HowToRobot and Robotics Australia Group

HowToRobot and Robotics Australia Group have announced a partnership to launch a national platform aimed at accelerating automation adoption across Australian industry. The collaboration seeks to address the country's lagging robot density, which sits at 134 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, below the world average of 162, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Søren Peters, founder and CEO of HowToRobot, stated that most businesses lack the internal structure and expertise to confidently advance automation projects. The new platform uses AI to help companies mature project descriptions, potentially bypassing lengthy initial engineering phases.

Australian Manufacturing's Automation Challenge

Australian manufacturing faces significant hurdles, including persistent skilled workforce shortages, cost pressures, and the slowest productivity growth in 60 years. The Australian government's National Robotics Strategy suggests that increased automation could add between $170 billion and $600 billion annually to the country's GDP by 2030.

Paul Mason, CEO of Robotics Australia Group, emphasized the need to simplify the adoption process. He explained this involves helping companies make better pre-investment decisions, identify the right opportunities, build sound business cases, and engage suitable solution providers.

Robotics Australia Group, which has produced three editions of the 'Australian Robotics Roadmap,' focuses on fostering a sustainable and competitive local robotics industry by connecting various stakeholders across the ecosystem.

Introducing AutomationFinder.com.au

The core of the partnership is the launch of AutomationFinder.com.au, a localized site operated by Robotics Australia Group and powered by HowToRobot's AI technology. This subscription-based platform is designed as a national resource to help businesses identify where automation could most benefit their operations.

The platform provides a structured system for engineers to describe their needs, transforming them into supplier-ready project briefs. Users can then obtain real market feedback on costs, feasibility, and solution concepts from a global network of over 20,000 vetted suppliers, including 500 based in Australia. The system also draws on data from more than 600 existing automation projects worldwide and offers access to a panel of independent experts for hands-on engagements across the country.

Mason highlighted the proven nature of the system, noting it brings a methodology already successful in more advanced markets. HowToRobot asserts its platform is vendor-neutral, featuring suppliers ranging from global vendors like FANUC to local integrators and startups. Companies can use it to compare suppliers, obtain firm quotes, and make final selections.

A National Pipeline for Robotics Adoption

AutomationFinder.com.au represents the first country-wide licensed deployment of HowToRobot's platform. Peters indicated it will not be the last, as other associations and countries have expressed interest. He observed a common trend where clients seek to shorten their supply chains and where government initiatives often fail to sustain momentum beyond isolated projects.

A key feature, according to Peters, is the platform's 'memory.' It retains a company's automation considerations, allowing for follow-up on different processes over time. He suggested that aggregating anonymized data from thousands of Australian companies could reveal national automation priorities, such as a widespread focus on packaging, which could strategically redirect national efforts.

Peters clarified the company's role is not advisory but infrastructural. The approach emphasizes finding local suppliers to build trust, rather than flying experts in from distant locations. The platform aims to serve operations of all sizes, from small shops to Fortune 500 companies, by providing a structured way to validate key decisions on what to automate, expected costs, and potential delivery partners.