The theme for this year’s TMA Conference, “Thriving in the Face of Disruption”, is a call-to-action for the industry.
Here, two of our presenters – David Chuter, CEO of IMCRC and Jesse Reader, Agriculture Sector Specialist at Bosch Australia – talk about Australia’s readiness to tackle this disruption, what challenges the industry is facing because of it and how they see the disruption taking place in the field.
Jesse Reader, Agriculture Sector Specialist, Bosch Australia
Jesse is an experienced agronomist and has worked in horticulture for over 15 years, with a specialisation in tech implementation and consulting.
What are some challenges the industry is facing with this disruption? What are some positive outcomes of the disruption that you can see?
Challenges include lack of maturity in the technology, cost of technology versus ROI and lack of simplicity in emerging technology.
Positives include relieving workers of dull, dirty and dangerous jobs, and the creation of new business models that drive greater profit into the hands of end users.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry in Australia and how primed are we to deal with disruption?
The current state of the industry is quite advanced in some respects, by global standards, but showing very little sign of innovation in other areas. Like all industries, there are the early movers and adopters who are embracing technology and the laggards who see disruption as high risk.
David Chuter, CEO of IMCRC
David is the CEO of IMCRC, a not-for-profit research-based organisation that seeks to future-proof the Australian manufacturing industry. He has a strong background in the automotive industry in the Asia-Pacific region and internationally.
What will your presentation at the TMA Conference be about?
I’ll be encouraging the audience to think differently about the pace of change, new technology and the opportunities and new business models that these new technologies enable.
What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry in Australia and how primed are we to deal with the disruption? How do you think Australia is tackling and embracing the fourth industrial revolution?
Australia is well on the journey, although there are not yet enough examples of success and return on investment to encourage and catalyse small and medium companies to learn and invest.
This level of success and ROI comes down to a lack of awareness, especially at a SME level. Also, a lot of digital is “intangible” and companies like things to be more tangible, especially manufacturers. Consequently, understanding investment models and returns on investment is more challenging.
For in-depth insights into the state of the industry and how we can help it not just survive, but thrive in the face of this brave new world, book your ticket for the TMA Conference in Sydney on 17 July here.