Mallee Regional Innovation Centre - MRIC

Our July 2026 newsletter is out now! Here’s what’s inside:

🌱 New collaboration to link students and growers
🧑‍💻 The story behind Mildura’s workforce skills demand
☀️ Profile: SuniTAFE’s David Cleary
📌 What’s on our radar

Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/unimelb.edu.au/mricnewsletter-jul2026

Not signed up yet? Subscribe here: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/e9ap

Not long now until our AI Unlocked events, which will bring together experts and local case studies to give businesses, growers and the wider community practical tips on artificial intelligence through a Mallee lens.

Day two takes a deep dive into the role of technology and innovation on farm, and how these developments can support better decision making and stronger business preparedness.

Hear how growers, farming systems and researchers are connecting AI into practice, and visit the some of the latest technology installations at the SuniTAFE SMART Farm.

There are still a few spots left, but they’re filling up quickly!

🗓️ Register for day two: https://events.humanitix.com/ai-unlocked-sunitafe-smart-farm-visit

🎧 Hear more about the full event program on ABC Mildura-Swan Hill Breakfast. Listen from the 2.01.11 mark: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/milduraswanhill-breakfast/breakfast/106930668

🔗 Or read more here: https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/mric/news/AI-Unlocked

Regional Development Victoria
La Trobe University
SuniTAFE, Sunraysia Institute Of TAFE
Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub

Curious about how artificial intelligence can help on-farm or in your business?

Don’t miss our AI Unlocked event on 28 and 29 July in Mildura – spots are filling up quickly!

This two-day forum moves beyond the hype to showcase practical and responsible uses of AI to support productivity, decision-making and innovation.

If you are keen to attend both days, make sure you complete both registrations 👇

🗓️ Tuesday 28 July – From hype to hands-on impact:
https://events.humanitix.com/ai-unlocked-from-hype-to-hands-on

🗓️ Wednesday 29 July – Talking tech and innovation on farm:
https://events.humanitix.com/ai-unlocked-sunitafe-smart-farm-visit

Regional Development Victoria
La Trobe University

Join us in Mildura on 28 and 29 July for a practical AI forum designed for regional businesses, growers and communities.

AI Unlocked will explore how artificial intelligence can support productivity, decision-making and innovation in the Mallee.

>> Hear from experts in AI, agriculture and regional development
>> Learn from real examples of AI already being used in industry
>> Bring your own business challenge to a hands-on workshop

Day one and day two of the event require separate registration 👇

🗓️ Tuesday 28 July – From hype to hands-on impact:
https://events.humanitix.com/ai-unlocked-from-hype-to-hands-on

🗓️ Wednesday 29 July – Talking tech and innovation on farm:
https://events.humanitix.com/ai-unlocked-sunitafe-smart-farm-visit

Regional Development Victoria
La Trobe University

Our June 2026 newsletter is out now! Here’s what’s inside:

💡 What’s next: opportunities for ag-tech adoption in Mallee
🗓️ AI Unlocked event: going beyond the hype
🌱 New drought resilience impact snapshot
🪏 Students dig into ag careers and innovation
📌 What’s on our radar

Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/unimelb.edu.au/mricnewsletter-jun2026

Not signed up yet? Subscribe here: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/e9ap

Have you booked your spot for our upcoming event, Artificial intelligence and robotics in specialty crops & exploring new water allocation outlooks?

Join us in Mildura on 18 June to dive into these two diverse topics and explore new possibilities for operating systems, data and machinery and how they impact decision making to help us work smarter.

We will hear presentations from visiting Professor Manoj Karkee from Cornell University and local researcher Dr Tristan Graham from The University of Melbourne.

Find out more and register 👇
https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/mric/AI-robotics-and-new-water-outlooks

Want to learn more about a project that explored a new method of producing water allocation outlooks for Victorian water users on the Murray River?

Local University of Melbourne researcher Dr Tristan Graham will talk about the project at our upcoming event in Mildura.

Funded by the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund, the project was a collaboration between the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (MRIC), The University of Melbourne, Murray–Darling Basin Authority, Goulburn Murray Water and the Bureau of Meteorology. MRIC leads the North-West Irrigated Horticulture Node of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.

At the free event on 18 June, Cornell University’s Professor Manoj Karkee will also present on his expert area of artificial intelligence and robotics.

Learn more and book your spot here: https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/mric/AI-robotics-and-new-water-outlooks

We’re excited to join industry, students and the wider community tomorrow at SuniTAFE, Sunraysia Institute Of TAFE’s AgVenture Expo!

The free event will directly connect students to all the exciting career paths horticulture and agriculture offer. People will also be able to find out about the latest technological advancements shaping the industry.

MRIC will be at the expo in our role as the North-West Irrigated Horticulture Node of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.

It will be great to have Victoria soil coordinator Dr Peter Fisher there with us. He’ll be running workshops with the students to get them thinking about soil health.

Find out more: https://www.sunitafe.edu.au/News-Events/Events/Event-List/AgVenture-Expo

We are really looking forward to this month’s visit from Cornell University’s Professor Manoj Karkee, whose expertise is in robotics and artificial intelligence.

At our event in Mildura on 18 June, we will hear more about Professor Karkee's work, the evolution of agricultural technologies, and the potential of AI-empowered precision and automated/robotic systems.

We will also hear from local researcher Dr Tristan Graham from The University of Melbourne about an exploratory project on water allocation outlooks.

Please register to secure your seat!

See all the details here: https://eng.unimelb.edu.au/mric/AI-robotics-and-new-water-outlooks

>> Mildura-based research opportunity – applications close tomorrow >>

Charles Sturt University is seeking a postdoc/research fellow to join the Gulbali Institute as part of the Digital Agricultural Futures program.

Based at the One Basin CRC Mildura Hub at the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, the role focuses on preparing the future workforce for digital irrigated agriculture.

It works closely with academics, industry partners, education providers and communities across the Murray–Darling Basin, contributing to research on digital literacy, education frameworks and innovative delivery models for contemporary agriculture.

Applications close 10 June 2026. Learn more and apply here:
https://external-jobs.csu.edu.au/cw/en/job/498873/postdoc-research-fellow-in-digital-agricultural-futures