nationwide through its Millicent Mill in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. As one of South Australia’s largest non-mining-based manufacturers, the Mill produces 85,000 tonnes of VIVA, Kleenex, and Scott essential paper products each year. 12 per cent of full-time manufacturing roles in the Limestone Coast are provided by the Mill. Over $750 million has been invested into the Mill since it was first established in 1966. A new report released has found Kimberly-Clark Australia to be a significant contributor to the nation’s manufacturing industry, adding $520m to GDP annually and supporting over 2,600 local jobs. With outputs reaching an estimated gross value over $400 million, the independent report commissioned by Kimberly-Clark highlights the annual contribution of the company’s Millicent Mill to the regional Limestone Coast and South Australian state economies, generating $172 million and $216 million of value added, respectively. Well-known for its leading personal care brands including Kleenex, Huggies, U by Kotex and VIVA, Kimberly-Clark Australia is one of the largest employers in South Australia, with 462 employees, contractors and casuals. The Mill generates employment for approximately 219 people in interstate and overseas locations. The company is also one of the largest non-mining-based manufacturers in the state, producing 85,000 tonnes of VIVA, Kleenex and Scott products each year. Key highlights from the report, which include: Supporting the economy: Kimberly-Clark Australia contributes $520m to Australia’s GDP, $216m to South Australia’s GSP and $172m to the Limestone Coast’s GRP annually. Putting this into perspective: The economic impact of Kimberly-Clark Australia to South Australia equates to 3 percent of the manufacturing value added to GSP. Keeping jobs in-market: Millicent Mill supports over 2,600 direct and indirect jobs in Australia, with 12 percent of […]

Matthew Addley, Industry Strategist - Manufacturing, Infor AUS MN

Q & A – Matthew Addley, Industry Strategist, Manufacturing at Infor

How has the prospect of creating artificial realities in motion unveiled a spectrum of opportunities for manufacturers? The application of AI in manufacturing has the potential to transform the way products are designed and launched to market. OpenAI’s latest machine learning tool Sora can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions – a manufacturer could potentially take a drawing off a page and show it in motion in real-life situations and operate it to perfection long before any physical product is built. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can also analyse data sets – from performance to production schedules – and use this information to identify trends and predict outcomes. This could be invaluable for manufacturers to recognise patterns and forecast disruptions, leading to improved overall product quality. What is the profound impact of being able to animate conceptual designs, long before a physical product has materialised, on market testing and demand generation processes? Being able to animate conceptual designs allows manufacturers to test the waters and predict customer demand well before a product goes to market. This can result in significant cost savings, improved product efficiency and enhanced product quality. Manufacturers could also use additional AI/ML techniques to optimise production processes through its predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring capabilities. What is the inherent and increasing risk of technologies like Sora inadvertently or intentionally misleading customers? Even as Sora offers a faster and less costly way than the current human-led approach using computer generated imagery, it can encourage unethical practices. If the creation process allows a product to perform beyond expected capabilities, presumably but not always with a disclaimer, then the customer could be easily and deliberately misled. The reality is that there will always be challenges when it comes to rapidly evolving technologies but legislative bodies will need […]

CSIRO invests $20 million to drive SME innovation

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has announced a $20 million investment to provide small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with greater access to vital research and development (R&D) opportunities to accelerate their growth. The funding will allow CSIRO’s SME Connect team to support up to 750 SMEs through a range of programs and initiatives that provide facilitation, training, dollar-matched funding and support to start-ups and SMEs seeking to engage in company-led research projects. One of the programs being supported is SME Connects flagship program, CSIRO Kick-Start. Since its inception in 2017, the Kick-Start program has facilitated over 280 company-led R&D projects, with alumni companies collectively holding a market value exceeding $2 billion. Dr Doug Hilton, CSIRO’s Chief Executive, emphasised the significance of this investment and the transformative impact it would have for Australia’s critical SME sector. “SMEs are crucial drivers of Australia’s future and so often the engine room of new, innovative thinking and solutions to many of the challenges our society faces,” Dr Hilton said. “CSIRO’s fundamental role as the national science agency is to create benefits for Australia and that includes helping to drive SME’s productivity, sustainability and growth through greater access to R&D opportunities and conducting research to support a more resilient and diverse economy. “CSIRO is committed to its role within the innovation ecosystem of supporting SMEs in embracing research and providing access to the resources, knowledge, and support they need to flourish.” SMEs are the backbone of Australia’s economy, constituting 99.8 per cent of businesses, contributing to more than half to the gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 68 per cent of the private sector workforce. CSIRO’s SME Connect team has supported start-ups and SMEs across a broad range of industry sectors including technology, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, energy and health and biosecurity. Simon Hanson, Director […]

State of the art electrical upgrades boost mine uptime

Sustainability, employee protection and operational insights are the drivers of a cutting-edge electrification upgrade at BHP BMA’s Goonyella Riverside Mine in Queensland. At the BHP-Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) conjoined metallurgical coal mines Goonyella and Riverside in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, Subra Nedunuri is responsible for delivering capital electrical projects without compromising environment, safety, quality, or mining schedules. When a 43-year-old section of Goonyella Riverside’s power infrastructure became unreliable, Nedunuri began designing an upgrade with ABB state-of-the-art capabilities which protect employees, equipment and the environment, and enables predictive maintenance of 16 pumps critical to the mine’s operation. Subra brings a wealth of business and engineering qualifications to the role of Senior Project Manager at Goonyella Riverside Mines (GRM). He says these are complex projects as their complexity and value to the mines are disproportionate to their cost of implementation compared to other projects. “A rehabilitation project to move earth from one side of the mine to the other may cost $20 million, but in contrast this $3 million electrical upgrade can save lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in downtime.” To power the coal wash treatment plant, pumps are used to direct water for reuse or into tailing dams, without them the plant can’t operate. In the past, the now obsolete electrical system communicated only three states of condition for the pumps operation – “On”, “Off” or “Fault”. The system had no protection against arc flash incidents (explosive releases of energy when an electrical arc travels through ionized air to ground or another part of the electrical system), which endanger the lives of service technicians and nearby workers. For the upgrade, BMA had a wishlist of not only the safest switchgear to protect its employees, but a human-machine interface (HMI) that would enable remote and onsite monitoring and control of the electrical […]

2024 Australian Small Business Awards -manufacturing and food manufacturing finalists

From more than 5,500 entrants, less than 30 have made the Manufacturing and Food Manufacturing Finalists Lists of the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards – the nation’s pinnacle recognition awards programme that celebrates the achievements and considerable economic, social and cultural contribution of today’s 2.5 million small business operators from right across the country. This year marks the 26th consecutive year of the Champion Awards and its most successful year to-date, with more entries received this year than any year prior. Free to enter and judged by an independent panel with small business experience, the Awards specifically highlight the finest of Australia’s small businesses in the retail, services, and manufacturing industries across a total of more than 100 categories. An independent national survey recently commissioned by Precedent Productions, which coordinates the Awards, found that an overwhelming majority (74 per cent) of Australian small businesses would rather purchase from an Australian manufacturer or supplier even if it meant paying more. Steve Loe, Founder of the Australian Small Business Champion Awards and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, says now more than ever is the time to strongly support the nation’s most hardest working sector. “I believe the resilience of Australia’s small business community is more evident today than ever before in recent memory, and it is absolutely deserving of national recognition. “The remarkable quantity and quality of submissions we received this year is testament to the triumphant spirit of so many small business operators – absolutely including those from manufacturing industries. We’re very much looking forward to celebrating the very best of this nation’s small businesspeople in spectacular style this April,” adds Mr Loe. Winners of the 2024 Australian Small Business Champion Awards will be revealed via two National Presentation Evening Gala events at Sydney’s The Star on 12 and 13 […]

Push-to-Talk technology successfully demonstrated on Fleet Space’s Centauri-4 satellite

Fleet Space and SmartSat collaboration leads to breakthrough in tactical communication capabilities. SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat) has commended Fleet Space Technologies’ successful demonstration of satellite-enabled Push-to-Talk (PTT) capabilities as part of the Defence Space Command-funded ASCEND2LEO project. SmartSat and Safety from Space supported Fleet Space by adapting a variant of the ‘Beagle’ communications waveform, developed under previously SmartSat-funded projects, which Fleet Space implemented on the Centauri-4 satellite for this demonstration. This milestone in PTT capabilities opens a path to more secure, reliable, instantaneous communications across vast distances using highly advanced microsatellite architectures. ASCEND2LEO’s successful demonstration for the Australian Defence Force Joint Capabilities Group showed that Fleet Space’s Centauri satellites can be re-programmed to deliver high-quality, fit-for-purpose voice capabilities while in orbit. Voice capabilities for Fleet Space’s Centauri satellite were enabled via a software update, establishing a proof of concept for the Regenerative Voice System architecture underlying the ASCEND2LEO program. As a result, this demonstration validated the ability of highly adaptable microsatellite constellations to rapidly deliver purpose-built, high-quality SATCOM capabilities at scale to meet complex needs in diverse scenarios. ASCEND2LEO’s achievement was commended by Peter Kerr, SmartSat’s Defence & National Security Coordinator, who drove the concept for SmartSat’s involvement in the project by adapting and delivering the Beagle waveform. “Enabling an entirely new voice capability for a satellite that is already in orbit is a tremendous technical accomplishment. With this proof of concept, SmartSat is playing a critical role in helping the Australian industry develop SATCOM resiliency for Australian Defence and validate the Regenerative Voice System architecture, a powerful and ambitious approach undertaken by the ASCEND2LEO program.” During the live demonstration, hosted by the Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG), Fleet Space’s PTT capabilities have met strict performance criteria for one-way voice transmission including voice quality, reliability, and link persistence across […]

Hydraulink Lara Richardson with Tim Ferris

Women in Hydraulink: Lara Richardson drives focus on quality, friendly, and efficient service

Hydraulink Newcastle Branch Service Technician, Lara Richardson, right, with Branch Manager, Tim Ferris, left. A woman helping to serve the hydraulics industry in the busy Newcastle NSW region, is placing a strong and enduring focus on providing high quality, friendly, and efficient service. Lara Richardson is a Branch Service Technician with Hydraulink Newcastle, part of the national Hydraulink hydraulic hose and service network, which includes 13 company-owned sites in Australia, 135 network partners, and 150 service vehicles offering 24/7 onsite and mobile services. Hydraulink Newcastle serves a broad diversity of industry, including mining, earthmoving, civil works, industrial, councils, and farming. Lara’s role is in the workshop, where she makes hydraulic hoses, responds to quotes, and has a direct customer-facing role, as she solves hydraulic problems. “I really enjoy all aspects of my role, and our customers appreciate that we can get the job done quickly. Sometimes they’ve been told elsewhere that a job takes an hour, so they’ve come to Hydraulink, and we know that’s a five minute task, so we get it happening right away,” says Lara. “Of course, some jobs do take more than an hour, so we always give a realistic estimate, while striving to minimise downtime so a customer can get their machine back up and running, and earning them money again,” she adds. Embrace the challenge Lara understands that the hydraulics industry comes with a range of challenges, but sees this as a positive sign and encourages everyone to give it a go. “As long as you’ve got a supportive team around you, like I do here at Hydraulink Newcastle, the challenges are what makes the day interesting. Everyone here, from the Branch Manager Tim Ferris, through to all the staff, are supportive and helpful, so it gives me the confidence to put my […]

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