Manufacturing Technology

Terria bites into billion-dollar geospatial tech market

Geospatial tech startup Terria has spun out of CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, after successfully closing a seed investment round with Australian deep tech investment fund, Main Sequence. Terria organises and visualises the world’s spatial data, across thousands of mapping and information layers, to make it accessible and useful for everyone. It simplifies the complex process of creating digital twins, or online virtual replicas of buildings, cities, regions and countries to enable modelling and investigation of ‘what-if’ scenarios. The seed funding will help support Terria’s global ambitions for its products, which can assist with planning and managing the cities of the future, the energy transition and environmental monitoring. Professor Elanor Huntington, CSIRO’s Digital, National Facilities and Collections Executive Director, said the national science agency was proud to have incubated Australia’s newest tech start-up. “It is very exciting to watch research turn into technology with real-world impact, and in this case, to form the foundation of a new stand-alone company,” Professor Huntington said. “CSIRO exists to foster Australian innovation and to help take that innovation out into the world. “We are extremely proud of the Terria team – geospatial visualisation makes the enormous amount of global data understandable and accessible for everyone.” Two former CSIRO employees will lead Terria: Ana Belgun, Terria Chief Executive Officer and Product Lead, and Amber Standley, Chief Experience Officer. “Terria started in 2014, when the first open-data, open-source Australian Government platforms were created to help any organisation or individual to access and visualise spatial data,” Ms Belgun said. “Since then, millions of users have accessed over 15,000 datasets on Terria mapping platforms. “In this next phase we will scale the positive impact we have created so far for Australian companies and government agencies and take these advanced tools global to enable the creation and management of […]

Tech Council welcomes Federal Government’s review of Australia’s R&D system

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s strategic review of research and development (R&D) in Australia, which will examine how it can bolster productivity and economic growth. Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP has announced that Tech Council Board Chair Robyn Denholm will Chair an independent panel that will deliver recommendations to strengthen Australia’s R&D system. Tech Council CEO Damian Kassabgi said the review was an opportunity for Australia to better harness the economic and productivity benefits of R&D. “A strategic approach to R&D will increase competition, attract investment and contribute to a more productive and resilient economy,” he said. “The decline in productivity is one of Australia’s biggest economic challenges. To continue enjoying our standard of living, which is among the highest in the world, Australia needs to focus on improving productivity growth. “Lifting investment in R&D can help us turn this around. To maximise the economic and productivity gains, we need a strong R&D system that encourages innovation and supports companies to transform world-class research into commercial success. “While other countries are consistently increasing their investment in technology, Australia isn’t keeping up and our spending on tech investment is actually forecast to fall if we don’t act,” Mr Kassabgi said. Research released by the Tech Council in November showed that lifting investment in R&D and tech adoption could contribute up to $167 billion in GDP by 2035 in productivity gains. Ms Denholm said she was honoured to be appointed Chair of the review. “On behalf of the Tech Council of Australia (TCA), I commend the Government for initiating this independent review to enhance Australia’s R&D framework,” Ms Denholm said. “A robust and forward-looking R&D ecosystem is vital to driving innovation, fostering economic growth, and establishing Australia as a global […]

2. The Melt Modern Manufacturing centre in Muswellbrook provides access to facilities and technical specialists at an affordable price 2

Advanced manufacturing

A vibrant advanced manufacturing sector is emerging from the Hunter’s well-established traditional assemblage. Much of the advanced manufacturing aligns with the existing defence, aerospace, and mining industries but also incorporates chemical processing, construction, and energy generation and distribution. Advanced manufacturing in the Hunter comprises about 2000 regional businesses employing about 20,000 people and contributing $2 billion to the NSW economy. The sector’s priorities include improving engagement with international markets, accessing global supply chains, and increasing the engagement between research and industry. It is important the Hunter’s advanced manufacturers position themselves to maximise their potential to leverage government initiatives including the National Reconstruction Fund, the Future Made in Australia bill and Industry Growth programs among many others. The current ecosystem suggests the Hunter is well placed to build leading capability. Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA) recognises the importance of sharing the stories of the region’s advanced manufacturers on a national stage. HMA chair Jacqui Daley says it enhances “Brand Hunter”. Assisting advanced manufacturing businesses reach the stage where they have a worthy story to tell is The Melt, founded in 2017 as a spinoff from Australia’s most successful corporate accelerator, Slingshot. Brett Thomas is Director and Chief Operating Officer of The Melt’s Muswellbrook facility, which provides technical specialists, and investment funding via Melt Ventures, to help emerging businesses prove, prototype, pilot, and produce physical devices. “We help start-ups and scale-ups,” Mr Thomas says. “In particular, businesses creating new devices and products that are clean tech, climate tech, or advanced-manufacturing related. Most of those products have embedded IoT (internet of things) and software elements but the core of the products is a physical device.” MrThomas says the risk of failure for the founders, start-ups, and scaling businesses making physical products is much higher than it is for other start-ups. There are several reasons […]

Transforming Manufacturing: The Power of AI in Industry 5.0

By Terry Smagh, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Asia-Pacific and Japan at Infor The manufacturing and distribution industries are no strangers to innovation. Over the past decade, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has played out, bringing to bear powerful new technologies including the IoT, advanced analytics, process automation, and AI. Today, factories are “smart”, hyper-connected, and data-centric. They’re more efficient than ever, and operators are empowered to make the best possible decisions based on data-driven insights. This story is not yet complete, however. In 2024, manufacturing and distribution companies stand on the cusp of yet another operational paradigm shift. This Fifth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 5.0, will encompass a dramatic pivot towards more intelligent technology, to empower human employees to work at their most productive. Over the next few years, we will see manufacturing and distribution leaders looking to embrace AI, robotics, and IoT. They will focus on the nexus of man and machine to drive sustainability, efficiency, and more agile approaches to production. This trend has been accelerated by the advent of generative AI (GenAI). Manufacturers are already looking to integrate innovations in their factories to boost productivity and revenues. According to recent research, 35% of organisations in France use AI technologies. 72% reporting a positive impact on employee performance. How AI-Human Collaboration Solves Crucial Challenges for Manufacturing Businesses By thinking of AI as a means of empowering employees and turbocharging their productivity, rather than as a low-cost alternative for low-value tasks, manufacturers will be able to solve some of their most intractable challenges. Supply Chain Supply chain resilience is a case in point. This is an issue that has never been far from the headlines in recent years. Remember the pandemic, drought affecting the Panama Canal, or the recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. With the […]

Shripathi V, Head of Hexagon's Aerospace Technical Division AUS MN

Collaboration and Compliance:The Keys to Australia’s Enhanced Security and Innovation

Shripathi V, Lead, Aerospace Technical Division, Indo-Pacific, Hexagon Defence organisations are under growing pressure to ensure broader security from expanding threats, while grappling with technology updates, rising costs, and operational challenges. They must also transform to become more agile and responsive to ever-changing geopolitical risks, technological innovations, and shifting priorities. Often, delivering on time and within budget are the most formidable challenges that the defence industry faces when developing the capability of increasing sophistication and complexity. In a period where national interests intersect with global concerns, it is fundamental for defence organisations to use funds judiciously, maximizing value and outcomes for every dollar spent. After a decade of predictability, with Australia’s last Defence Strategic Review (DSR)[1] taking place 11 years ago, the recent DSR—announced in April last year—along with the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA), highlights the Australian government’s commitment in enhancing defence capabilities. These renewed commitments emphasize the importance of collaboration among government bodies, industry, and defence unions. To keep up with an operating environment awash with fresh challenges, the Australian government has committed to a $3.4 billion investment over the next decade, as outlined in the ASCA[2], to reconfigure its defence sector. This investment ultimately aims to acquire vital capabilities and is expected to foster job creation within the industry. To discuss further on this topic, we interviewed Shripathi V, the Lead for Hexagon’s Aerospace Technical Division for the Indo-Pacific region, to discuss how these technological and strategic developments align with Australia’s pursuit of agility, engineering compliance, and sustainable innovation. With Australia at a strategic point in reshaping its defence sector, how do you view the impact of recent initiatives like the Defence Strategic Review(DSR) and the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator(ASCA)? These initiatives represent a pivotal moment for Australia’s defence sector. The DSR and ASCA act as catalysts […]

One million ‘Introduction to AI’ scholarships available to Australians

Artificial intelligence (AI) ‘scholarships’ are now on offer to one million Australians, in a bid to increase the nation’s literacy of a technology estimated to be worth $4 trillion to the economy by the early 2030s. The free ‘Introduction to Artificial Intelligence’ microskill course is provided by the National AI Centre (NAIC), coordinated by Australia’s national science agency – CSIRO, and the Institute of Applied Technology Digital (IATD). The course will provide a non-technical introduction to AI fundamentals and is designed for people at the beginning their AI literacy journey. This makes it ideal for workers seeking to upskill, individuals starting their career in AI, and small to medium business owners. With many small to medium enterprises (SMEs) grappling with the challenge of adopting AI, NAIC Director Stela Solar said the course is the perfect opportunity for business owners to build their AI understanding. “SMEs make up over 98 per cent of Australia’s economy, and ‘Introduction to AI’ is their opportunity to learn how they can use this revolutionary technology to enhance their operations, services, and market competitiveness,” Ms Solar said. Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) CEO Luke Achterstraat welcomed the introduction of the course, praising its ability to provide small businesses with the knowledge needed to unlock AI’s vast opportunities. “Small businesses are a main source of innovation in Australia – they are entrepreneurs who try new ideas, test new products and usually back themselves with their own capital. “This microskill course will help build confidence and competency for small businesses as they navigate the AI landscape.” Director of IATD Operations Helen Fremlin said the accessibility of the course will empower Australians nation-wide to advance their AI understanding. “No programming or computer science background is required for students to enrol, and the virtual nature of this course […]

Decarbonisation spend to reduce in declining economic conditions

Nearly half of Australian businesses are likely to reduce their spend on decarbonisation initiatives if macroeconomic conditions worsen, according to ENGIE Impact, a sustainability and decarbonisation advisory firm. The finding is based on analysis of data from ENGIE Impact’s latest Net Zero Report titled “Aligning Corporate Vision with Decarbonisation Realities.” The annual global report delves into corporate perspectives on decarbonisation transformation readiness, challenges to implementation and the major decarbonisation roadblocks companies must overcome to reach Net Zero. The study surveyed more than 500 senior executives from the world’s largest companies, each employing more than 10,000 people. Australian organisations surveyed ranged in annual turnover from USD$500 million to over USD$10 billion, and included businesses in the technology, finance, retail, mining, industrial manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, and food and beverage industries. “Reducing spending on decarbonisation initiatives could severely hinder an organisation’s ability to set itself up for the future,” said James Ramsay, Managing Director and Head of Australia, ENGIE Impact. “Now is not the time to Australian organisations to halt progress or investment. They just need to rethink how they measure the success of their decarbonisation strategy.” Few Australian organisations see decarbonisation as a commercial imperative When asked to list their top two choices on how their organisation thinks about its carbon reduction commitments, just 29 per cent of Australians listed decarbonisation as a commercial issue compared to 33 per cent of global peers. Additionally, 58 per cent of Australian businesses see financial ROI as a measure of decarbonisation success versus 44 per cent globally. These responses are in line with findings from last year’s Net Zero report, which found that Australian organisations rank achieving long term cost savings as the top driver of their decarbonisation strategy and goals (44 per cent of respondents), compared to the leading response from global counterparts […]

Rio Tinto to drive development of Australia’s largest solar farm at Gladstone

Rio Tinto will drive development of Australia’s largest solar power project near Gladstone, after agreeing to buy all electricity from the 1.1GW1 Upper Calliope Solar Farm to provide renewable power to Rio Tinto’s Gladstone operations. The agreement will bring more renewable power into one of Australia’s most important industrial hubs and marks another step towards Rio Tinto’s climate goal of halving its global Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions this decade2. If combined with more renewable power and suitable firming, transmission and industrial policy, it could also provide the core of a solution to repower Rio Tinto’s three Gladstone production assets – the Boyne aluminium smelter, the Yarwun alumina refinery and the Queensland Alumina refinery. Under a new power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with European Energy Australia, Rio Tinto will buy all power generated from the Upper Calliope solar farm for 25 years. The plant will be built and operated by European Energy, at a site about 50 kilometres south-west of Gladstone, pending development and grid connection approvals. Once approved and developed, Upper Calliope would have the potential to lower Rio Tinto’s operating carbon emissions by 1.8 million tonnes per year. Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said “This agreement is a first important step in our work to repower our Gladstone operations and illustrates our commitment to keeping sustainably powered industry in Central Queensland. “The task remains challenging, but we have a pathway to provide the competitive, firmed power our Gladstone plants need and we are continuing to work hard with all stakeholders, including the Queensland and Australian governments, on getting there. “Competitive capacity, firming, and transmission, are critical to developing a modern energy system that can ensure more large-scale renewables development in Queensland and help guarantee the future of Australian industry.” Once approved, construction of the Upper Calliope […]

Hydraulink trendsetter doubles commitment with Bayside Brisbane franchise

Martin Smith, left, with the Hydraulink team including partner Andrew Schuler (fifth from left) and Hydraulink Bayside’s Andrew Richardson, (sixth from left). One of the pioneers of the Hydraulink hose and fittings organisation in Queensland has backed the success formula of the of the expanding national network by taking up a neighbouring franchise, in the Bayside district of Brisbane. Martin Smith – who has more than tripled the size of his existing distributorship in Brisbane North over the past nine years – has joined with his business partner Andrew Schuler to extend the range of Hydraulink services available to Bayside businesses seeking the same world standards of safety, compliance, cost-efficiency, and operational uptime. “Brisbane North already has major resources in Brisbane, with a strong engineering home base, established contractors, and a fleet of six vehicles giving 24/7 service. This will be further expanded with more vehicles and resources to back the local knowledge of Hydraulink Bayside’s Andrew Richardson, who is widely respected in the area,” he said. Hydraulink hose and fitting services are used by machinery ranging from forklifts and trucks, through to major civil engineering, primary industry, construction, logistics, manufacturing, warehouse, materials handling, and heavy machinery including tractors, graders, scrapers, bulldozers, diggers, and cranes, including wheeled and tracked equipment. The Hydraulink network – trading under the corporate signature “Best Under Pressure” – now includes 150 service points throughout Australia priding themselves on high ongoing standards of training and product, extensive machinery knowledge, and being able to deliver uniformly high standards of work across single businesses and machines, through to multiple sites and machinery fleets. Queensland Experience Martin Smith has long Queensland experience with the Hydraulink network and the opportunities for its can-do franchise operators, who are selected for their knowledge, enthusiasm for customer service – and willingness to continuously […]

Tech-Central-Innovation-District---Sydney

New report maps Australia’s emerging ‘Silicon Valleys’

The report, ‘The geography of Australia’s digital industries’, released by CSIRO and the Technology Council of Australia reveals emerging tech hubs in Australia. Australia’s digital technology clusters have been mapped and analysed on a national scale for the first time as part of a new report released today by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and the Tech Council of Australia. The report, ‘The geography of Australia’s digital industries’, explores how the geographical concentration of innovation – like Silicon Valley in California – boosts growth and productivity. The report brings together rich data from across the nation to map and describe the range of digital technology clusters currently developing. It found there are 96 digital clusters across Australia, located in every state and territory. These clusters are engines of growth, accounting for 63 per cent of all tech job creation in Australia, even though they cover only 4 per cent of Australia’s geographic area. The report also found there are three types of clusters in Australia. Australia has four superclusters, which are mega groupings of multiple clusters in the same city: the Sydney arc, the Melbourne diamond, the Brisbane corridor, and the Canberra triangle. CSIRO’s acting Chief Executive Kirsten Rose said that understanding these patterns was important as international research shows their many benefits. “The experience globally has shown that firms in clusters grow, employ and innovate at a faster rate,” she said. “We know comparatively little about this in Australia, but what this report tells us very clearly is that geography matters and understanding that geography can help us catalyse growth.” An aerial view of the Tech Central Innovation District in Sydney, showing future-planned buildings. Image courtesy of the Greater Cities Commission of the New South Wales Government. Lead report author and CSIRO principal researcher Dr Stefan Hajkowicz said the report identified […]

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