How do you turn a research project into a global technology company with customers in more than 50 countries?

In this episode of Manufacturing Tech Australia, Shane Williams and Paul Mason sit down with Dr Stefan Hrabar, Co-founder of Emesent, to explore the journey from CSIRO robotics research to one of Australia's leading autonomy and mapping technology companies.

Stefan shares how Emesent identified a critical challenge in underground mining and transformed it into Hovermap, a world-leading autonomous drone and LiDAR mapping solution capable of navigating GPS-denied environments. What began as a research breakthrough has evolved into a global business serving mining, construction, defence, surveying, and infrastructure customers around the world.

You'll learn:

• How Emesent commercialised CSIRO technology and validated early market demand before spinning out as a company.

• Why underground mining became the perfect proving ground for autonomous navigation and mapping technology.

• How Hovermap uses LiDAR and SLAM technology to operate where GPS isn't available.

• The realities of scaling from a small startup to a team of more than 150 people.

• Lessons on manufacturing, fundraising, and building sovereign capability in Australia.

• Emesent's vision for Cortex AI and a future where autonomous software powers every drone and robot.

Stefan also shares practical advice for founders, researchers, and manufacturers looking to commercialise innovation, build world-class products, and expand into global markets while remaining rooted in Australia.

Whether you're interested in robotics, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, mining technology, defence, AI, or technology commercialisation, this episode offers a fascinating look at how Australian innovation can compete on the world stage.

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

How AI, hydrogen fuel cells and smarter logistics are reshaping Australian transport and supply chains.

In this episode, Dean Calapai, Founder, Director and CEO of Intellitrac, Andrew Willis, Manager External Affairs & Governance at Toyota, Dr. Julian Zeltinger, Chief Commercial Officer at Intermodal Terminal Company, and Joel Kotamanidis, Chief Executive Officer at Allotrak, share practical insights on the technologies transforming transport and logistics across Australia.

We cover:

How AI is being applied to fleet management, driver fatigue detection, asset tracking and transport operations

Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell strategy and the infrastructure required to support heavy transport adoption

Building more efficient Australian supply chains through intermodal rail terminals and port shuttle networks

Integrating manufacturing, warehousing and transport systems through modern TMS platforms

Why real-time data, automation and AI agents are creating new opportunities for just-in-time operations

Whether you're a manufacturer, logistics operator, supply chain leader or technology buyer, this episode provides a practical look at the technologies driving the future of Australian transport.

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

CHAPTERS

00:00 AI & Telematics with Intellitrac

06:30 Toyota's Hydrogen Future for Heavy Transport

15:30 Building Smarter Supply Chains with Intermodal Rail

21:00 Transport Management Systems & Integration

25:00 AI Agents, Automation & Just-in-Time Logistics

26:30 Key Takeaways from MegaTrans

Humanoid robots are coming fast, but where can they deliver real ROI for Australian manufacturers today?

In this episode, David Pearce, Founder at Our Robot Future, and Adrian Tyson, Founder at Neuranext.ai, separate the hype from the reality of humanoid robotics and explain what manufacturers should be doing now to prepare for the next wave of automation. Shane and Paul cover:

Why more than 90% of humanoid robot sales in Australia are currently going into education rather than industry

Where humanoid robots are already being trialled in manufacturing, warehousing, laboratories and logistics environments

The biggest barriers to adoption, including training data, workforce capability and deployment complexity

How wheeled humanoids may reach manufacturing environments before fully legged systems

What workforce shortages, dirty and dangerous jobs, and productivity challenges mean for the future of robotics in Australia

Real-world examples from Figure, BMW, China Post, Hyundai, Boston Dynamics, AgiBot and Australian robotics companies

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, automation engineer, or technology buyer, this episode provides a practical view of where humanoid robotics stands today and what to watch over the next few years.

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

How manufacturers can start digital transformation with low-cost tools, real shop-floor data, and minimal risk.

In this episode, Harry Baxter from Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) and Matthew Doolan from UNSW Canberra explain how manufacturers can begin their digital manufacturing journey without investing in large-scale MES projects or expensive infrastructure. Shane and Paul explore practical examples from Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring and Smart Enough Factory initiatives, covering:

• How low-cost sensors, Raspberry Pi devices and simple dashboards can provide immediate visibility of factory operations
• Using energy monitoring to identify hidden power consumption and reduce operating costs
• How job-tracking systems help identify bottlenecks and improve production flow
• Why air-quality monitoring can improve workplace transparency and operational awareness
• The cultural challenges of digital adoption and how to build operator engagement from the shop floor up
• Why manufacturers should focus on solving business problems first and then select the appropriate technology

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, continuous improvement specialist, or SME owner, this episode provides practical examples of how to start capturing meaningful production data and build momentum for broader digital transformation.

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

How mentoring, work experience and maker spaces help attract more women into Australian manufacturing.

In this episode, Rachelle Turner and Steph Piper share their experiences entering manufacturing, engineering and maker spaces, along with practical ideas for increasing female participation across the sector.

We cover:

Why visibility and representation matter when encouraging young women to consider manufacturing careers

How work experience, apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship pathways create entry points into industry

The role mentoring plays in building confidence, capability and long-term career growth

Why workplace culture, bystander intervention and respectful feedback help retain diverse teams

How maker spaces, libraries, 3D printing and hands-on projects introduce people to manufacturing and engineering skills

Whether you're a manufacturer, plant manager, educator or parent, this episode provides practical ideas for attracting, supporting and developing the next generation of manufacturing talent.

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

How food manufacturers are using AI vision, robotics, sorting and automation to boost quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

In this episode, we share the latest automation and technology innovations showcased at FoodPro 2026.

How upcycled textile robot covers can extend robot life and reduce maintenance in harsh manufacturing environments

Affordable palletising automation designed to help smaller manufacturers adopt robotics safely and cost-effectively

AI-powered machine vision systems for real-time food quality inspection, labelling compliance and defect detection

Food sorting and grading technologies using AI, machine vision and spectral analysis to improve yield and decision-making

End-of-line coding, marking, labelling and palletising solutions that help streamline packaging operations

Whether you're a plant manager, operations leader, automation engineer or technology buyer, this episode provides practical insights into the latest technologies shaping Australian food manufacturing.

Featured guests: Ben Wood, Co-Founder at WipTex (Waste in Progress Textiles), Jim Karatasos, Founder of Process Evolution, Aditya Agrawal, Co-founder of Frinks AI, Andrew Saliba, Area Sales Manager at TOMRA, and Steven B Cail, State General Manager at Visy.

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

How dairy processors can close the recycled plastic cost gap with backhauled bottle returns and food-grade HDPE reuse.

Recorded live at CeMAT 2027, Shane hosts a panel discussion with Ben McCulloch from Martog & Company, Edward Vaudrey from Popit Recycling, and Taylor Quinn from Procal Dairies who share how a closed-loop model could reduce the cost barrier that keeps food-grade recycled HDPE above virgin polymer. The cover:

* Why food-grade recycled HDPE usually costs more than virgin plastic, including smaller plant scale and the added collection, sorting, washing, decontamination, and extrusion steps.

* How Procal’s existing crate return network can backhaul empty milk bottles from cafés, restaurants, and other food-service sites without adding new logistics cost.

* How Popit’s modular recovery system scans bottles, removes contaminants, flakes material on site, and sends it to Martog for hot washing and food-grade processing.

* Why 30 to 50 per cent recycled content is currently the commercial sweet spot for milk bottles, even though the long-term goal is to push costs to parity with virgin resin.

* What rollout could look like next, from proving the economics at Prokal to expanding across more dairy processors in Australia.

Whether you’re a plant manager, packaging lead, or sustainability manager, this episode gives you a practical model for testing circular packaging without building an entirely new recovery network.

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

From cold chain robotics to humanoid AI, what will actually deliver value on the warehouse floor in 2026 might surprise you.

At CeMAT 2026, Shane and Paul sat down with John Sauer from OPEX, Daniele Farioli from Modula, Maryam Ziaee from Slimstock, and Adam Frank from SugarAI, along with a Daemon robotics showcase, to break down what’s real versus hype.

In this episode, we cover:

How next-gen AS/RS systems are enabling multi-temperature storage without traditional cold rooms

What humanoid robots can actually do today and how VR-trained AI models are shaping warehouse automation

The evolution of vertical storage systems and how businesses are scaling high-speed fulfilment

How inventory optimisation platforms are improving stock accuracy, cutting waste, and lifting revenue

Why most manufacturers are sitting on untapped data and how AI-driven CRM is unlocking better forecasting

If you're running warehouse operations, supply chain, or manufacturing, this episode gives you a grounded view of where automation and AI are really delivering results right now.

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