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Being aware of developments in other industries as they’re happening can help you anticipate new solutions to improve efficiencies and add value in your business. Aside from the Internet of Things (IoT), information-driven manufacturing (iDM), social robots and Internet 5.0, here are three trends manufacturers need to watch:

1. Rapid prototyping + crowdfunding: Together, these two trends allow almost anyone to bring solutions to market quicker than many organisations can develop counter measures. It is the very definition of “disruptive innovation”.

2. Cradle-to-grave traceability: Every recall hitting the headlines reminds manufacturers of the critical need for end-to-end traceability to mitigate the risks to consumers and businesses. Intensifying this need are the proliferating counterfeit markets, worth US$32 billion and causing one million deaths annually. Traceability can counteract this.

3. Beyond the IoT: Blockchain is an emerging technology beginning to play a major part in IoT, especially with its potential to overcome many manufacturers’ concerns around data security. Another IoT evolution is machine learning, which falls under the wider artificial-intelligence umbrella. While adding natural language processing to machine learning gives a whole new opportunity: cognitive learning systems.

Find out more about these trends by reading the full story here and watching this video:

 

Food & Drink Business

The Rouge Homme wine brand has been re-acquired by the Redman family, 60 years after it was sold to Lindeman’s Wines, owned by Treasury Wine Estates (TWE).

The Melbourne Royal Food Awards are gearing back up for 2026, introducing several major category additions and returns. Entries are now open for leading food producers across Australia to benchmark their products against the nation’s best.

Pure Foods Tasmania (PFT) has appointed Robert (Rob) Knight as CEO and managing director, effective 1 July. He takes over from Malcolm McAully, who has led the company as executive chairman since the resignation of former CEO Michael Cooper in July 2024.