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@AuManufacturing Conversations
@AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski is a regular interview program, bringing you discussions with the folks who are contributing to a critical part of the economy -- one that leads private sector R&D investment, employs well over a million Australians, and is just plain important to have around.
We hope to capture something of the variety of manufacturing, its place in the nation, its changing nature, and some of the personalities within it.
From the boutique to the billion dollar, if it's manufacturing and it's Australian, then it likely matters to us. This podcast is an extension of the @AuManufacturing news and analysis website and the community around it, and complements what's written online at www.aumanufacturing.com.au.
Interested in advertising? Get in touch via editor@aumanufacturing.com.au
@AuManufacturing Conversations
Episode 109 -- Dr Farzaneh Ahmadi from Laronix
Welcome to this special episode of @AuManufacturing Conversations, which is part of our annual Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers campaign.
It's been made possible through the support of Australia Wide Engineering Recruitment, TXM Lean Solutions, the Industry Capability Network, Bonfiglioli Australia, the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and the SmartCrete CRC.
- Do you think you belong on @AuManufacturing’s list of Australia’s 50 Most Innovative Manufacturers? Apply to be recognised in this exclusive group here. It’s completely free to enter, and we’ll be celebrating the announcement of the 50 Most Innovative list and the award winners at a special breakfast event on May 7 at Crown Melbourne, during Australian Manufacturing Week.
In episode 109 of @AuManufacturing Conversations, Dr Farzaneh Ahmadi, founder and CEO of bionic voice company Laronix tells us about commercialising her life’s work, how the company’s technology works, and more. The episode is available to stream below and download elsewhere.
Episode guide
1:30 – What do artificial larynxes do and why are they needed?
2:45 – Career path, and an “obsession” with remedying voicelessness going back to university.
4:35 – The three components of a larynx, and why properly emulating what it does has been hard.
5:34 – The pneumatic artificial larynx and coming across an inspirational paper pointing to a new solution.
7:31 – The importance of resilience.
8:17 – The frustrations of academia and the reason Ahmadi left. “Over a 40-second phone call, I was essentially terminated.”
11:03 – Why losing a job at a university was a relief.
12:26 – An explanation of how Ava, the company’s first product, works.
13:58 – Larynx’s second product, Mira, and what it does that Ava doesn’t.
14:55 – Adapting based on user feedback and what this has involved.
16:10 – Current manufacturing capacity at Queensland, and plans to scale up.
16:57 – Clinical partners and how they’ve helped.
18:15 – How we can help medical technology innovators.
19:40 – It’s not just about funding. Sometimes advice is just as valuable to startups.
20:45 – The role of risk and reward in the company’s story.
22:10 – Some criteria around innovative companies.
23:03 – There could be more support for companies nearing the commercial stage.
