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Disruptive technologies are helping leading manufacturers to boost productivity, attract and engage new consumers, inspire new market strategies and drive substantial business growth. Here's our pick of disruptive technologies to watch:

Drones: Deutsche Post, the world's biggest courier company, is using a drone to deliver medication to a remote German island. It’s been such a success the company is considering using the “parcelcopter” to make more regular deliveries.

‘Mobile-geddon’: mobile devices are making waves in the business world: think service delivery, worker productivity and customer experience.

Distributed manufacturing: is where the final product is manufactured near the final customer, so the raw materials, assembly and product fabrication are decentralised, potentially increasing customisation.

Advanced robotics: including human-machine collaboration.

Emergent Artificial Intelligence: is where machines can learn automatically by taking on large volumes of information; it has huge implications for productivity.

Self-driving vehicles: that could potentially move or distribute goods.

Internet of Things: has massive potential for business process optimisation, reduced downtime and waste, and increased quality overall.

Find out more about these disruptive technologies by reading the full story here.

Food & Drink Business

It has been 20 years since SPC was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) but this week returned as SPC Global (ASX: SPG) following its merger with The Original Juice Company (OJC) and Nature One Dairy (NOD).

New Zealand Infant formula brand, LittleOak, is boosting its retail presence through a new partnership with Independent Pharmacies Australia (IPA) that will see its range available in IPA’s banner group, Chemist Discount Centre (CDC).

Fonterra says a plan to convert two coal boilers to wood pellets at its Clandeboye site in South Canterbury, New Zealand, is a crucial step in its commitment to exit coal by 2037.