Regardless of your industry, the marketplace is continually evolving. The reason, increasingly, is the evolution of disruptive technology.

The advent of 3D printers supposedly means we can manufacture anything in our homes. But in reality most existing home 3D printers can only make things out of certain plastics, although there are industrial systems that can print certain metals.

Some of the biggest carriers in Australia, Vodafone, Telstra and even Chinese manufacturer Huawei are preparing for the next generation of mobile phone network, 5G, even though 4G has only just been rolled out.

Imagine a world that is even more connected technologically than ours today.

A 3D printing start-up wants to “educate and inspire” manufacturers and potential Makers. Brent Balinski spoke to Protoworks’ founder Hans Chang about 3D printing in businesses and schools

Robots and AIs do make good cinematic villains. However, in reality no one has much clue how to make a robot “want” or “feel” anything in a phenomenologically credible way as yet; let alone how to make them sociopaths hell bent on world domination and the extermination of Homo sapiens.

According to Adrian De Luca, chief technology officer of Hitachi Data Systems Asia Pacific, enterprises will experience major digital transformation next year as they strive to improve a host of key tech and non-tech functions.

One might think – after years of focus on global warming – that all the easy measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions had been taken. And yet, as governments prepare for their 21st annual conference on climate change (COP21), some surprisingly low-hanging fruit remains.

The automobile industry poses the greatest productivity demands, however supplier companies’ quality requirements are no less stringent.

They might not yet be matching the times of Formula One pit crews, but railway maintenance teams are set to do their work in record time. This is due to new processes made possible by equipment developed specifically for the purpose.

Enterprise resource planning applications in the cloud offer faster time to value, increased innovation, and scalability with the business, says Chris Downie, Senior Director Applications Sales Consulting, Oracle.

Frost & Sullivan’s new report, Analysis of the Australian Pump Services Market cited budgetary pressures as prompting end users to shift from capital expenditure to operation expenditure.

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, savvy businesses must leverage new, intelligent technologies to gain a competitive advantage.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Australia is holding its inaugural Innovation Mission, exploring some of the reasons behind the USA’s tech business success, next month.

Branko Miletic talks to Axel Kuhr, Managing Director for ABB in Australia, about where future opportunities lie and what will be the robotics, power and automation company’s focus over the next few years.

Over time, the quality of user experience on mobile phones, computers and even televisions has dramatically evolved. Improving user experience is clearly a key priority for designers of consumer technology, but can the same be said for industrial automation?

The compact, robust and easily installed FAG SmartCheck online measuring system from Schaeffler Australia was deployed by Sunstate Cement in a short-term condition monitoring initiative on a tube mill that ultimately avoided the need to replace a trunnion end drive bearing costing more than $300,000 to buy new and install.

With computerised control systems operating everything from power plants, water treatment facilities to transport systems and factories, the potential for disruptive cyber attacks grows bigger by the week.

The Internet of Things requires a lot of background engineering, planning and design work. Some companies are already well ahead in being ‘IoT ready’, says Andrew McGee, Chief Technology Officer, of Hitachi Data Systems, ANZ.

If the industry is to survive and grow, on this planet and off it, total automation of many of the processes is the way forward.