A new monitoring system developed by Monash University researchers uses artificial intelligence AI to track bees’ movement to help improve pollination and crop yield. 

The research, published in the International Journal of Computer Vision, involved recording pollinators like honey bees, hover flies, moths, butterflies and wasps, to build a database of over 2000 insect tracks at a commercial strawberry farm in Victoria. 

The recordings were then analysed using Computer Vision and AI to track individual movements of individual insects, to count them, and to monitor their flower visits. This enabled farmers and researchers to understand the contributions of different species to pollination.

Optimal pollination requires the right number of pollinator visits to flowers. Too few or too many visits, or visits by ineffective insect pollinators, can reduce the quality of food a flowering plant produces – ultimately impacting the yield. 

Research co-author, NativeBee+Tech Facility Lab Director Associate Professor Alan Dorin, from the Faculty of Information Technology, said traditional methods of insect monitoring on farms are time-consuming, labour intensive and can produce inaccurate or unreliable data.   

“The monitoring system developed through this study can generate same-day data of crop pollination levels and provide farmers the evidence they need to inform decision-making,” Associate Professor Dorin said. 

“Knowing the extent to which a crop has been pollinated allows growers to alter hive locations and numbers to boost pollination levels.

“Farmers might also open or close greenhouse sidewalls to encourage or discourage insect visits from particular directions. They may decide to add flowers to entice insects to explore crop regions that have not been pollinated adequately.

“These simple interventions can ensure a better rate of successful pollination, and a higher yield of market-quality fruit. We believe that this system will serve as a benchmark for future research in precision pollination.”

For the monitoring system, the researchers developed customised software to analyse the huge volume of data and reliably track individual insects flying through complex foliage.

The study’s lead researcher Dr Malika Ratnayake said a key challenge during the research was to identify the movement of individual insects within a video so that the same insect path is not accidentally counted multiple times.

“The advanced software developed for the system combines AI-based object-detection capabilities with separate foreground detection algorithms to identify the precise positions of insects and the flowers they visit in the recorded videos,” Dr Ratnayake said. 

“The software also includes features to make data processing more efficient and save on computer power.

“We have opted to keep this software open-source so it is accessible to anyone who wants to build similar monitoring systems or other applications to optimise and analyse different data points captured through videos.”

Looking to the future, the researchers are using the monitoring system to study long-term impacts and results of precision pollination techniques, and how it changes the quality of food production and yield over several crop cycles. 

Building on this study, the researchers will be collaborating and working with the Australian Blueberry Growers Association, Costa Group’s berries division, CSIRO, Western Sydney University and University of New England. 

The team is also exploring links to European insects via collaborations with the University of Trento, Italy and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany.

This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects grant, the Monash-Bosch AgTech Launchpad Primer Grant, AgriFutures and the ARC Research Hub. 

Lead researcher from the Faculty of Information Technology, Dr Malika Ratnayake, is available for interviews. 

To know more about the NativeBee+Tech Facility at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, please visit: https://www.monash.edu/it/nativebee 

See an example video tracking the path of different insects in a strawberry patch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyU7Yf6axco  

Data analysed by Australia’s leading travel management provider for SMEs has revealedRegional business flights are growing.

In the year to 31 December 2022, regional flight bookings were 10.5 per cent higher than in 2019^[1] – with Queensland regions landing in eight of the top 10 destinations. The data was derived from regional business flight bookings via Flight Centre Corporate.

Tom Walley, Australian-based Global Managing Director at Corporate Traveller, says: “It’s promising to see the increase in businesses travel to regional Australia in the last 12 months. By the end of the 2022 financial year, the regional tourism industry recovered to 96 per cent of its pre-pandemic levels,^[2] while the population in regional Australia has increased rapidly in the last two years and is predicted to continue growing – 10.5 million people are forecasted to be living outside our major capital cities by 2032.^[3] 

“I anticipate we’ll continue seeing an uptick in businesses travelling regionally this year and beyond, as the promising growth of many regional communities will likely bring with it increased investment in infrastructure, technology, tourism, transport and housing that will prove rewarding for businesses.”

Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff says: “This data underscores what an essential hub Brisbane Airport is for Queensland and our role in supporting regional economies. BNE is Australia’s most connected domestic airport, with connections to 53 towns and cities, 30 of them in Queensland. These services enable the tourism, resources and agricultural sectors and the dispatch of high-value exports to global markets. Importantly, they connect Queenslanders to the world and communities with each other.” 

Queensland dominated the top 10 regional business routes 

The travel booking data also uncovered the top 10 regional routes booked by businesses in 2022. Regional routes from Brisbane proved popular, with six out of 10 of the top routes travelling from the major capital city. Queensland regions took out eight spots out of the 10 placings.

The top regional routes, ranked:

1. Brisbane-Mackay
2. Perth-Kalgoorlie
3. Brisbane-Rockhampton
4. Brisbane-Townsville
5. Brisbane-Moranbah
6. Brisbane-Emerald
7. Brisbane-Cairns
8. Sydney-Gold Coast
9. Melbourne-Gold Coast
10. Perth-Port Hedland

Tom says Queensland is a stand-out destination for regional business travel thanks to its population boom over the last couple of years. “Of all the states and territories, Queensland had the highest population growth rate in the year to June 2022, at two per cent.^[4] This is higher than Australia’s average growth of 1.1 per cent in the same period.^[5] Interstate migration was the major contributor.” 

The growth has created strong house prices, rents, and business activity – and includes regional Queensland. While the growth of property values has reversed across the country, Queensland house prices are still faring better than in other states and remain well above pre-COVID values. Across Australia, regional migration is still 30 per cent higher than before the pandemic.^[6]

Tom says: “The interstate migration to Queensland has included business owners and employees relocating to regional areas, prompting businesses to shift to remote and hybrid working models, at least for some valued employees. Some businesses may also have chosen to open ‘satellite’ offices in regional areas for their staff.

“The regions that topped the list of business flight routes in our ranking have also undergone recent promising growth. For instance, Mackay, which placed first, is among Queensland’s highest growing locations in the state’s property market – prices increased by 7.4 per cent in the year to 31 January 2023. Other regions that also appeared in our top 10 list have also seen strong property growth, with property prices in Townsville increasing by 6.4 per cent and 5.5 per cent in Cairns.^[7] Cairns has also seen an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in rental yields.^[8]”

Tom says more regions are also home to several industry hubs. “In Mackay, its Resources Centre of Excellence, which offers regular training programs and spaces for businesses to hire for events, workshops, and meetings, will see $5.7 million injected into its training and business incubation services over the next three years.^[9] Cairns also boasts the major events venue Cairns Convention Centre, that recently underwent a significant expansion. The Cairns Marine Precinct is also a popular hub for the tourism, fishing, shipping, and cruising yacht sectors, which is also set to undergo a $150 million expansion.^[10]” 

Ranking of top five industries travelling to regional destinations

Corporate Traveller also ranked the industries that have grown their travel to regional areas, against 2019 regional business bookings. While the mining, Government and construction industries continued to top the list, the accommodation and food services and manufacturing industries also frequently sought regional areas in their travel.

Top industries travelling regionally, ranked:

• Mining
• Government
• Construction
• Accommodation and food services
• Manufacturing

Tom says: “With Australia’s significant increase in mining exports, it’s no wonder the mining industry topped the list – and I expect to see the industry continue to lead all business sectors flying to regional areas this year.” Export earnings in commodities reached a record $422 billion in the 2022 financial year and is forecast to reach $450 billion this financial year.^[11]

“Supply chain disruptions in the last couple of years likely led many businesses to localise operations, such as manufacturing. In fact, several manufacturing hubs have emerged in the regions on our list, including Cairns, Townsville, and Rockhampton, suggesting they’re promising areas of growth for the manufacturing industry.^[12] The bounceback in regional tourism may also be driving more businesses in the accommodation and food services industry to travel regionally to expand into fast-growing communities.”

 Amazon Web Services (AWS) has released the report, “How startups create a culture of possibilities”.Prepared by research consulting firm Lonergan Research and commissioned by AWS, the report reveals that Australia’s startup ecosystem is moving beyond perks like ping pong tables and office kegs, with nearly nine in 10 (86%) startup leaders surveyed agreeing that a strong organisational culture and an intentional focus on work-life balance are at the heart of successful businesses.  

The report highlights a happier and more resilient workforce as the leading outcome of a thriving startup’s culture, with the vast majority stating that it plays a critical role in their ability to grow (86%), attract talent (85%) and secure investment (85%). Underscoring this, the data also shows that as Australia’s startup ecosystem matures, leaders and their teams recognise that “grind culture” – or, a mentality that expects and encourages long hours and team availability beyond a standard work day – is not a sustainable way to run a startup for long-term growth and success.   

Tapping into the expertise and deep experience from more than 500 founders, leading investors, advisors, and startup ecosystem influencers, the report explores the critical ingredients for, and outcomes of Australian startup culture. It aims to provide guidance to current and aspiring founders on how to build a thriving and productive company culture from day one – as well as what to watch out for.  

Perks passing their peak  

“Work perks” are often synonymous with startup culture, with ping pong tables and paid lunches routinely featuring in “best places to work” lists. However, the research indicates a move beyond these mainstays of startup team motivation, with “work-life balance initiatives” listed as the most common (47%) factor cited as critical for building a flourishing organisational culture.   

This finding is affirmed by Craig Cowdrey, co-founder and CEO of workplace wellbeing startup, Sonder, who says that workers have grown skeptical of these perks, especially when they are prioritised over more meaningful benefits. “So much of that has been recognised as not particularly relevant or determinative in an employee’s choice,” he says. “A lot of them think that it’s just to keep them working in the office longer.”  

Grappling with grind culture   

Despite the clear recognition that strong culture leads to a startup team’s happiness and better business outcomes, the research shows that the Australian startup ecosystem is still navigating some of these negative facets like grind culture, with the vast majority (93%) acknowledging that it exists. The research indicates it is typically driven by internal performance pressures (45%), perfectionism to ensure the business’s success (43%), and competition from other startups (42%).  

To move away from this, startups are beginning to take steps to minimise “the grind,” with some intentionally embedding self-care as a company value. Dr Ben Hurst, Founder and CEO of patient engagement platform HotDoc, works hard to instill this in his business, and says that striving towards balance and self-care is critical for wellbeing in a startup. Reflecting this belief, HotDoc’s values include “Take ownership,” “Always be empathetic,” and “Speak up,” which are designed to encourage team members to look after themselves, and each other. “You are doing the wrong thing if you are working in a way that is not self-sustaining,” says Dr Hurst.  

Impact on founders’ mental health: tall poppy and imposter syndromes  

The research also shines a light on the common pressures and dynamics impacting the mental health and wellbeing of founders, and outlines how some of Australia’s startup leaders are managing those personal challenges, and providing guidance for future founders to learn from.  

Two thirds of startup leaders (66%) believe tall poppy syndrome – a cultural attitude that resents, disapproves of, or condemns success – is alive and well within the startup community, with most respondents experiencing it personally (80%).   

According to leaders, this can manifest as an aversion to risk (46%), stunted career development (45%), and weakened mental and emotional wellbeing (43%). But the most common source of tall poppy syndrome is social media, with almost half stating it as the primary source (46%), as well as sentiment from Corporate Australia (35%) and the media (34%).   

Imposter syndrome is another key concern for the mental wellbeing of founders, with more than three quarters (77%) of startup leaders feeling it. Managing those feelings can be a challenge, but according to the research, the most common strategies include focusing on building resilience (28%) or taking time to celebrate success (27%).   

Some, however, do not manage it positively. A quarter (26%) simply mask it and a fifth (21%) manage it by working until they burn out. Nearly the same number (19%) indicate that they would like help managing the mental wellbeing challenges that many founders experience.   

Expert advice and insights for Australia’s future founders  

John Kearney, Head of Startups, Australia and New Zealand, AWS, said the report intends to provide practical knowledge, expert guidance, and hard-earned lessons from established founders, to support Australia’s future founders to prioritise building a strong culture in their own startups from the very beginning.   

“Full of insights and real-world experience collected through ecosystem research, this report highlights the many attributes that make startups so inspiring to us all. They seize opportunities and solve problems in innovative ways, they question societal norms and question the status quo, and they help solve some of the biggest challenges of our time by using technology to build the future. But all of this is only possible if a startup has established a strong culture that encourages experimentation and testing of ideas, quick decision making, and learning from mistakes,” said Kearney. “That’s the cultural foundation that AWS is built on, too – that’s why, for over 15 years, we’ve helped more startups launch, build, and succeed than any other cloud provider, offering the technology tools, mentorship, and technical support to enable startup founders to bring their ambitious, world-changing ideas to life.   

“While cloud computing has removed many of the traditional barriers to entry for entrepreneurs, launching and growing a startup is not an easy journey. But the rewards can be great – for the founders, the people who work for them, and society at large – so we are keen to encourage more future founders to follow this path. By highlighting the achievements of startups and the importance of culture in supporting their vision, we hope to not only accelerate their success, but to inspire the next generation to prove what’s possible.”  

Taking the first steps to starting a startup  

Are you inspired to give your business idea a go? AWS is here to help future founders take that first step, with a range of programs and initiatives to support startups. At the earliest stages, the AWS Activate program provides qualified startups with a range of benefits, including AWS credits, technical support, and training. Hundreds of thousands of startups around the world have benefitted from the program since 2013, and in the past two years alone, AWS has provided more than US$2 billion in Activate credits to help early-stage startups launch their businesses and accelerate their growth. With this help, startups are using scalable, reliable, and secure cloud services like compute, storage, database, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and many others from AWS to scale their businesses. To join AWS Activate, visit https://aws.amazon.com/activate/  

Check out the rest of the research and insights in the report, “How startups create a culture of possibilities,” to learn from established Australian founders about what it takes to create a culture for success, and the key factors and considerations that have made the difference as they’ve grown.  

The Australian Business Forum (ABF) is excited to announce that CommBank SmallBiz Week will run in Melbourne from 23-25 May 2023, bringing together thousands of business owners, government agencies and industry leaders.

“Small businesses have shown extraordinary resilience and are now entering 2023 with a renewed sense of business confidence,” said Ray Evans, CEO of ABF Events. “We are proud to once again partner with CommBank and look forward to welcoming back thousands of business owners, delegates and visitors.”

CommBank SmallBiz Week 2023 will provide small businesses across all industries the opportunity to come together under the one roof to network, discuss tackling challenges and learn how to future-proof their strategies and drive business success.

CommBank Group Executive Business Banking Mike Vacy-Lyle said: “At CommBank, we recognise the vital role small business owners play in our economy. That is why we are excited to once again be a naming sponsor for CommBank SmallBiz Week, an opportunity for these entrepreneurs to connect, learn and grow. We are proud to be a part of this event and to support the success of small businesses in every way we can.”

Connecting Businesses Across Australia

CommBank SmallBiz Week 2023 will host thousands of visitors and present over 100 exhibitors over 3 days at Marvel Stadium Melbourne May 23-25, 2023. The event includes multiple B2B networking functions and Australia’s largest small business expo. CommBank SmallBiz Week 2023 will also host two major forums with interactive keynotes and industry panels featuring leading small businesses, entrepreneurs and industry thought-leaders.

The event kicks off on May 23with a black-tie gala dinner celebrating the rising champions of Australian business with CommBank SmallBiz Week’s Young Hero Awards. The awards program recognises the achievements of trailblazing entrepreneurs and business leaders 35 years and younger.

The Business Leaders Luncheon returns as CommBank Smallbiz Week’s major corporate function and focuses on the critical support required for the SME sector and the future of small business in Australia.

Rising interest rates, the cost of living and a growing number of businesses finding themselves in default of their bank loans is leading to a spike in alternative lending options.

Leading Australian financing company OptiPay has issued over $25M in new facilities since the start of this year – a near ten fold increase in new client take ons.

“We’ve had a huge spike in broker-driven enquiries as access to capital becomes more difficult for many businesses,” says OptiPay CEO Angus Sedgwick.

“Banks are becoming more risk-averse in the current climate and it’s forcing many businesses to look at alternatives to maintaining their cash flow,” he says.

OptiPay specialises in invoice financing – a revolving line of credit against unpaid invoices – to improve business cash flow.

“The majority of new enquiries have come from the agriculture, transport & logistics, mining services and manufacturing,” says Mr Sedgwick.

“Many SME’s are increasingly turning to brokers to facilitate their lending as they juggle unpaid tax debts, supply chain issues and rising inflation.”

“Our main aim is to help businesses that are going through a period of growth and we understand that there are challenges that come with that. As long as they have a good model and they have orders coming in, we can work with them,” he says.

“Any business that invoices another business for goods or services on credit terms is a good candidate for an invoice financing facility,” says Mr Sedgwick.

“Businesses can typically access up to 90% of their sales revenue within 24 hours of issuing the invoice. Unlike more traditional business loans there are no ongoing repayments back to the financier as they are repaid when the debtor makes payment of the invoice/s. The fee paid to the financier usually ranges from <1% up to 3% of the invoice value.”

“Cash flow is everything for a business and in the current economic times it’s even more important it’s maintained,” he says.

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has welcomed the announcement from a major bank that it is working with telco providers to reduce spoofing scams.

“With scammers becoming increasingly sophisticated, organisations from across different industries will need to work together to combat scams and educate the community,” AFCA’s Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive, David Locke, said.

“We are pleased to see telecommunications providers partnering with financial firms to detect or prevent scams before they cause harm to consumers.”

NAB today announced it has been working with telecommunication providers to reduce scam calls and texts impersonating NAB phone numbers.

Spoofing scams occur when scammers use readily available software to impersonate or “spoof” a bank’s contact details. At times, an SMS will appear in the same conversation thread as previous messages sent from the financial firm – tricking a customer into believing it is a genuine SMS from their bank. 

AFCA often sees complaints about bank ID spoofing scams and other fraudulent activity such as remote access, romance and investment, invoicing, and crypto scams.

In 2021-22, AFCA received 4,131 complaints in relation to scams, an average of around 340 a month. That was up 28 per cent on the previous year.

In the current financial year, this has increased to an average of 400 scam-related complaints a month.

“Industry and government are constantly looking at ways to create friction in the scams environment and reduce funds lost to fraud,” Mr Locke said.

“As well as industry-led initiatives, we also encourage people to talk to their friends and family, particularly vulnerable people they know, about the dangers of scams. The more that people are aware, the less likely they are to fall victim to scams.”

AFCA is engaging with industry, consumer groups and regulators, sharing its complaints data and insights, in the joint effort to reduce scam transactions.

NAB’s announcement is the second from a major bank in just two weeks. Earlier this month, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia announced introducing “NameCheck” technology for money transfers and caller verification via the CommBank app.    

Australian employees are demanding a new range of employee perks including wellness packages, financial discounts and access to their wages on demand as the battle for top talent continues in 2023. 

KPMG’s annual survey of Australian business leaders has found 77% of senior executives feel talent is the biggest challenge of 2023.

“Australia is currently experiencing its tightest labour market in nearly 50 years so employees currently have the upper hand in demanding extra benefits,” says Paytime CEO Steven Furman.

“Companies who don’t think ahead and outside the box when it comes to employee perks are going to get left behind in the battle for the best talent,” he says.

Top 5 employee perks for 2023

Flexible work hours

“Part of living in a pro-wellbeing society is employees want the freedom to create a working schedule that encourages balance,” says Mr Furman,

“They’re no longer interested in being restricted to a 9-5 routine and instead want to have the freedom to for example be able to attend to a personal matter in the middle of the day and make up the hours at night.”

“Offering flexibility can be a deciding factor in somebody accepting a job offer,” he says.

Time in Lieu

“The ‘act your wage’ trend on social platforms has seen a total shift in the mindset when it comes to working overtime,” says Mr Furman.

“Previously, individuals felt they needed to work overtime in order to prove themselves as valuable employees or secure promotions. These days employees are balancing mental wellbeing and are no longer content in sacrificing their personal time in the hope of a potential future benefit.”

“Employees are seeking time in lieu as compensation for hours worked overtime so they better achieve that balance.” 

On-demand Pay or Earned Wage Access

“Financial wellbeing is equally as important to employees as their physical and mental wellbeing especially with the cost of living spiralling.”

“There are a number of financial wellness solutions companies can offer and on-demand pay is one of them – when an employer gives an employee the choice as to when they’re paid – allowing them to access their wages as they earn them,” says Mr Furman.

“Being able to access your wages when you want to is commonplace in the US and the UK now and it’s just a matter of time until Australian corporates catch up with the rest of the world,” he says.

“For many employees they’re too embarrassed to ask for a pay advance when they have an unexpected expense – having the security of knowing they can access their wages when they need them without their boss knowing is a big drawcard,” says Mr Furman.

“For companies, it’s a 2 to 4 week process that requires less than a few hours of payroll and HR’s time, as the provider does all the heavy lifting.”

Wellness Packages

“A wellness package should focus on employee happiness, mental health and physical wellbeing. It’s about offering an array of health benefits that sets you apart from the competition.”

“Employees these days are looking for things like a gym membership, on-site complementary counsellor, mental health days, recreational activities, free healthcare check-ups etc” says Mr Furman.

“A happier workplace also leads to a more productive and motivated workforce,” he adds.

Corporate Discounts

“It’s a tough time for many Australian workers at the moment and they’re seeking savings wherever they can. Consider how you can use this to your advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff,” says Mr Furman.

“Consider investing in a free breakfast for staff, even if its once a week or complementary snacks in the kitchen – simple ways to boost morale”

“Employees are looking for corporate discounts across a range of industries such as health insurance, travel, and retail outlets. It’s about demonstrating a level of care for their lives outside of work as well”