Welcome to our final instalment on manufacturing in Australia. Over the past two posts, we dissected the CSIRO Futures report, focusing on a roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities in Australia.
In the first part, we looked at the global megatrends. In part two, we looked at Australia’s manufacturing competitive landscape. In our final part, we’ll look at the opportunities for growth and actions for change.
Where can Australia prosper?
There are three broad opportunities that have been identified in the CSIRO report which exist for all types of manufacturing companies, whether you’re a truck trailer manufacturer or a gadget maker.
Customised high-margin solutions
- Design services: Instead of producing mass-made products, consumers value products tailored specifically for their needs, which are in collaboration with their manufacture
- Superior componentry: Technologies such as 3D printing and robotic welding, meaning components can come with improved characteristic or develop something incredible and new
- Novel products: In the areas of aerospace, health and defence, there is the opportunity to upgrade existing products to complex and original solutions.
Sustainable manufacturing
- Business models and processes: There is a drive to close the loop on land waste, by adopting business models that support sustainability
- The product itself: Australia currently ranks as one of the worst countries for waste, so we must differentiate ourselves (and help clean up) by creating products that are designed with recycling, recovery and collaborative consumption in mind. Steel, which is a material used here at The Drake Group to build our durable trailers, is 100% recyclable and doesn’t generally lose its properties, giving it an unlimited lifespan
Selling services
- Maintenance and repair services: adopting end-to-end solutions and after-care on products via static monitoring, diagnostic and predictive services are a way to sell services and increase reputation
- Workflow management systems: Bundling add-on services, interactive platforms and performance-based contracts will create a culture of informed decision making
- Health and biosecurity services: Being able to monitor functions discretely and report for advanced warning can prove a great competitive advantage
Australia has the potential to unlock a new wave of manufacturing industry development, but positioning ourselves for sustainable growth will require all businesses to change both internally and externally. It will require collaboration, strong leadership, wise innovation and smart investment.
You’ve just finished reading the final part in our series on the future of Australian manufacturing. If you’re looking for a high-quality custom trailer manufacturer in Australia, contact The Drake Group. We manufacture widening and fixed width trailers for a range of specialist uses including heavy haulage, mine site equipment, steerable trailers and general transport solutions including container freight, general freight and speciality combinations.
