Smart manufacturing symposium to showcase the best in manufacturing, innovation and commercialisation

Industry leaders in innovation, smart manufacturing and commercialisation will be coming together at a symposium, announced today as part of Smart Manufacturing ’16 — Dandenong and South East Melbourne on Show.

To be held on Tuesday 17 May, the Dandenong CBD will be transformed into the manufacturing epicentre of Australia with the Committee for Dandenong and its partners hosting an expo-style event, promoting the capability and capacity of the region.

As part of the event, the symposium will feature expert panels and presentations by manufacturing business leaders designed to unlock potential for local manufacturers, businesses and the next wave of industry up-and-comers.

Committee for Dandenong Chair Gary Castricum said the symposium will explore what innovation, advanced manufacturing, R&D, education and commercialisation means to businesses, the workforce and future outlook.

“We have secured the top industry experts in their field, all of which operate in the Dandenong and the south-east Melbourne region — which is home to 5000 enterprises and produces over half of Victoria’s manufactured product,” he said.

Among the speakers confirmed for the symposium is Jan Vydra, managing director of Australian Fresh Leaf. Vydra co-founded the Australian herb grower and distributor at the age of 26 in 2008. Australian Fresh Leaf now produces up to 150,000 bunches of herbs and salad items weekly for major retailers, independent supermarkets, greengrocers and the hospitality sector.

After being ranked in the BRW top 100 fastest growing start-up companies in 2011 and The Age’s top 100 most influential people in Melbourne, Vydra developed a cloud-based supply chain and business operations platform called Nucleus Logic to improve efficiency and product traceability.

“Traditional farming has been very laborious. My vision was to simplify agriculture and incorporate technology so that it is more engaging for young people and future generations,” said Vydra.

“In our business, innovation… has the dual purpose of maintaining relevance as well as inspiring culture. It’s important to embrace innovative practices and technologies to grow and evolve so that your business does not become redundant. For our team, we find that through innovation they can find reasons to be excited and challenged at work, which contributes to their sense of purpose,” he said.

3D printing will be a key topic of discussion. In a world first, a Spanish cancer patient received a 3D-printed titanium sternum and rib implant last year which was designed by medical device company Anatomics and manufactured at CSIRO’s Lab22 Innovation Centre in Clayton. Australia’s leading scientists and engineers in 3D printing will discuss its capability, cutting-edge applications and world-leading innovations, as well as how 3D printing can lower capital investment risk and maximise efficiency for local businesses.

Other topics to be presented include opportunities and avenues for businesses to participate in the defence industry supply chain as part of the largest defence manufacturing state in Australia; the need for today’s manufacturers to be innovative during a technological revolution and how businesses can not only keep up but grow; the ins and outs of commercialisation, export and taking product to market; the myriad pathways to a career in manufacturing and insights into emerging manufacturing industries such as agritech; and opportunities to seek funding.

Symposium attendees will have the opportunity to network with like-minded people, ask questions and receive useful advice on the latest commercial, technological, market and career opportunities.

For free registration and more information on sessions and speakers for the symposium, visit www.smartmanufacturing.com.au/symposia.