Innovation in Motion – Rethinking automation partnership in a changing landscape

Australia’s automation landscape is evolving rapidly – but with that comes complexity. As demands increase for faster, more flexible fulfilment, the question is no longer whether to automate, but how to choose the right partner to do it with.

In this session, Tiago Oliveira, Business Development Manager at KNAPP Australia, is joined on stage by Mike Rhodes, CEO of CDC Pharmaceuticals, to share how a trusted automation partnership helped CDC unlock speed, reliability and scale in one of the country’s most advanced pharmaceutical DCs.

Together, they’ll explore what makes an automation partnership truly resilient – and why the choices we make today define the performance of our warehouses tomorrow.

Key Takeaways

1. Beyond the buzz: What recent industry trends reveal about the risks of choosing technology without a true long-term partner, and why some large-scale automation projects haven’t met expectations.

2. The silent phase after go-live: Why post-installation is where true value – or regret, emerges.

3. Choosing wisely: The questions every business leader should ask before committing to an automation provider in today’s high-pressure climate.

About Tiago

Tiago Oliveira, Business Development Manager at KNAPP Australia, is an automation engineer with over fifteen years of expertise in automation, robotics, complex systems and most recently zero-touch fulfillment. He specializes in high-density storage and intelligent warehouse solutions, bridging engineering and business to optimize logistics performance.