Master Integrator has launched as a new industry body representing systems integration professionals and businesses across Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on advocacy, workforce development, education, qualifications and industry recognition.

Evolving from the Master Integrator Podcast, the organisation aims to turn conversations about the challenges facing the sector into practical support and advocacy for the businesses and people working within it.

The organisation was founded by Paul Skelton, who’s spent more than two decades working across the Australian systems integration industry in journalism, publishing, communications and association management.

“The podcast gave me the opportunity to speak with people right across the industry and hear directly about the challenges they face,” Paul says.

“Again and again, the same issues came up: Recognition, workforce, qualifications, regulation, business support and having a stronger voice with government and the wider construction sector. Master Integrator is about turning those conversations into action.”

A key focus for Master Integrator will be establishing clearer education and career pathways into the profession.

The organisation has launched a new industry qualification, marking a step towards a recognised pathway for future integrators, with work now turning to securing government funding to make the training more accessible to employers and new entrants.

Master Integrator will also advocate for greater occupational recognition of systems integrators, including recognition through Australia’s official occupational classifications.

“If we want young people to choose this industry as a career, they need to be able to see what that career actually is,” Paul says.

“We need recognised training, occupations and pathways that make sense to students, parents, employers and government. That work doesn’t happen by itself. It needs an industry prepared to advocate for it.”

The organisation’s initial roadmap includes business and compliance tools, industry qualifications, education resources, research, events and initiatives aimed at improving the recognition of systems integration across government, construction and the wider community.

The Master Integrator podcast will continue as the organisation’s flagship media channel, while the inaugural Master Integrator Industry Survey 2026 is also underway. The survey will provide data on the state of the Australian and New Zealand integration sector and help inform future advocacy and industry initiatives.

The inaugural Master Integrator Hall of Fame will be held on the Gold Coast in May 2027, recognising individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the systems integration industry. The inaugural Master Integrator Awards will follow in Sydney in August 2027, recognising outstanding projects, businesses and individuals across the profession.

Nominations for the Hall of Fame will open later this year, with entries for the Master Integrator Awards opening in December.

To mark the launch, Master Integrator has opened its Founding 50, recognising the first 50 businesses to join the organisation.

Paul says the initiative was intended to identify businesses willing to help shape the organisation rather than simply drive membership numbers: “We’re starting with a clear direction, but Master Integrator shouldn’t be built around one person’s view of what the industry needs.”

“I want members to tell us where the problems are, where we should be advocating and where we can make the biggest difference. The Founding 50 will be there at the beginning of that process.”