The answer that emerged from the room was unambiguous. Australia possesses the engineering talent, the industrial capability, and the research foundation to build globally competitive deep technology companies. What determines success is how effectively that capability is connected across the ecosystem. This is precisely why MagnaTerra convened the series.
A Series Built on Practical Knowledge
The Tough Tech Manufacturing Series was established to create a space where Australian deep tech hardware companies can share hard-won operational experience, the kind of knowledge that rarely appears in research papers or investor decks, but makes the difference between a prototype and a scalable product.
The first workshop, hosted by Chrysos Corporation in Adelaide, examined the challenges specific to low-volume, highly customised manufacturing, the reality facing most deep tech companies in their early commercialisation phase.
This second event evolved that conversation, focusing on the transition to higher-volume production: the operational, supply chain, and systems complexity that scaling inevitably introduces, and how companies can navigate it without losing the precision and quality that defines their competitive advantage.
Who Participated
The workshop brought together teams from across the MagnaTerra group and its peer network:
MagnaTerra Technologies , developing and commercialising magnetic resonance sensing platforms across defence, humanitarian demining, and minerals applications.
Chrysos Corporation, the ASX-listed leader in photon assay technology for the global mining industry, and host of the series’ inaugural workshop.
Hadean Energy, advancing high-performance energy technology for demanding industrial applications.
FPR Energy, developing next-generation energy systems for the resources and industrial sectors.
Alongside these company teams, experienced external practitioners brought broader perspective to the discussion, including:
Bosch Australia Manufacturing Solutions (BAMS), contributing global manufacturing systems expertise and lessons from scaling precision hardware in complex supply environments.
Peter Charlesworth, bringing deep practical experience in advanced manufacturing operations and scale-up challenges.
Dallas Wilkinson, Austmine, representing the mining technology and equipment sector’s perspective on what production-ready manufacturing looks like in a global export context.
CSIRO, whose partnership with multiple companies across the MagnaTerra ecosystem underscores the critical role of the research-to-industry interface in building manufacturable, deployable technology.
The Shared Challenge
What unites the companies in this series is not a single technology or market, it is the shared experience of trying to build hardware that performs at the highest level, in the real world, at scale, from Australia.
That means navigating a manufacturing ecosystem that, while genuinely capable, remains fragmented. It means building supply chains for components and materials that are not always domestically available. It means designing for producibility from the earliest stages of development, not as an afterthought once a prototype has been validated.
These are not insurmountable challenges. But they are ones that benefit enormously from collective intelligence.
What Comes Next
A third workshop in the series is planned. MagnaTerra’s intention is to build this into a sustained community of practice, one that grows the collective capability of Australian deep tech hardware companies to commercialise their technologies and compete globally.
Australia’s deep tech moment is here. The talent, the science, and the market opportunity are aligned. MagnaTerra is committed to ensuring the manufacturing capability keeps pace.
If you are working in Australian deep tech hardware manufacturing and want to be part of the conversation, we welcome the connection.
For enquiries about the Tough Tech Manufacturing Series or MagnaTerra Technologies, contact us at info@magnaterra.com.au
