Corporate Social Responsibility
Our take on CSR
At Integra Systems, we care about the world around us and the impact we have on it. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something that sits at the forefront of both our business practice and product design. We embody this ethos by sustainable manufacturing, internships & apprenticeships, social enterprise involvement, and equality.
Sustainable Manufacturing
As active members within the manufacturing industry, we are aware of the importance of, and role we have in managing our effects on the environment. The Circular Economy resides at the centre of our business ethos, with all design and manufacturing work being undertaken with a cradle-to-cradle philosophy to eliminate end-of-life for our creations.
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A commitment to the adoption of processes and standards that ensure the protection of our environment, and advancing sustainability in all of Integra’s manufacturing processes, are some of the defining qualities of the company. As well as overhauling the workplace to adhere to Industry 4.0 principles, Integra is working towards achieving a number of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Net Zero by 2050 targets through low emissions manufacturing technology and techniques.
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All products have circularity at their core. Consistent implementation of a C2C approach to design ensures all manufactured goods can be reused, repurposed, repaired and redeployed; ultimately providing the means for our creations to be used infinitely. Alongside our in-house activities, we strive to ensure that procurement practices are sustainable and strategically aligned with stakeholder objectives.
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Being at the forefront of Australia’s manufacturing and design renaissance is just one of the many focuses that drives our team at Integra. A commitment to the adoption of processes and standards that ensure the protection of our environment, and advancing sustainability in all of our manufacturing processes, are some of the defining qualities of our company. As well as overhauling the workplace to adhere to Industry 4.0 principles, we're working towards achieving a number of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Click here to find out how we're meeting the goals.
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Integra’s commitment to waste minimisation and sustainability is demonstrated through our fully digitised manufacturing operation with the design and creation of Integra’s own touchscreen/touchless kiosk system – now titled K4.0. The K4.0 is the i4.0 linchpin for low carbon manufacturing and waste minimisation. Not only is the product itself designed for a circular economy but the reduced environmental impact is profound.
Internships & Apprenticeships
We maintain strong connections with education institutions in Melbourne such as RMIT, Swinburne, Melbourne and La Trobe University. Through these connections, we provide pathways and opportunities for the next generation of workers to learn and advance their careers. In recognition of this fact, we were recently awarded the 2022 Victorian Manufacturing Leader in Workforce Skills Development Award, an achievement we are incredibly proud of! Young people are a key part of the culture within Integra, often initiating and driving new ideas when given the freedom to do so. We aspire to support and grow with this workforce to further develop Industry 4.0 within Australia. We have seen the way our young workforce has influenced our team. One of the ways we give back to universities, colleges, TAFEs and high schools is by providing industry guidance. Our Commercial Director, Erika Hughes, acts as an industry advisor to Melbourne Polytechnic for the manufacturing industry and the requirements of the young workforce.
Social Enterprise Involvement
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Starting In 2019, Integra collaborated with NorthLINK and began developing and manufacturing an assistive technology innovation, a power-assisted bike for disabled people, named, “The Brike.” The focus on assisting the disabled can also be found in the employment opportunities offered through this project, with the Brike’s themselves being built by people with disability.
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Organisations such as Planet Ark and the Australian Circular Economy Hub are contributing towards endeavours that we hold close to our heart. Our involvement with these organisations has seen us foster our own initiatives in this area, such as developing a circularity-based digital licensing partnership with Dutch manufacturer Brink Industrial for their modular waste-stream systems.
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Ongoing collaboration with the Victorian Cleantech Cluster has contributed to Integra becoming greater involved with clean and assistive technology in the region.
Equality
Integra prides itself on inclusiveness and diversity. Skills and capability have no boundary, regardless of race, religion, age or gender.
We have trained many STEM interns who are women and/or come from multicultural and diverse backgrounds. This diversity is a key enabler for the business, and we believe it is the hallmark of a well-run operation building strength within the company's own culture.
Further to this, one of our business owners is a woman - Erika Hughes. Erika has been an inspiration to many women from a variety of backgrounds and skillsets within the manufacturing sector, and ensures women are a key contributor to the Integra operation. She has been selected for AMTIL's Women in Manufacturing Mentoring Program for 2022 and is currently mentoring the Operations Manager, Oceania at International Flavors and Fragrances, Demy Koxarakis, as part of this volunteer program.
Integra's passion for women in manufacturing can be seen on many levels across the manufacturing industry as a whole where Erika presents as a guest speaker and Women in Industry Awards judge. Additionally, Erika is an advisor to both the Northern Advanced Manufacturing Group and Melbourne Polytechnic. As a commitment to this cause, Integra sponsored AMTIL's Women in Leadership event at the 2022 Australian Manufacturing week in Sydney in June.
A major contributor to a stable workforce is local jobs for local people. Integra has become an employer of choice within Melbourne's north. The demographic footprint of Melbourne's north indicates a strong concentration of migrant Australians and international students, of which Integra has enjoyed employing full-time and engaging in the internship programs. On many occasions, we have proudly supported permanent residency applications for our employees from Melbourne's north. As part of our community engagement, Integra has hosted many students with diverse backgrounds to show them the potential for Australian manufacturing.
A message from our leaders
“The last few years have been a tumultuous time for the world as a whole, and during it we've seen major changes occur in the manufacturing industry. The movement towards Industry 4.0 has begun in earnest, and we're so excited to see the possibilities it has to offer. Adoption of these Industry 4.0 capabilities in our own facilities has led us to now operate a paperless office throughout our whole operation and also facilitates company-wide waste minimisation. Not only has this contributed to our internal sustainability goals, it's also increased our efficiency across the board. Without the enthusiasm and dexterity of our team though, we wouldn't have been able to achieve anything like this, and we're so proud of the way they've adapted to this change.”
Erika Hughes, Commercial Director, and Paul Hughes, Managing Director
