The future of the IC&A industry sectors

It seems virtually self-evident that ever-increasing sophistication in advanced technologies underpins and acts as the driving force behind almost every area of human endeavour that derives from invention, design, production and manufacturing.

Likewise, I think that the common thread which binds this myriad of technologies is their dependence on ever more advanced instrumentation and control systems as well as, increasingly, on automation to ensure that all those diverse end products are all able to function safely and deliver what they are designed for.

Instrumentation, control systems and automation (IC&A) industries directly or indirectly employ or engage people in almost all key activities within any modern economy. IC&A is integral to mining, oil, gas, telecommunications, electronics, aerospace, automotive, transportation, pharmaceutical, medicine, chemical, agribusiness - and the list goes on. It also includes, of course, the TAFEs and universities that teach and prepare students for employment in those areas. And it also has a huge flow-on effect on many other industry sectors in all those thousands of so-called ‘para’ IC&A product and services areas.

So when I look at the big picture that includes all the incredibly diverse areas of IC&A employment in Australia, I see a potentially positive outlook for the future. I cannot see the march of technology petering out - our natural resources as well as our amazingly clever and innovative people across all areas of industry and manufacturing seem adept at ensuring that Australia will continue to do well. Furthermore, we know from the history of past economic ‘revolutions’ (agrarian, industrial, scientific and so on), that this twenty-first century’s technological ‘revolution’ will also demand more and more skilled specialists to progress and manage the inevitable acceleration of even newer technologies.

On the other hand, history also demonstrates that as change occurs, it is accompanied by the decay and disappearance of many existing areas of employment as they are ousted by newer technologies and ways of doing things. We are already witnessing in areas of IC&A, the obsolescence of what were, not so many years ago, novel and exciting innovations. There are, unfortunately, winners and losers when change happens.

Change itself takes on different forms. It can be dramatic, gradual or possibly evolutionary, depending on the industry sector concerned. The deciding factors in determining future viability will include:

• Preparation of current and future employees for change
• Development of long-term policies and planning
• The ability to marshal leading-edge technologies and innovative solutions to specific problems

I want to conclude, therefore, by posing a number of questions that I believe have bearing on the future of IC&A in Australia, and therefore warrant addressing:

• Are Australian TAFEs and universities equipped to be able to provide current and future students with world’s best education in areas of IC&A to ensure they can succeed in a globalised and increasingly competitive environment? Or are they reactive and always playing ‘catch-up’ to emerging needs?
• With the globalisation of companies and employment opportunities offshore, are there sufficient opportunities for our IC&A employees, graduates and apprentices to find work and develop careers within Australia?
• Are there sufficient incentives for Australian companies to invest in R&D, particularly in areas of cutting-edge technologies that will ensure their long-term viability and competitiveness with emerging countries?
• Are Australian politicians sufficiently aware of the importance of the IC&A contributions to our country’s wealth creation potential?

 I hope these issues will generate discussion and debate about matters of national importance to the IC&A sectors.

Brett Simpson has spent 18 years in the plastics, petrochemical and petroleum industry. Having a BEng (Electrical) with Honours and a Masters of Business Technology, he has worked in a variety of senior engineering roles in the electrical, instrument and process control fields. Brett is currently working for Caltex Australia, and he is also the Federal President of the Institute of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Australia (IICA).