15 MAY 2026: Artificial intelligence is the ‘go-to’ tool for Australia’s future meat-processing techno-brains, according to a university pitchfest hosted by ACC in Brisbane this week.
Most of the pitches made by students from the University of New England incorporated AI into the virtual inventions they presented to a panel of industry-expert judges.
It was the fourth time the Brisbane meat processor hosted the annual visit by the students of agriculture. agribusiness and rural science.
The group of 42 students – the largest to attend the event – showcased their innovations as imaginary companies, showcasing their research and presentation skills.
Among their offerings was an AI-enabled analysis delivering real-time animal data, a robotic-driven saw to split whole bodies and AI-guided precision trimming.
Other ideas presented by the third- and fourth-year students were a low-water-use knife steriliser, an automated hydraulic hide-puller, a heat-exchange system reusing steam from rendering and offal-based premium pet food cubes.
Visitor Cameron Ralph GM R&D at AMPC praised the presentations saying: “There’s some ideas there that, if they were more developed, we’d put some money into it.”
He told the students: “The time you spend understanding the problem before you start thinking of a solution, that’s what you really need to focus on.”
Real-time data-crunching via a mobile app could help address animal handling problems sooner, according to one group of the student-presenters. Their AI-driven feedback platform would use RFID data and grading reports, coupled with a QR code to identify every animal coming into the plant. The group predicted a processor subscription model priced as $1.50/head while producers could also buy into the system for a hypothetical $3/head, they said.
Several of the pitches addressed energy and water use in meat processing plants. One group suggested re-using heat and steam generated by the rendering process through heat-exchange plates to heat water for reuse elsewhere in the plant.
Another team claimed its imaginary knife steriliser outperformed existing constant-flow systems with a closed unit that used 92% less water. The team members also claimed their enclosed stainless steel unit would help prevent hot-water injuries.
Workplace safety drove other inventions; a hydraulic hide-pull system would mean less strain on operators while a duo-saw guided by AI imaging would split bodies with more accuracy and less worker back-strain.
Judges included ACC R&D managers Tom Harrington and James Goodrich. “It was good to see solutions that were really relatable,” James said.
Other judges were MLA project manager Dean Gutze and AMPC’s extension and adoption manager David Carew who said: “The meat industry has been cutting the carcass in the same way as the past hundreds of years. It begs the question are there ways we could do things to increase the value of that carcass?
The students earlier toured the Cannon Hill plant accompanied by ACC’s education and engagement officer Holly Johnson.
UNE’s Professor of Meat Science Peter McGilchrist led the group. He said: “This is a good way of looking at the whole landscape of meat processing. The skill is to clearly show what your solution is – for any problem you come across – because the easier you make the bosses’ job, the more valuable your skill set.”
ACC’s James Goodrich welcomed the visit, adding that ACC staff assisted the students’ cost-benefit projections by supplying performance data from the plant. “And that really helped the teams develop valid business cases; these were very high-calibre pitches. ACC is proud to offer real-life experience for these early-career entrepreneurs.”
