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How the digital revolution is reshaping industry for a sustainable future

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04 Dec, 2023

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

As Australia braces for what could be one of the hottest summers on record, the need for meaningful climate change action is clear. Creating a clean environment is paramount, with nations and corporations setting goals for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet industry remains a significant contributor to these emissions, both in Australia and globally. To move towards sustainable manufacturing, companies must change their industrial processes to lessen their environmental impact.

In recent years, the fusion of digital technology, automation, and energy management has sparked a major shift in the industrial sector towards decarbonisation and more sustainable practices.

This transformation is redefining how businesses operate and evaluate success. We’re seeing a shift from a traditional profit-focused model to one prioritising sustainability, environmental responsibility, and innovation. This change is propelled by ethical considerations and increasing pressure from various stakeholders, including investors, consumers, and governments, who are scrutinising corporate environmental practices now more than ever.

Change is therefore essential, and digital technologies play a vital role in achieving sustainable industrial manufacturing.

Embracing digital advancements for sustainability

According to Schneider Electric’s latest Sustainability Index, 78% of business leaders think that digital technologies play a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals. A further 82% of businesses believe that the benefits of adopting sustainable technology outweigh the costs.

The shift towards sustainability requires a comprehensive review of existing processes, equipment, organisational culture, and technology. The aim is to identify and address inefficiencies and waste. Technology is crucial in this transition, involving measures ranging from replacing inefficient equipment to advanced applications like digital twins and artificial intelligence. These facilitate product redesign for circular economies.

Data-driven decision-making is another key element of industrial sustainability. Manufacturers are urged to use centralised, cloud-based optimisation and project management technologies that provide valuable data-driven insights. These insights enable informed decision-making on environmental actions. Investing in these solutions can result in reduced energy consumption and process efficiency improvements, positively impacting the bottom line.

Businesses can further embrace sustainability by ’digitally retrofitting’ their operations. Intelligent energy management systems (EMSs) offer real-time insights into energy performance, adjusting consumption based on factors such as weather conditions and occupancy. These systems ensure only necessary energy is used, resulting in less waste and lower energy costs.

Technological advancements have made traditional practices, such as relying on bills and spreadsheets, obsolete. Leading changes include the use of digital twins, monitoring, visualisation, and automation. These are proving effective in expanding companies’ understanding of sustainability and reducing emissions.

Collaborative efforts for a greener tomorrow

The path to industrial sustainability is a collective effort. Collaboration among businesses is crucial in adopting digital solutions and electrified technologies for a more sustainable future.

Sustainability goes beyond environmental responsibility, promoting innovation and agility within organisations. Achieving industrial sustainability involves optimising operational efficiency, intelligent energy consumption, and waste reduction.

But one business acting in silo can only get us so far. To achieve the drastic reduction in emissions that we need in order to meet 2050 targets, this will require all industrial players to take action.

The Industrial Sustainability Triad

Sustainability these days encompasses software, automation, and energy. Schneider Electric refers to this as the ’industrial sustainability triad’. This emerging paradigm encapsulates the sustainability journey, with digital technology playing a central role in shaping more environmentally responsible and efficient industrial operations. Organisations that have harnessed the potential of this digital triad are seeing significant reductions in capital expenditure, downtime, and carbon footprint, as well as a boost in profitability.

Investing in sustainable manufacturing benefits both the environment and business. It involves taking a strategic approach with technology and automation, incorporating decarbonisation and innovative technologies.

Yet the change towards a sustainable economy won’t happen in one day. Manufacturers should start by introducing small technologies in some parts of their factories. Then focus on developing smart technologies, such as IT, data and communication infrastructure. In the meantime, industrial sustainability will continue to evolve through the synergy of digital technology, automation, and energy.

Wherever you’re starting from, now is the time for Australia’s industrial sector to embrace modern technology and approaches to achieve sustainability goals.

Carlos Urbano is Vice President of Industry, Pacific Zone at Schneider Electric, responsible for the continuing growth of the Industrial Automation and Process Automation businesses. Carlos has held multiple roles in Schneider Electric over the past 15 years, most recently as Industry Business Director at Schneider Electric Brazil.

Top image credit: iStock.com/ferrantraite

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Urban 'placemaking' focus for $85m recreation centre

Urban 'placemaking' focus for $85m recreation centre

Sydney developer Billbergia Group has announced the Rhodes Recreation Centre — an $85 million, 9200 m2 multi-purpose community hub in Sydney’s Inner West.

Located at 6 Gauthorpe St and designed by architectural firm SJB, the recreation centre is in a three-level podium building beneath two high-rise residential towers — the 48-level Peake and 43-level Oasis. Together, they form stage two of the developer’s Rhodes Central Masterplan — a $3 billion, three-stage town centre project.

The Rhodes Recreation Centre was delivered under a $97 million Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) between the developer and City of Canada Bay Council. It will be handed over to council next month and is set to open later this year. Once complete, the masterplan will have delivered 25,000 m2 of dedicated public amenity, including retail, community facilities and open space.

With the NSW Government’s housing reforms set to address the housing shortage, the recreation centre will reflect the importance of ‘placemaking’ — a collaborative approach to designing and managing public spaces that enhances community wellbeing and fosters connections between people and their environment — in planning new urban communities.

It also presents a pathway for public and private sectors to collaborate and create social infrastructure while increasing housing supply in fast-growing suburbs.

The recreation centre is set to add vibrancy and pedestrian activity to the local streetscape, providing a diverse range of facilities that enhance the livability of the evolving suburb. These community amenities include two full-sized indoor sports courts, a gymnastics centre, a 70-place childcare centre, a community lounge, allied health services, and bookable spaces for local groups and events. It also provides a gym with cardio equipment, weights, group fitness rooms, a creche and an outdoor terrace, alongside a range of sustainability features.

Facilities at the Rhodes Recreation Centre. Images supplied.

“Rhodes Recreation Centre is the community heart of our high-density TOD development, bringing to life Billbergia’s vision for a future-focused, livable urban environment that prioritises amenity, not just density,” said Saul Moran, Development Director – Planning and Design at Billbergia.

The amenities within the two residential towers include a swimming pool, spa, sauna, children’s play area, library and theatre rooms. Pedestrian connections and through-site links provide access to Rhodes railway station and the Homebush Bay waterfront.

“The Rhodes Recreation Centre stands as a benchmark in successful public–private collaboration. Through a VPA with Canada Bay Council, we’ve created a pathway to unlock additional housing supply while delivering significant, lasting community infrastructure. It’s a clear demonstration of how thoughtful public and private partnerships can shape vibrant, livable neighbourhoods,” Moran said.

Located adjacent to Rhodes railway station, stage one of Billbergia’s Rhodes Central Masterplan was completed in 2021 and included the 13,000 m2 Rhodes Central Shopping Centre, with convenience retail, a Woolworths supermarket, medical facilities and the Bamboo Lane dining precinct.

Other previous projects include the 1.2 ha Phoenix Park in Rhodes, the $63 million Bennelong Bridge, the popular Baylink Shuttle service, the 3500 m2 Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library, and the Wentworth Point Pop-Up Town Square.

Billbergia’s ongoing focus on placemaking and social infrastructure also includes the $8.4 million delivery of a library at its mixed-tenure development, Arncliffe Central, in Sydney’s south. There is the potential for 75% of Arncliffe Central’s dwellings to be dedicated to social, affordable and essential worker rental housing, along with 3400 m2 allocated to childcare, convenience retail and cafes, and a 4000 m2 park with play space for both residents and the broader community.

Top image caption: The Rhodes Recreation Centre location with two planned residential towers, Peake and Oasis. Image supplied.

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