Author: Angela Reed

Female Founder Technology Accelerator opens for business

Posted on by Angela Reed

The ARM Hub has opened a new technology accelerator for female founders of Queensland-based technology and manufacturing companies.

The ARM Hub Technology Roadmap Accelerator for Female Founders is designed to help female business owners or women leading companies to take their business to the next level.

ARM Hub CEO and founder Dr Cori Stewart opened the Expressions of Interest in the accelerator during a special event with Queensland Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport Stirling Hinchliffe at ARM Hub today.

“As a female founder myself, I’m thrilled to be able to offer this program to Queensland’s entrepreneurs and business leaders,” Dr Stewart said.

“The accelerator goes beyond refining your business objectives. We help you identify and plan the Industry 5.0 technologies you need to scale your business.

“These roadmaps are fit-for-purpose, designed with the help of leading Australian experts in the field of robotics, artificial intelligence, automation, and design-led manufacturing.

“This is a great opportunity for Queensland small-to-medium businesses and micro-businesses to tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience.

“Roadmaps are essential for growing your business and becoming more attractive to investors.”

The accelerator is open to women in Queensland who have founded a business, are in a business that is 50% female owned, or is led by a female (e.g., CEO, Director, Executive).

To gain the most benefit from the accelerator, we recommend applying if:

  • your business or product is underpinned by, or includes, a technology component, OR
  • your business or product requires manufacturing, OR
  • you business or product includes a technology component and requires manufacturing.

The ARM Hub Technology Accelerator Roadmap for Female Founders is a joint initiative with VenturePro and is supported by Advance Queensland Female Founders Accelerator Program.

The Hub technology accelerator is one of 11 recipients of the first round of grant funding under the Advance Queensland Female Founders Accelerator Program.

Expressions of Interest for the Hub accelerator close on 15 August 2023. The accelerator will run from August to November 2023.

For more information please review the eligibility criteria or contact Director Marketing and Memberships, Angela Reed.

 

Success story: Direct air capture technology

Posted on by Angela Reed

Southern Green Gas was founded by Rohan Gillespie in 2018, after he identified a gap in the energy processes and technology that was being used to make use of carbon in a positive light.

The company has developed Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and make it available for subsequent sequestration, or as a component in several sustainable production pathways. This includes being transformed into renewable fuels.

Its success has attracted investment from former Australian Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel AC, who will provide counsel on policy and commercialisation of its technology.

ARM Hub is playing an integral role in the scaling and growth of Southern Green Gas, as it looks to commercialise its product for companies the world over to use.

The industry challenge

Carbon dioxide is at 420ppm in our atmosphere – the highest level ever recorded. While government and industry have set emission targets, they are designed to reduce future emissions. They do not address the existing rates of carbon dioxide.

Southern Green Gas set out to reduce current emissions to a healthy goal (below 400ppm) and to build a solution that ensures carbon dioxide can be repurposed, or sequestered underground and locked away, essentially forever.

The solution

Southern Green Gas, in partnership with University of Sydney, has found a way to not only capture the carbon dioxide, but also to sequester it or include it in sustainable products.

This includes working to minimise the energy demand so it can operate in remote, arid areas of Australia, or overseas without infrastructure support.

The team is now working to commercialise its technology in a way that’s cost-effective for potential customers.

Southern Green Gas is working closely with AspiraDAC to complete the DAC module at ARM Hub.

The company has built a triangular module (DAC Tent) on a square base, which contains a series of canisters and houses solar panels for sustainable energy supply.

It works as a technology tree, drawing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Air is passed over a specific surface coating, in canisters, capturing the carbon dioxide until a desorption phase releases the concentrated gas for further use.

It can be immediately sequestered underground, or stored for subsequent use in the production of e-fuels, as a food additive or as a supplement for enhanced horticulture.

Outcomes

Southern Green Gas is building three of its module units at ARM Hub’s state-of-the-art Brisbane facility.

The next step is to upgrade the design based on the learnings from the current module, before starting to build the units at scale for commercial production and sale.

Southern Green Gas is also looking at opportunities to deploy the DAC modules in arid locations that have low traditional economic value, yet high solar presence.

The company is very aware that for CO2 to be reduced from our current unsustainable levels, we must address the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere, not just what is planned to be emitted in future.

Partnering with ARM Hub

The team was introduced to ARM Hub through a business associate at a time when the company was looking for a space to continue to build and test its module.

As a tenant, the company has had the opportunity to work collaboratively with ARM Hub’s world-leading experts and advisors in robotics, artificial intelligence, and design.

ARM Hub has also offered extensive, high-value networking opportunities; with its reputation as a leader in advanced manufacturing, ARM Hub regularly hosts international, national, and state industry and government delegations.

Southern Green Gas has leveraged ARM Hub’s network to identify key university contacts that have assisted with the company’s technology focus. The ARM Hub international community also provided specific expertise.

Locally, the facilities in the ARM Hub have been a bonus to Southern Green Gas with meeting venues and administrative support.

The challenge of recycling lithium batteries

Posted on by Angela Reed

Did you know that only a small percentage of lithium batteries are recycled, with most ending up in landfill?

One of the main barriers is their casing, says Vaulta CEO and founder, Dominic Spooner.

Speaking at our Academic and Industry Engagement event this week, Dominic said the Brisbane company was overcoming this major industry challenge.

“The penny drop moment was finding out recycling of lithium batteries was near non-existent and the way they were packaged had a significant impact,” Dominic said.

“Without better battery casing, we’re going to have a real problem with longer-term aspects of how the industry works.

“Relying on batteries that end up in landfill is not a sustainable way to roll out renewables.

“People are going to become frustrated with battery manufacturers, just like they are now with the coal industry.

“We have the opportunity to get this right before the problem hits hard. We can solve this right now – and Vaulta is doing that.”

Vaulta, one of our newest Members, is manufacturing new batteries that can be dissembled for recycling and repair (in the field, if necessary).

“We are proud to champion locally made content. For us, being ‘local’ means more than just a label, it means manufacturing everything we can right here in Queensland.

“By encouraging local production, we not only support our community but also reduce reliance on offshore sources, promoting sustainable economic growth.”

Fast facts about lithium batteries

  • Queensland’s waste reduction targets for 2050 include 75% recycling rates across all waste types, and for 90% of waste to recovered instead of going to landfill. Currently, Australia’s battery recycling rate is 3%, and 9% worldwide.
  • The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2030, there would be 145 million electric cars on the roads, surging to a staggering 230 million if governments prioritise energy and climate goals.
  • Australia regularly follows EU regulations. The EU Battery Recycling Mandate states: “…Extended Producer Responsibility will start applying by mid-2025, with higher collection targets being introduced over time. For portable batteries, the targets will be 63% in 2027 and 73% in 2030, while for batteries with light means of transport, the target will be 51% in 2028 and 61% in 2031. All collected batteries have to be recycled and high levels of recovery have to be achieved, in particular of valuable materials such as copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and lead.

Academic and Industry Engagement events

These events are held quarterly at our facility and are designed to foster collaboration between academia and industry, and raise awareness of industry challenges.

Would you like to join the next one? Please email Samuel.jesuadian@armhub.com.au.

Collaboration paper wins award

Posted on by Angela Reed

Congratulations to ARM Hub industrial designer Anthony Franze on winning the 2023 Young CAADRIA Award (YCA)!

CAADRIA is the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia. The YCA is for PhD candidates who are lead authors of a submitted conference paper. It aims to encourage and promote early career researchers.

As a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) PhD student and the lead author, Anthony received the award for the paper, Informing User-Centred Approaches To Augmented Custom Manufacturing Practices.

“I am delighted that our paper has received recognition, underscoring our research topic’s national and international significance within the academic community,” Anthony said.

“Our paper also highlights the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to support small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses adopting emergent technologies, such as AR/MR. By doing so, improving their Industry 4.0 competitiveness, and enhancing the work lives of their valued fabrication staff.

“Winning the YCA award presents a unique opportunity to invite further discussions, research, and collaboration with manufacturers, academics, and industry professionals to progress the sector.”

The paper was submitted to the CAADRIA 2023 Human-Centric Conference at Cept University, India, from 18-24 March 2023.

Anthony’s co-authors were:

  • Associate Professor Glenda Caldwell
  • Dr Müge Belek Fialho Teixeira
  • Associate Professor Markus Rittenbruch.

The papers are judged on their merit, contribution, relevance to CAADRIA, and demonstrated the depth of research interest.

The paper is available here and the abstract is below.

Abstract

This practice-based research presents insights into the potential and challenges for augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) technology to enhance Australian small-to-medium (SME) custom manufacturers’ agility to overcome existing Industry 4.0 (I4.0) workforce productivity and efficiency challenges. Moreover, it seeks to understand the technology’s ability to support custom manufacturers and the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) sector transition to a more human-centric Industry 5.0 (I5.0) model, whereby the well-being of the fabricator is placed back at the centre of manufacturing processes. This qualitative study draws on interviews with eleven Australian custom manufacturing industry professionals to inform pertinent themes around fabricators’ current use and perceptions of mixed reality technology. Results indicate benefits for fabricators in reducing 2D drawing and task-related ambiguities in fabrication and assembly practices and reveal factors surrounding underutilisation. Synthesising insights and reflecting on Teixeira et al., (2021) ‘s XR-PACT framework, key research areas are identified for future AR/MR development centred on fabrication users’ distinct needs to improve accessibility, empower fabricators and ultimately assist the competitiveness of custom manufacturers and the AEC sector.

Welcoming Australia’s industry policy leaders to ARM Hub

Posted on by Angela Reed

Australian manufacturers took the opportunity to discuss their products and services with Australian Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ed Husic MP at ARM Hub in April.

During a tour of the Northgate facility, Minister Husic spoke to ARM Hub Member Orcon, and tenants Southern Green Gas, Bondi Labs, and Umbrella Solutions.

QUT Professor and ARM Hub Technical Director Professor Jonathan Roberts demonstrated the development of a mechanism developed by the Australian Cobotics Centre.

Minister Husic was joined by Australian Minister for Aged Care the Hon Anika Wells MP, who spoke to Umbrella Solutions about their technology for aged care organisations.

ARM Hub marks three years

Posted on by Angela Reed

ARM Hub has celebrated three years of helping Australian industry on its digital transformation journey.

The celebration on 18 April 2023 honoured the achievements of Queensland manufacturers and also marked the official unveiling of the ARM Hub’s updated office premises, which was built by Sonder and fitted out by Queensland-based Indigenous company, Nulla Office Supplies.

More than 120 guests took the opportunity to celebrate and tour the facility, viewing the latest in technology from the Australian Cobotics Centre, Southern Green Gas, Orcon, Bondi Labs, Industrial Automation Australia, Umbrella Solutions, and Wisk.

ARM Hub CEO Dr Cori Stewart said she was proud of ARM Hub’s scale and depth of collaboration, working across universities and industry at a local, national, and international level.

“For Queensland, the ARM Hub means jobs and investment. The ARM hub has created 187 jobs, attracted 26 international and interstate companies to invest in Queensland projects, and six international or interstate businesses to set up operations right here in Queensland,” Dr Stewart said.

“When the ARM Hub started, we had a goal of delivering $47 million of projects over our first four years of operations. We’ve delivered $54 million over two and half years, with many more projects in our forward pipeline.

“The new facilities will allow the ARM Hub to collaborate more with industry and accommodate our growing team of experts who require access to the makerspace and collaborative spaces to do their work.”

Thank-you to our guests

The special guest was Australian Assistant Minister for Manufacturing Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, who spoke to the value of the national manufacturing industry and the opportunities to be delivered in the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund.

Senator Ayres said the Australian Government wanted to ‘make sure a lot of that [funding] is deployed in advanced manufacturing and robotics’.

He wants to see ARM Hub ‘part of a part of the government agenda to reindustrialise the Australian economy, to bring Australian manufacturing jobs to our outer suburbs and regions, and to do this in a way that changes the lives of Australians’.

ARM Hub Chair Emeritus Professor Roy Green led the amazing panel Shay Chalmers, Matt Tobin, Michelle Richards, and Professor Jonathan Roberts in discussing Australia’s role as an international manufacturing hub.

Congratulations were received from the Queensland Government, with Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher MP highlighting ARM Hub’s role in delivering the priorities of the Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan.

“In just three short years there have been so many success stories, thanks to the Palaszczuk Government-funded ARM Hub.

ARM Hub’s local Queensland representative, Leanne Linard MP, said she had ‘seen first-hand the power of local manufacturers collaborating with the Hub to bring their innovations to market’.

“To have a one-stop-shop like this, right here on Brisbane’s northside, is a real asset for Queensland’s advanced manufacturing sector.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what other advanced robotic and manufacturing minds create thanks to the support of the Palaszczuk Government.

“I will continue to encourage my local manufacturers to engage with the Hub so they too can benefit from the collaboration it encourages.”

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