Inspiring Design

In this international episode, our host Rashan Senanayake speaks with Maria Basso, Head of AI Applications and Impact at the World Economic Forum’s Centre for AI Excellence, for a sharp, insightful look into how AI is transforming industries at a global perspective. Maria breaks down how organisations are moving beyond pilots into real, measurable AI deployment, offering rare inside perspectives on the Forum’s MINDS programme and the AI-First initiative, which are reshaping business models, operating systems and global collaboration. Tune into understand the latest AI development as they explore the biggest opportunities and risks with AI’s rapid rise, the importance of inclusive adoption across economies, and how international cooperation will define the next decade of responsible innovation. Maria also shares which emerging AI capabilities excite her the most, including AI agents, outlook towards Agentic AI and what concerns global leaders are paying closest attention to as AI reshapes societies, especially in developing regions. A powerful, future-focused conversation you won’t want to miss. Want to understand AI at a global scale? This episode is for you. Watch Full Video on Youtube: Click Here Shownotes and more! Click Here

We are in the era of a mixed reality – to be specific, many types of ‘realities’! Our host Rashan Senanayake speaks with Pradeep Khanna, a global thought leader and coach in immersive technologies, to explore the transformative world of Spatial Computing. Pradeep unpacks the fundamentals of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Extended Reality (XR), collectively shaping the future of immersive experiences. He explains how these technologies work, their capabilities, and what we can expect as they continue to evolve with the mix of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Highlighting the critical role of Spatial Computing in education, Pradeep discusses the skills students need to thrive in a tech-driven future and the adjustments policymakers must consider for a safe and successful use of this amazing technology. He dives into how educators can leverage design thinking to foster creative and critical thinking skills, enabling students to navigate and elevate human capability alongside this technology. Pradeep also shares strategies for schools to integrate Spatial Computing into learning and offers practical advice for students aiming to succeed in this rapidly advancing field. Join us for this creative and insightful conversation with Pradeep Khanna and discover the many realities that include the world of Spatial Computing technology.

Each click costs us! In this international episode we explore the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence and what that means for our future. Alongside our host Rashan Senanayake, expert speakers Yolande Strengers (Professor of Digital Technology and Society at Monash University's Emerging Technologies Research Lab) and Melissa Gregg (an author, ethnographer and consultant on sustainability strategy), examines the current relationship between AI and energy consumption, looking ahead to 2035-2040, and discussing practical strategies for reducing our digital footprint. But its not all doom and gloom, learn how the energy sector is adapting and discover emerging career pathways in sustainable tech, and get advice for educators and students navigating this evolving landscape. Tune in for insights on the power behind AI and how we can contribute to a more sustainable future – ignorance is no longer bliss!

Are we living in a Black Mirror (Netflix) episode? Continuing our hunt for knowledge in understanding emerging technologies, this episode features Amy-Rose explains the fundamentals of blockchain technology, its importance for the future, and its impact on various industries. She highlights the need for blockchain education in schools, essential skills for students, and its effect on industry. Additionally, Amy unpacked the great convergence that is forecasted where various emerging technologies will be uniformly working together and what can be expected in the near future. Blockchain is close to working alongside AI and Quantum Computing, working towards personal computing. Finally, Amy explores the role of design thinking in blockchain and offers advice for students to succeed in this evolving field. This episode is not to be missed so tune in for an insightful discussion on blockchain technology and its implications for industry and education.

Kicking off Season 5: Emerging Technologies, our Host Rashan Senanayake speaks with Associate Director Natalie Oostergo from the University of Southern Queensland exploring the impact of Gen-AI on Australian education. Natalie discusses the significance of Gen-AI for our future and its potential to revolutionise teaching and learning. She emphasises the importance of maintaining academic integrity in the face of technological advancements. Offering practical strategies and resources, Natalie highlights ways schools and universities can integrate Gen-AI responsibly into education. She also explores the role of design thinking in fostering critical skills for navigating Gen-AI. For students, Natalie provides advice on using Gen-AI ethically by emphasising the importance of digital literacy alongside ethical awareness. Tune into this episode with Natalie Oostergo at the University of Southern Queensland. Join us for an insightful discussion on Gen-AI and its implications for education.

Dive into the realm of design and manufacturing workflows with Nathan Rice, the innovative force behind iFab. Discover how concepts evolve into steel masterpieces through meticulous design and advanced manufacturing, powered by the technologies incorporating Augmented Reality, CAD and automation in future. Nathan unveils the crucial details of the workflow in bringing a concept idea to life, through to construction! Along the way he humbly shares insights on the impact of technology on the industry, reflecting on the past and forecasting the future. Learn about the key skills driving success in this field—sketching, critical thinking, research, and communication—all grounded in design thinking's fusion of creativity and problem-solving. Tune into this video episode, offering a roadmap into the captivating world of design, manufacturing, and innovation workflows.

Drive? Fly? No problem! In this episode, we present the futuristic concept of flying cars, brought to life by an advanced manufacturer: Pegasus. To speak about this amazing feat, this episode features the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Pegasus, Jacky Yang. Jacky with his unique background of helicopter piloting and driving / mechanical experience in race car driving shares his experience and insight into what it takes behind the scenes to design and manufacture flying cars in Australia. He humbly shares the story behind the start-up, the challenges and the many skill sets, engineering disciplines, alongside design thinking, physics and material understanding that paves the way for a successful flying car designer. Jacky also shares the amazing combination of technologies that are behind the scenes to make flying cars a possibility and how AI integration will be a future milestone. It is said to become a trillion-dollar industry within the next few decades and is the perfect time to harness the power of flying! Tune into this episode and gain the valuable insights into the combo of vehicle x aerospace sector.

Let’s fly! In this episode, we feature an aerospace sector prodigy Karl Domjahn, a Lead Propulsion Engineer at Gilmour Space Technologies. Karl begins by discussing the Aerospace industry's different aspects, such as defence, commercial, and space, and how they contribute to Australia's economy. The Aerospace industry provides direct employment to more than 20,000 people in Australia and contributes billions of dollars to the economy. Karl then expands his insights on the industry's potential for the immediate future and in the next 10-20 years and explains that there is significant growth potential in the industry, particularly in the space sector, as Australia's capabilities in space technology continue to develop. As we continue, Karl sheds light on the exciting career opportunities available in the Aerospace industry. He explains that the industry offers a diverse range of roles, including engineers, scientists, technicians, and project managers, among others. These roles require a mix of hard and soft skills, such as design thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Tune into this episode and gain the valuable insights into the Aerospace sector and the exciting career pathways it offers as a major sector in the coming decades.

One word – Drones. As Bill Gates once said, “Drones overall will be more impactful than I think people recognize in positive ways to help society.” To lead the way, this video episode (Click Here to Watch on YouTube) features Rob Sutton – The founder and CEO of the record-breaking Drones and AI consultancy: Mirragin Consultancy. Learning from his unique background in the Australian Defence, Rob shares his passion and drive for utilising Drone Technology to do good, to save lives, improve organisational capabilities and not to mention designing world class light shows over Sydney Harbour to a global audience! This episode, being recorded live at the World Drones and Robotics Congress, Rob shares insights (such as the Air Taxis being deployed in the near future) and what technologies, mindsets, thinking patterns, knowledge attributes and skill sets required lead the way in the drones’ sector. He goes on to share the existing career pathways possible and how to enter the industry with constant insights into the amazing world of drones, alongside resources to learn more. Tune into this video episode and learn more about one of the cornerstone 21st century technologies in the modern world.

“Design isn't just what it looks like and feels like — design is how it works.” Steve Jobs (Founder of Apple Inc.). In an essence, this is what ‘Industrial design’ is all about and hence one of the most versatile and integrated design careers in the modern world. The experts on this episode – Tim Williams & Andrew Peterson (Industrial Designers and Senior Lecturers of Industrial Design) shares practical and contemporary details of this exciting sector. Tim and Andrew speak passionately about how industrial has been shaped by technology, its evolution and the amazing career paths available as an Industrial Designer. Ideation developed from sketching, through to CAD and now the integration of designing in Virtual Reality (VR), the speakers share their expert opinion on the progression of mass customisation within Industry 5.0, alongside additive manufacturing. Both the experts identify the key skills required to succeed as an Industrial Designer and valuable advice applicable to students, teachers, and educators as well as any aspiring designer. Tune into this episode to learn more about this exciting industry that Steve Jobs himself dubbed as “one of the coolest careers” in history.

Dams – A magnificent harmony of design and engineering. A crucial component within the built environment. A thoroughly underrated sector! In this episode we feature one of the leading minds in Dam Engineering and Safety on a global scale: Dr Gamini Adikari. As the Chief Technical Principal of Dam Safety at SMEC, coupled with over 43 years of experience in the industry, Gamini humbly shares his knowledge and learnings, uncovering the vast field of Civil Engineering and how it branches off into a variety of disciplines and industries, including Dams Engineering. He details how this colourful industry has evolved and where it is headed, how technology is integrated as well as the crucial skills and attributes aligned with STEM required to be successful in this sector. Gamini, not only an industry expert, but also an academic, goes on to share his valuable advice for teachers, schools & universities as well as students interested in exploring this fascinating industry. A key component for civilisation within Industry 4.0. Tune in to celebrate an exceptional career of a leading expert and dive into the amazing world of Dam Engineering.

Steel fabrication has been an ever-evolving industry since the beginning of human civilisation alongside the consecutive industrial revolutions. We are now at the transition between industry 4.0 & 5.0 technologies where integration is evolving to support the way we work and the way we learn. Watkins Steel does exactly this and has been setting the standard for the industry. This episode features one of the leading minds in technology integration within the bespoke steel fabrication sector – Dr. Vitor Bottazzi (R&D Manager and Robotics Engineer at Watkins Steel). Vitor unravels detailed discussion points stemming from his unique overseas experience and how current technologies such as Mixed Reality (MR), alongside Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Drones, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, AI, software/CAD, laser scanning etc. have been successfully integrated to unlock more capabilities through a more streamlined, faster and accurate approach towards bespoke steel fabrication. Watch the evolution on Youtube for this video episode and tune into for the future of the advanced manufacturing steel industry!