I’ve been monitoring the area of the ground floor that has been transformed into space for the MTA Queensland innovation hub which will house those start-ups that have synergies with the automotive value chain. This is Australia’s first automotive innovation hub. Fittingly, it is to be christened MTAiQ and opened in conjunction with the Board’s annual general meeting on the 9th November.

I’m excited about MTAiQ’s capability to build solutions, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, unlock new products and services for the motor trades and contribute to the skills development and opportunities for youth in the industry. Members can take pride in MTAiQ. It is about the future, ensuring the Association’s relevancy in an age where emerging technologies impact the automotive value chain.

Helping to drive my innovation enthusiasm were meetings with the Australian Electric Infrastructure Transport (AEIT) Chief Executive Officer Rikesh. Discussions at these meetings centred on support through MTAiQ for an array of technological innovations pertinent to its developments and the motor trades. The AEIT’s focus is the On-Line Electric Vehicles (OLEV) unique technology that uses electric power strips embedded in the road or tracks to provide power to an electric vehicle wirelessly and which charges an on-board battery while the vehicle is driving or stationary. The AEIT is working on the introduction of an OLEV transport project in the Springfield Orion Town Centre area. Over the medium to longer terms, the OLEV has the potential to introduce adaptations to transport systems and provide new opportunities for businesses.

ACCC’s New Car Retailing Industry market study

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) requested a supplementary submission to clarify the Association’s stance on access to proprietary technical information to the repair and maintenance of new motor vehicles in Australia. In our original submission, we expressed a preference for a mutually agreed industry code of conduct and reserved support for a mandatory code based on a statutory framework. We did indicate, however, that a framework that facilitated access by independent repairers to proprietary technical information on fair and reasonable terms had merit.

Subsequent to a one-on-one teleconference with the ACCC to discuss the issue, Deputy Group Chief Executive Kellie Dewar and I undertook extensive consultations with our Automotive Engineers Division (AED) membership. The considered decision by the AED – which included a review of international experiences and data – was to support a statutory mandated framework for the transfer of vehicle repair and maintenance information. I communicated to the ACCC, by way of the supplementary submission, that MTA Queensland unreservedly supported a statutory mandated regulatory framework for the effective transfer of vehicle repair and maintenance information from Original Equipment Manufacturers to independent repairers.

Queensland Overseas Foundation

I met again with the Queensland Overseas Foundation (QOF) to discuss support for automotive industry graduates. In the August From the Desk of the CEO, I mentioned the Association was supportive of QOF’s program that provides vocational education and training graduates and professionals with the opportunity to broaden their vocational horizons and improve their career prospects by working overseas. The program enables young leaders to travel internationally to experience emerging technologies and bring back that knowledge to the Australian/Queensland market.

MTA Queensland has committed to support an overseas scholarship for automotive graduates for the next two years. Consequently, we will have an appointment on the governing Board. Strategically, this will assist the international promotion of both the Association and State’s automotive value chain. By way of background, QOF was established in 1976, is sponsored by industry and supported by the Queensland Government. It operates through a Board of Governors representing a range of industries and expertise. The Governor of Queensland is the Patron.

State Small Business roundtable

Recently, I attended a Queensland Government advancing small business stakeholder roundtable. Its focus was to identify and address issues, challenges and opportunities faced by small business. In line with feedback from members, I put emphasis on two issues. The first was the escalating cost of energy and its negative impact on small business profitability, expansion and employment generation. The second issue I raised was the labyrinth of red tape that small business had to navigate in complying with regulatory requirements. A reduction in the excessive rules applying to small business operators would ameliorate the time spent on red-tape administration.

Queensland University of Technology collaboration

I have collaborated further with the Queensland University of Technology on 3D metal printing. In this instance, I met with distinguished Professor Dietmar W. Hutmacher PhD (NUS), MBA (Henley), the Director Australian Research Centre (ARC) in Additive Bio-manufacturing. The meeting focused on the potential of the technology in the automotive industry.

Because of this discussion, the Association agreed to submit an application to the ARC for research funding for automotive 3D Metal Printing. This is a highly competitive and complex process. If successful, this will be the Association’s most significant contribution in its 88 years in preparing automotive employers for the future and new business opportunities. The research proposal will focus on a new manufacturing industry/sector for the automotive industry; the needs for a new workforce skilled in operating and printing 3D metal parts; and a training and education pathway.

National industry meetings

I’ve participated in ongoing meetings with State MTAs and MTA Australia officers to consider new collaborations that will be of benefit to members. Whilst these are progressing well, more work is required to reach a formal announcement. The good news is that there is great synergy across the nation regarding the transformation of industry peak bodies and the need to focus on new technologies.

MTA Queensland and MTA South Australia continue to build and share on national opportunities and resources. Currently, we are sharing all learning and assessment material and have a joint investment in our new learning management system. The benefits have been significant and several national training opportunities are being proposed that have real potential.

President’s Ball 2017

On October 28, MTA Queensland held its annual President’s Ball at the Brisbane Hilton hotel. Hosted by Shane Jacobson, the evening had an extra special feel to it thanks to the presence of our special guest, Supercar legend Craig Lowndes.

The Ball provided the opportunity for us to reflect on the Association’s work and introduce the MTAiQ innovation hub. Actually, there were two of me doing the introduction – the real me and, thanks to a rather nifty piece of equipment that helped highlight the hub’s innovation objectives, a holographic me! Needless to say, we were both excited about the opportunities MTAiQ will bring to the industry!

The President’s Ball also allows us to acknowledge industry champions who have made significant contributions  through community leadership and innovation and to recognise the future workforce through the MTA Institute Apprentice of the Year award.

It’s always a special privilege to see young apprentices, who represent the future of our industry, acknowledged for their hard work. This year’s winner, Elliott Lemmon, is an outstanding young man and gifted apprentice, but all the nominees should be proud of their accomplishments. Congratulations to them all.

As always, the feedback regarding the President’s Ball has been tremendous and I thank Kellie Dewar and her team for their professionalism in organising the event.

And the last thing

Last month’s Motor Trades Golf Day was notable for the strong competition, the excellent trophies and prizes to be won, and the convivial networking. MTA Queensland entered a team comprising MTA Institute General Manager Paul Kulpa, Client Services Officer Kym Woodley and Business Development Managers Andrew Bear and John Robinson. Despite their best efforts, they did not rank on the leader board!  I’m sure if I’d not been struck down by a mysterious malaise we would have had a better result! I’d been practicing too!

Seriously, Paul represented MTA Queensland with panache both on and off the course and announced that from 2018 the Association will assume the organisation and management of the event. Congratulations to the winners and sincere thanks to trophy and prize winners.

As I prepare this From the Desk of the CEO, the diary is crammed.  It includes the Annual General Meeting, the opening of the MTAiQ Innovation Hub, progressing the application to the ARC, networking with members to progress their issues to stakeholders and negotiating with start-ups for space in the innovation hub. And Christmas is less than two months away!

Until December, as Henry Ford, the industrialist and the founder of the Ford motor company said, ‘execute ideas with enthusiasm as it is the bottom of all progress’.