How do you turn a research project into a global technology company with customers in more than 50 countries?

In this episode of Manufacturing Tech Australia, Shane Williams and Paul Mason sit down with Dr Stefan Hrabar, Co-founder of Emesent, to explore the journey from CSIRO robotics research to one of Australia’s leading autonomy and mapping technology companies.

Stefan shares how Emesent identified a critical challenge in underground mining and transformed it into Hovermap, a world-leading autonomous drone and LiDAR mapping solution capable of navigating GPS-denied environments. What began as a research breakthrough has evolved into a global business serving mining, construction, defence, surveying, and infrastructure customers around the world.

You’ll learn:

• How Emesent commercialised CSIRO technology and validated early market demand before spinning out as a company.

• Why underground mining became the perfect proving ground for autonomous navigation and mapping technology.

• How Hovermap uses LiDAR and SLAM technology to operate where GPS isn’t available.

• The realities of scaling from a small startup to a team of more than 150 people.

• Lessons on manufacturing, fundraising, and building sovereign capability in Australia.

• Emesent’s vision for Cortex AI and a future where autonomous software powers every drone and robot.

Stefan also shares practical advice for founders, researchers, and manufacturers looking to commercialise innovation, build world-class products, and expand into global markets while remaining rooted in Australia.

Whether you’re interested in robotics, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, mining technology, defence, AI, or technology commercialisation, this episode offers a fascinating look at how Australian innovation can compete on the world stage.

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Show notes and links for this episode: https://www.manufacturingtech.au/episodes/