The launch of the Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation (TMI) Hub in Adelaide demonstrates that industry 4.0 capability is alive and booming in Australia.

The Flinders University, Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC), and State Government’s TMI Hub will tap into the work of innovative companies to improve Australia’s industry 4.0 capability.

The advanced manufacturing and fast-growing defence sectors are set to gain the most, according to Flinders’ Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute, John Spoehr.

“With $90 billion worth of defence projects in the pipeline in coming decades, defence needs to harness the i4.0 agenda and will equally need a workforce with well-developed skills,” Professor Spoehr said. 

“The TMI will provide next generation education and training for the apprentices, engineers and designers of the future, and work with companies to build digital maturity,” he said.

SAGE Automation CEO Adrian Fahey speaking at the launch event Feburary 9 2018. 

Speaking to more than 300 influencers at the launch event, SAGE Automation CEO Adrian Fahey said the company’s strategic partnership with Flinders University and relationships with other businesses in the precinct were among the main benefits of its association with the TMI hub.

“The partnerships we’ve already developed at the precinct have been incredibly fruitful. Flinders’ University are producing some quality work placement engineers that have joined our team as permanent employees,” Mr Fahey said.

“We’re excited to be able to share our experiences with the hub in advanced manufacturing, automation training and digital transformation and IoT projects through Nukon,” he said.

“Together SAGE and Nukon deliver the best thinking around industry 4.0 including automation around cloud-based IoT systems, traceability and authentication, time-series database management and analysis, machine learning and predictive analytics, and whole-of-business systems integration to name a few,” Mr Fahey said.
  

SAGE Automation’s training line-of-business will play directly into the TMI’s education arm.

“Our training platforms are equipped with the industry’s newest technologies, including a new IoT manufacturing platform that connects with an array of devices and mimics a factory environment,” Mr Fahey said.

It is estimated that digitalisation and the application of industry 4.0 agenda is contributing between $140 billion and $250 billion to Australia’s GDP per annum.

SAGE Engineering Officer and Flinder's University student Matthew Markiewicz presents project work completed during work placement at SAGE. 

SAGE's world-class Training Platforms on display at the TMI Hub launch.

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