AutomationFinder launched to take the guesswork out of automation

Robotics Australia Group in partnership with HowToRobot has launched AutomationFinder.com.au to give Australian manufacturers and other businesses looking to automate a vendor-agnostic local starting point to work out what is worth automating, build a stronger business case and find suppliers who can deliver it.

For many businesses, the hardest part of automation is not finding technology — it is knowing where to begin. Projects can stall because teams are unsure which process to tackle first, what a realistic solution should cost, whether the idea will stack up, or which suppliers to trust.

“The biggest barrier for many businesses isn't whether automation exists — it’s knowing where to start and having enough confidence to invest. Is this the right process to automate? What should it cost? Who can actually deliver it? AutomationFinder is designed to make those first decisions much easier for Australian businesses,” said Paul Mason, CEO, Robotics Australia Group

Businesses can start locally at AutomationFinder.com.au, with Robotics Australia Group supporting the Australian side with independent experts available when hands-on help is needed. The service is powered by Denmark-founded HowToRobot's AI-assisted platform, which draws on more than 600 real automation projects and a network of more than 20,000 vetted automation suppliers worldwide, including a rapidly expanding base of automation suppliers in Australia.

Robotics Australia says that through that process, Australian businesses can:

• identify processes where automation could have the biggest operational or financial impact
• turn a production problem or automation idea into a clear, supplier-ready project brief
• get early market input on feasibility, likely costs and possible solution approaches before committing major capital
• compare suppliers, proposals and quotes through a structured, vendor-neutral process
• bring in independent Australian automation experts for site assessments, scoping and hands-on support when needed.
   

The service is vendor-neutral. Robotics Australia Group is Australia’s national peak body for robotics, automation, and physical AI and says it is on a mission to lift Australia’s productivity and GDP output through increased robot and automation adoption. HowToRobot does not sell automation equipment and has no commercial preference for which supplier a business ultimately selects. The Australian partnership is its first country-wide licensed deployment.

Why it matters for Australia

Australia needs more of these projects to get moving. The latest ABS National Accounts show GDP per hour worked fell 0.6% in the March 2026 quarter and was only 0.3% higher than a year earlier — a reminder of the country's persistent productivity challenge.

At the same time, the Australian Government's National Robotics Strategy points to a huge opportunity. It identifies robotics and automation as a way to lift productivity, strengthen manufacturing and help businesses respond to labour shortages, citing estimates that automation technologies could add between $170 billion and $600 billion per year to Australia’s GDP by 2030.

“If we want the productivity benefits of automation, we need to make it easier for more Australian businesses to actually adopt it,” Mason said. “That means helping companies make better decisions before they spend the money: finding the right opportunities, building a sound business case and getting the right solution providers around the table.”

“Most businesses don’t have the time or specialist expertise to work through all of this alone,” said Søren Peters, CEO and founder of HowToRobot. “A structured way to validate what to automate, what it should cost and who can deliver it helps businesses move forward with much more confidence.”

Australian businesses can start at AutomationFinder.com.au.

Image credit: iStock.com/SweetBunFactory