Top priorities for Australian manufacturers made clear at Expo

Australia is perfectly poised to become a global leader in the production of high-value products across industries — but this cannot happen without the buy-in of local manufacturers.

This was the core argument of Meryl Swanson MP whose speech opened the recent two-day Modern Manufacturing Expo at Sydney Showground.

In her address, Swanson stated that critical investment needed to be made into the development of AI, robotics and quantum technology in the public and private sector and reinforced the government’s commitment to supporting these efforts through the provision of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. A further $1 billion has been allocated to specifically support the growth of advanced manufacturing.

Swanson went on to say that in order for Australia to be known as a global manufacturing superpower, the industry’s efforts needed to be underpinned by skills development and harnessing the education system to create a pipeline for current and future industry needs.

“We need to showcase opportunities in modern manufacturing to attract young minds to re-engage in high technology manufacturing and break old stereotypes,” she said.

With a focus on advanced and digital manufacturing tools, techniques and trends, the Modern Manufacturing Expo was a platform to showcase these new opportunities for manufacturers.

“The Expo’s Expert Arena and Smart Manufacturing Conference were all incredibly well-attended — indicating a hunger for knowledge and the industry’s appetite to fast-track the transition to Modern Manufacturing,” said Marie Kinsella, Modern Manufacturing Expo organiser.

“The Innovation & Collaboration Zone (a dedicated area of the Expo where universities, manufacturing hubs and CRCs showcased the resources available to local manufacturers) was particularly well-received with many visitors commenting that they had not been aware that there was so much support available to help manufacturers meet their growth goals,” she said.

Collaboration was a core focus of the Expo, stemming from Kinsella’s belief that the transfer of knowledge is the catalyst needed to kickstart the transition to modern manufacturing.

“As Meryl Swanson said in her address, Australia is not lacking in manufacturing knowledge — we have always been a country that makes things. But this knowledge needs to be shared on a public platform for innovation to thrive,” she said.

Many manufacturers attended the Expo to not only get a sense of the new technologies and techniques shaping the industry, but also to get a better understanding of what factors they should prioritise in order to become a modern manufacturer.

These priorities were summarised by Brandon Miller, Chief Strategy Officer at Wiley in his presentation at the Expo’s Smart Manufacturing Conference. Miller proposes that for the next five years, Australian manufacturers should focus on:

• Reducing their energy consumption: This makes both commercial and environmental sense, as it is hugely costly to power a factory using traditional fossil fuels. The good news is that with the abundance of renewable energy options on the market, it is becoming cheaper and easier to make the switch.
• Investing in automation: This is no longer an option — automation is needed on the factory floor for a manufacturing business to remain commercially viable. Luckily, technologies have accelerated rapidly in recent years, making implementation more affordable and convenient.
• Investing in their people: Research shows that 85% of the jobs that will be needed in 2030 have not yet been invented. These new jobs will also require a new skill set. To meet this demand, Australia should focus on upskilling workers, encouraging skilled immigration and combating ‘braindrain’ by making working conditions more attractive.
   

As Australia continues its progression to a circular economy and embraces Industry 5.0 (and technologies such as robotics and additive manufacturing) Moore’s Law indicates that these progressions will have an accelerated return on benefits for manufacturers who choose to invest in the future.

“The 2022 Modern Manufacturing Expo gave attendees a glimpse into the future of the industry — and with the knowledge, resources and technology available right here in Australia, I’m happy to say that the future is looking very bright indeed and we will be back in September 2023 with more,” Kinsella said.