Hub Members Group Photo
ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub Members Conference 2026
The ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub Annual Members Conference 2026 brought together researchers, industry partners, students and stakeholders from across Australia to showcase progress, share research outcomes and strengthen collaboration across the Hub.
Held over two days in Melbourne, the conference featured project updates, industry engagement, poster presentations, strategic discussions and the ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub Public Forum. Members heard directly from each research program and project team, highlighting progress in addressing real-world manufacturing challenges through digital technologies, artificial intelligence and digital twins.
Conference Highlights
- Hub strategic update from Professor Dimitrios Georgakopoulos, Director of the ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub.
- Introduction of new industry partners, projects and team members joining the Hub.
- Research presentations and project updates across all four Hub programs.
- Technology poster presentations and judging.
- Industry and researcher networking opportunities throughout the conference.
- Dinner keynote address by Professor Roy Green AM.
- Strategic discussions on future opportunities and priorities for the Hub.
Special Guests
The conference welcomed leading voices from government, industry and research.
Amanda Caples, Victoria’s Lead Scientist and member of the Hub Industry Advisory Committee, addressed conference participants, providing insights into Australia’s innovation ecosystem and the role of emerging technologies in supporting industry growth.
During the conference dinner, Roy Green AM, Chair of the Hub Industry Advisory Committee, delivered the keynote address, sharing perspectives on innovation, industrial capability and the future of manufacturing in Australia.
Research and Industry Collaboration
Members explored how Hub projects are helping manufacturers improve productivity, quality, sustainability and operational resilience, including:
- AI-enabled welding quality inspection.
- Digital twin development and implementation for food manufacturing quality.
- Single Source of Truth manufacturing knowledge platform development
- Predictive maintenance and industrial AI tools.
- Advanced manufacturing materials and coatings, and how digital manufacturing can complement product development.
- Secure sensors for improving aerospace manufacturing.
- Blockchain-enabled technologies for integration into future manufacturing systems.
These presentations demonstrated the breadth of Hub activities and the value of industry-research collaboration in translating research into practical manufacturing outcomes.
Poster Awards
The conference poster session showcased research from students and researchers across the Hub. Attendees engaged with presenters throughout the networking sessions and participated in voting for the People’s Choice Award.
We often hear manufacturers say that when everything is working at its best, the factory floor has a hum, a sense of flow, engagement and purpose, where people, processes and technology come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts.
The poster session embodied that spirit. The room was buzzing with curiosity, collaboration and discussion as researchers, students, industry partners and guests explored the exciting work being undertaken across the Hub.
The quality of the research on display reflected not only technical excellence, but also a shared commitment to solving real-world manufacturing challenges.
Award Winners
🏆 People’s Choice Award
Kaneez Fizza
Production Anomaly Prediction in Complex Manufacturing Systems
🏆 Judges’ Award
Yifeng Li
Data-Driven Optimisation of Laser Deposition for Surface Topography Control
Thank you to everyone who presented a poster, asked questions, shared insights and contributed to the conversations throughout the conference. The future of Australian manufacturing is being shaped by talented researchers, strong industry partnerships and a willingness to tackle complex challenges together.
Looking Forward
The conference highlighted the strength of the ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub community and the progress being made through partnerships between universities, manufacturers and technology providers. As the Hub continues to grow, these collaborations remain central to advancing Australia’s capability in digital manufacturing and ensuring research delivers measurable industry impact.
Become a Hub Partner
Have a Manufacturing Challenge to Solve?
The ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub partners with manufacturers to tackle complex challenges in productivity, quality, automation, sustainability, digital twins and artificial intelligence.
Unlike a consultancy, the Hub does not implement off-the-shelf solutions. We bring together leading researchers, industry expertise and emerging technologies to develop new knowledge, test innovative approaches and co-create solutions tailored to your business needs.
Membership is built on collaboration, not consulting fees. Industry partners contribute to project costs and work alongside our researchers, while the Hub provides significant co-investment through research funding, infrastructure, expertise and in-kind support.
By partnering with the Hub, manufacturers gain access to world-class research capability, specialist facilities like super computers, students, researchers and a national network of industry and university partners. Together, we explore the best technologies and approaches for your specific challenge, creating solutions that deliver long-term value and competitive advantage.
Photo Gallery
Explore highlights from the ARC Digital Manufacturing Conference 2026
