Cicada Innovations, Ai Group and Robotics Australia Group welcome the release of the National Robotics Strategy and announce that they have formed a partnership to support robotics companies and industry to grow and scale together. The Robotics Growth Partnership (RGP) supports the development, commercialisation, scaling and adoption of robotics in Australia in alignment with the newly released National Robotics Strategy.
The partnership will support:
- Scaling of robotics companies in Australia helping them expand their network and footprint while growing export capability;
- Connect robotics companies with innovative local companies who may be potential customers or partners;
- Support Australian industry to connect with the local robotics ecosystem to help futureproof their businesses;
- Advocate for increased adoption of robotic and automation solutions and support for both start-ups and integrators.
Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group said: "Australian industry needs to use technology to update industry capability and business models to rapidly advance productivity. In different ways, every Australian business will be affected by the digitisation, decarbonisation and diversification transitions which are underway and quickly gathering momentum. We are only going to succeed in these transitions if we seriously focus on capability and productivity gains. Ai Group is committed to assisting industry with this transition and is partnering with Cicada Innovations and Robotics Australia because of their ability to help us provide solutions that result in real and lasting capability transformations," Mr Willox said.
Sally-Ann Williams, CEO of Cicada Innovations said: "We are delighted to collaborate with Robotics Australia Group and Ai Group to provide industry-led support to grow robotics in Australia. Cicada is home to world-leading innovation in robotics such as: Contactile which has developed state-of-the-art tactile sensors and grippers to give robots a sense of touch with broad industry applications; Crest Robotics their advanced robotic system enables operations in hazardous conditions with reduced risk to human operators and offers a greener approach by optimizing maintenance processes to lower carbon emissions. With over two decades experience building deep tech companies and commericalisation capability in sectors such as health, space, agriculture, climate and manufacturing; Cicada is well placed to support the diverse industry applications of robotics companies as they scale."
Nicci Rossouw, CEO, Robotics Australia Group said, "With the release of Australia's first National Robotics Strategy, it's the right time for our robotics ecosystem to grow through this partnership that offers end-to-end support for robotics innovation and adoption. With Australia facing both labour and housing shortages, an aging population, increasingly unpredictable impacts from climate change and struggling to provide equitable access to healthcare for rural and remote communities, we must urgently look towards technologies like robotics to support humans in finding solutions."
The Australian robotics industry is worth more than $18bn and comprises more than 1,000 companies with robotics capability, employing more than 50,000 people. While the robotics industry in Australia is still young, its focus on developing field robotic solutions for the agriculture, mining, construction, healthcare and defence sectors, expands the range of robotic solutions available to overcome current challenges.
