Food manufacturing is Australia’s largest manufacturing sector, yet it’s under pressure from every direction, squeezed margins, rising costs, global competition, and ongoing underinvestment.

In this episode, Paul sits down with Angeline Achariya from Innovation Gamechangers to unpack what’s really happening inside the industry and why it matters far beyond food.

They explore why manufacturers keep falling into the cycle of cutting costs instead of investing, how this is eroding long-term competitiveness, and why the real challenge isn’t a lack of capital, it’s a lack of understanding around ROI and strategic investment.

Angeline shares a clear pathway forward, from mapping supply chain vulnerabilities and rethinking partnership strategies, to shifting Australia’s focus from volume production to high-value manufacturing that captures more margin.

They also dive into the global landscape, including how China is reshaping food production through technology and biomanufacturing, and what Australian manufacturers can learn from it.

If you’re in manufacturing, this episode is a wake-up call and a practical guide to building resilience, unlocking growth, and staying competitive in a rapidly changing world.

Key takeaways:

• Why food manufacturing is the backbone of Australia’s economy, and why it’s being squeezed

• The real reason companies underinvest in technology and innovation

• Why capital isn’t the constraint, but mindset and ROI understanding are

• How to shift from volume-driven growth to margin-driven strategies

• The importance of mapping your supply chain and identifying vulnerabilities

• Why partnerships will define the next generation of manufacturers

• What China’s long-term strategy means for Australian industry

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Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episodes/

Australian Manufacturing Week 2026 delivered more than just machines on stands. It surfaced the real conversations manufacturers are having about productivity, automation, software, skills, and how to stay competitive.

In this episode, Paul Mason and I speak with a cross-section of exhibitors and industry leaders on the show floor, capturing what is actually resonating with Australian manufacturers right now.

You will hear from Tim J. Kelly from the Manufacturing Excellence Forum on why regional manufacturing ecosystems like the Sunshine Coast matter more than ever. PPC Moulding Services share how advanced metrology, scanning and prototyping are helping manufacturers reduce risk before investing in tooling. ECI unpack why ERP, business systems and AI need to solve real problems rather than chase hype.

The conversation also covers workforce challenges, reshoring wins, automation and robotics, manufacturing software, and why AMW 2026 felt different, with fewer tyre kickers and more serious buyers.

This is a practical snapshot of where Australian manufacturing is heading, straight from the show floor.

Follow Manufacturing Tech Australia on Spotify and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episodes/

Australian Manufacturing Week 2026 has landed in Brisbane for the first time ever — and we're recording live from the show floor.

Part 1 of our AMW 2026 coverage brings you six exhibitor interviews covering robotics, autonomous material handling, ERP, 3D metrology, automation hardware, and the grant landscape for Australian manufacturers.

Paul Mason and Shane Williams are joined by locals Phil Seboa from the Unplugged IIoT podcast, and Clare Treston to talk to leaders across the show about what's working, what's broken, and where the smart money is going in advanced manufacturing.

In this episode you'll hear:

- Manglesh Singh (Konica Minolta) on mobile cobots and AMRs that have clocked 16,000+ kilometres moving 500 pallets a day

- Amanda (Freelance Robotics) on how cobot welding and the

Blue Dragon framework are giving injured welders and boilermakers a way back into meaningful work

- Mark and Trevor (Lily Works / PFM Works) on why nine out of ten manufacturers still run production on spreadsheets — and why replacing your ERP isn't the answer

- Sara (RSM) on R&D tax incentives, CRC-P projects, and the Transforming Queensland Manufacturing grant programme offering $100K to $1.5M in matched funding

- Danilo (Hi-Tech Metrology) on the Creaform HandySCAN Max — a handheld blue-laser 3D scanner doing three million points per second at 75-micron accuracy, with no surface prep needed on chrome or black parts

- Michael (Mectec) on Delta automation, PLCs and vision systems helping Aussie SMEs automate repetitive packing operations

- Gil Harkness (Queensland Government, Department of Natural Resources, Mines, Manufacturing, Regional & Rural Development) on Queensland's eight manufacturing hubs, the AI-and-jobs conversation, and procurement opportunities from the Brisbane 2032 Olympics

Manufacturing Tech Australia is Australia's leading podcast covering manufacturing technology, automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0.

We're the official media partner of Australian Manufacturing Week.

More episodes and resources: https://www.manufacturingtech.au

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturingtechau

Part 2 of our AMW 2026 coverage drops next fortnight.

Manufacturers keep investing in automation, ERP, AI, and capital projects, yet many still struggle with cost, resilience, and execution. The problem is not the tools, it is fragmentation.In this episode, Shane Williams and Paul Mason are joined by Oliver North and Warren Proctor, Partners at Argon & Co, to unpack why siloed projects quietly destroy manufacturing competitiveness, and what an integrated operational roadmap actually looks like in practice. The discussion cuts straight to the shop floor, exploring how disconnected decisions across operations, supply chain, IT, capital planning, and product development lock in mediocrity rather than advantage. Oliver and Warren explain why sequencing matters, why an 80 percent plan beats perfection, and how integrated roadmaps help manufacturers respond faster to disruption without burning out their teams.This is a highly practical conversation for operational leaders who want to move beyond isolated improvements and build organisations that can pivot, scale, and win under constant volatility.In this episode, you will learn:

• Why siloed investments reduce ROI and lock in operational constraints
• How integrated roadmaps align people, process, and technology around real business value
• What “good” looks like on the shop floor when strategy is truly joined up
• When automation helps, and when it simply hardwires inefficiency
• How digital twins and scenario modelling support faster decision-making, not prediction
• Why progress beats perfection when building operational capability

Follow Manufacturing Tech Australia on Spotify and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episodes/

Most manufacturers do not need another AI tool. They need better decisions from the ERP and data they already have.

In this episode, Graeme Evans and Ian Macdonald from Epicor explain how embedded AI is helping manufacturers move ERP from a system of record to a system of action, helping them get more from the systems they already use every day. We explore practical use cases across scheduling, supply chain risk, workforce onboarding, invoice matching and predictive maintenance, and explain why the best AI often feels invisible when it is done well.

In this episode, we cover:

• how to separate AI signal from hype in manufacturing

• why embedded AI inside ERP often beats standalone tools

• practical use cases across scheduling, supply chain risk, invoice matching and the shop floor

• why waiting for perfect data is a mistake and how to start small

• how to build trust, keep humans in the loop and get more from the systems you already own

If you lead operations, technology, supply chain or continuous improvement, this episode will help you spot practical ways to reduce admin, surface issues earlier and make faster decisions without handing control to the machine.

Thanks to Epicor for supporting this episode. If you want to learn more about how modern industry-specific ERP helps manufacturers gain clearer visibility and drive performance, visit epicor.com.

Show notes for this episode: manufacturingtech.au/episodes/

Four real AI use cases in Australian manufacturing and the hardware decisions behind moving from pilot to production.

In this episode, Troy Smithells from Xenon Systems (Australia's only Nvidia Elite partner) walks through where AI is actually earning its keep in Aussie manufacturing, and why production workloads often need to leave the cloud. We cover:

Hand-drawn to CAD file conversion: 4x faster, near-100% accuracy, $750K per year saved at a steel fabricator

Physical AI in pipe inspection: tiny robots mapping up to a kilometre of pipe for leak detection and preventative maintenance

Predictive maintenance from sound: a listening device on a conveyor belt catching wear before failure

Computer vision for construction OHS: PPE checks, exclusion zone alerts, and yes, crocodile alerts on the docks at Cairns

Why cloud AI costs scale exponentially and on-prem or hosted GPU hardware can land at roughly a quarter to half the spend

Data sovereignty, the US Cloud Act, and the space, power and cooling reality of running GPU clusters (132kg, 110dB, and a burn-in you need earplugs for)

When to bring in infrastructure specialists: after the proof of concept, before you try to scale

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, CTO, or integrator weighing up an AI project, this conversation gives you a practical map from pilot to production grade AI.

Follow Manufacturing Tech Australia on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, and leave a review if this episode helped you.

Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episode/79-from-cloud-to-concrete-practical-ai-use-cases-in-manufacturing-with-troy-smithells/

Authentic storytelling cuts through AI-generated noise and drives real change in manufacturing teams.

In this episode, Gabrielle Dolan, storytelling expert and author, shares her Story Intelligence framework and why it matters more than ever for manufacturers leading change. We cover:

- Why authentic stories outperform data and slides when overcoming resistance to change

- How to use storytelling to connect teams across functions and simplify complex ideas

- The difference between manipulative and meaningful stories in leadership

- How to uncover and use your own organisation's story to build purpose

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, or change champion, this episode gives you a practical framework for leading through story.

Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episode/78-story-intelligence-with-gabrielle-dolan-2/

Australia's robotics sector is scaling fast — here's what manufacturers need to know and do first in 2026.

In this episode, Nicci Rossouw, CEO of Robotics Australia Group, returns to unpack how the ecosystem has shifted and what's driving the most investable robotics businesses today. We cover:

- The National Robotics Strategy and why funding alone doesn't solve the scaling challenge

- What field robotics and physical AI mean for Australian manufacturers right now

- The common thread behind robotics companies gaining traction: measurable outcomes

- Sovereign capability, keeping IP onshore, and the role of collaboration across startups and universities

- The first practical steps manufacturers should take to adopt robotics in 2026

Whether you're a manufacturer evaluating automation options, an integrator, or a technology buyer, this episode gives you a grounded view of where Australian robotics is heading.

Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episode/77-the-practical-robotics-playbook-for-growth-sovereign-capability-and-ai-readiness-with-nicci-rousso/