Robotics investment could create human jobs bonanza
Australia’s universities and research institutions are at the forefront of robotics innovation, but the country is still failing to translate this into scalable solutions that will drive economic activity.
According to a new report, additional public and private investments in the sector could contribute $201 billion to the country’s economy by 2040.
It could also increase annual incomes by $6,500 and create an average of 128,900 new jobs per year. report EMERGENCY, produced by Allen and commissioned by Amazon Australia, aired on Tuesday shows.
Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotics and founder of the robotics incubator program MassRobotics, told AAP in an interview from Boston that robotics is transforming the entire nature of work.
Amazon says its 300 robotic warehouses around the world, including a massive facility in western Sydney, are helping it make its operations safer and easier, while also creating new job categories and creating skills development opportunities for its workers.
For example, Hercules mobile robots can lift up to 500 kg of inventory; This, Amazon says, allows its workers to relieve physical tension and focus on tasks that require human judgment and skill.
“I took the job at Amazon because it was very hands-on. It’s not parkour, it’s not robots doing backflips,” Mr. Brady said.
“We’re taking away the real, mundane, and repetitive stuff, and making it easier and better in a safer environment for our employees.
“It has transformed our business in exactly the right way, with job growth, good jobs and skills development opportunities.”
Mr Brady said robots had a lot to offer Australia’s mining, agriculture, fishing and oil and gas industries beyond e-commerce.
“They’re ready for it, right? And when you do it right, you’re more productive, you create more jobs, you create a better business, and you also upskill your employees,” he said.
Mr Brady said Australia had some “legends” in robotics but needed a “spark” to transform this academic talent into widespread commercialization and adoption.
“Get your startups out there, get a pool of venture capitalists, have that infrastructure, have the ecosystem, have the community support, and let’s take one startup at a time and start growing a cluster,” he said.
“Because when you grow the cluster, guess what? You get more talent. They learn from each other. They become more productive. So the cluster gets bigger and bigger.
“There’s a tremendous opportunity in this.”
Realizing this potential requires a coordinated effort to create stronger pathways and partnerships that connect Australia’s university research capabilities with industry expertise and real-world opportunities, the report says.
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