Sydney’s Modern Manufacturing expo 2023 (MME23) is well underway, as it heads into its second and final day.
The expo has already highlighted leading-edge products, equipment, and software to help Australian manufacturers to take advantage of emerging technologies.
This year’s theme is ‘Connected, Automated & Digital’, which is centred around technologies like robotics, AI, and digitalisation systems.
Executive Director, Commercial and Corporate, Mitsubishi Electric, Meighan Heard, said the theme is about questioning how industries can automate their systems.
“How do we use digital technology to get more out of our operations, to make better decisions, and ultimately get better outcomes for manufacturing in the country,” she said.
“Digital transformation is taking our paths from manual process into automated processes where we can leverage the technology and get what’s needed.”
Government support in Australia Manufacturing
The expo officially kicked-off yesterday with Minister for Industry and Sciences, Ed Husic, hosting the opening – he addressed several government initiatives planned to support the manufacturing industry.
“We’ve got the national reconstruction fund, the first board meeting took place this week,” he said.
“It’s about supporting the development of manufacturing capabilities across just over half a dozen different priority areas.”
“We are developing, and we will soon be releasing the governments first robotics and automation strategy.”
Minister Husic also addressed creating more long-term jobs within the sector.
“The bottom line is always work,” he said.
“A country that makes things, makes great long-term jobs as well. We get the products we need, with huge jobs, and opportunity to our own people – we should be able to do this more.”
The experts
Many industry experts congregated at the expo to showcase their products and speak to exhibitioners about these emerging technologies.
Robotics Australia Director, Christian Ruberg, said robotics in the manufacturing space is moving to the next level – towards more mobility and intelligence.
He shared Robotics Australia’s seven-action plan, which aims to guide the growth of automation in Australian Manufacturing.
Robotics Australia is currently collaborating with government bodies, as well as CSIRO to bring this plan to fruition.
It aims to grow Australian-based high growth robotics companies, incentivise collaboration, develop clusters to form the building blocks of a sustainable robotics industry, bridge the commercialisation gap, grow robotics talent base and ensure ethical robotics solutions meet public expectations.
“The value of this kind of technology to the economy is $18 billion,” Ruberg said.
“There’s over 1000 companies that are involved in this ecosystem, companies that are working with drones, agriculture and mining.”
More industry experts will continue to share their knowledge, insights and expectations for the future of Australian manufacturing until the end of MME23 – which will conclude later this afternoon.
