Year: 2012

Australians love their lamb, but health-conscious meat-eaters are looking to leaner lamb chops for the dining table.

Now farmers have a new tool to help them choose sheep most likely to produce the lamb people want – and it all started with a machine that has transformed medical testing, the CAT scanner.

PhD student Fiona Anderson, from Western Australia’s Murdoch University, used the CAT scanner to check 2000 lamb carcases, to accurately work out how much muscle, fat and bone they have.

The result is a new way to identify the sheep most likely to breed the lambs that Australian consumers want, juicy and lean.

“We have so far scanned over 2000 lamb carcasses here at the Murdoch University and the University of New England in Armidale,” says Dr Anderson.

“We then used this information to see which of the current selection criteria (Australian Sheep Breeding Values) – used by farmers most accurately selects parents that produce the highest yielding lambs.”

Preliminary results suggest farmers can produce larger and leaner loin chops from their lambs by selecting for the trait ‘post-weaning eye muscle depth’ (the PEMD – breeding value). Lamb carcasses bred from top rams for this breeding value had greater lean meat yield and a redistribution of muscle from the lower priced forequarter region to the higher priced saddle region.

“Obviously this is good for the farmer and processor who are both after a more profitable, larger, leaner animal. We are now making sure that selecting for these traits will not compromise the eating quality of the final product,” says Dr Anderson.

Dr Anderson has been collaborating closely with the Meat and Live Stock Australia and dozens of Sheep CRC scientists around Australia all working to achieve this balance between lean meat production and meat eating quality.

“The key aim of the Sheep CRC is to improve lean meat yield and maintain or even improve eating quality,” says Sheep CRC Meat Program Leader Dave Pethick.

“Over the last 15 years, the industry has been increasing the average percentage of lean meat per lamb by 230 grams, largely through genetic gain. This increase has been the major reason for the turnaround from lamb’s lack of appeal and regarded as a fatty meat to being considered the premium lean meat.

“Before Dr Anderson’s project we didn’t have the data to see how far we as an industry had come. Now we have the data, and the tools to select for desired traits, we are in a strong position to keep improving the industry and our product.

Fiona will be speaking at the annual conference of the Cooperative Research Centres Association —‘Collaborate | Innovate |2012’—, National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide on 15–17 May.

She will speak at Plenary Session 3 on Wednesday 16 May 8:30–10:30am following addresses by Senator The Hon. Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Simon McKeon , 2011 Australian of the Year.

More information about the CRCA Conference can be found here: http://crca.asn.au/conference/

ENDS

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For interview

Dr Fiona Anderson, PhD student, Murdoch University, Western Australia

Phone: 0408 118 960, Email: F.Anderson@murdoch.edu.au

Professor David Pethick, Sheep CRC Meat Program Leader, Murdoch University, Western Australia

Phone: 0417 942 637, Email: D.Pethick@murdoch.edu.au

For media assistance and photos of Fiona and CT scanning lamb carcases:

Jenni Metcalfe, Econnect Communication, Brisbane, Australia

Mobile: 0408 551 866, Email: jenni@econnect.com.au

The CAT scan search for the perfect lamb chop

‘Sick building syndrome’ causes persistent illness in office workers and costs the Australian economy an estimated $12 billion a year, but nanotechnology may have an answer.

Sick buildings are created when fumes given off from a range of products: paints, photocopiers, office furnishings and plastics. Known as volatile organic compounds, these fumes are a major pollutant for indoor environments.

According to a young researcher from Curtin University in Western Australia, the solution lies in the clever use of nanotechnology to degrade or decompose these toxic compounds before they have time to act.

“Volatile organic compounds are a major pollutant for indoor environments where some of these compounds are highly toxic and can cause carcinoma,” says Ruh Ullah, doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Curtin University in Western Australia.

He has developed nanomaterials that can efficiently deal with a considerable amount of these compounds under sunlight irradiation.

Mr Ruh Ullah’s new research on the application of nanotechnology for indoor air purification will be showcased at the CRC Association’s Annual Conference. His research is for the CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment.

His research used nano particles from common earth-based elements such as silver, cobalt and tungsten and from more rare elements such as tantalum, indium and niobium. It was discovered that when these nano-sized earth particles were exposed to ultraviolet or natural visible light, the oxidisation process reduced the ‘volatile organic compounds’ (VOCs) present in air to carbon dioxide and water.

“Many VOCs are associated with headaches and irritation of the eye, nose and throat. Others can affect coordination, cause nausea, and damage the liver, kidneys and central nervous system,” says Mr Ruh Ullah.

In his research Mr Ruh Ullah prepared new nanomaterials for the oxidisation process that can be used to decompose hazardous indoor compounds within the air.

Mr Ruh Ullah’s project leader, Dr Shaobin Wang, says: “We are developing an air filter and purifier by incorporating the nanomaterials. In addition, these nanomaterials can be coated on wall or window surfaces for removal of indoor VOCs”.

“We expect that the technology will be implemented in the next few years”.

Rua Ullah will be speaking at the annual conference of the Cooperative Research Centres Association —‘Collaborate | Innovate |2012’—, National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide on 15–17 May.

He will speak at Plenary Session 3 on Wednesday 16 May 8:30–10:30am following addresses by Senator The Hon. Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Simon McKeon , 2011 Australian of the Year.

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For interview:

Ruh Ullah, postgraduate student at Curtin University, Western Australia, Phone: 0432 037 591

Associate Professor Shaobin Wang, Curtin University, Western Australia, Phone: 0433 558 399

Professor Ravi Naidu, CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Phone: 0407 720 257

Nano solution to sick building syndrome

Children with poor listening skills can now be distinguished from those with hearing problems thanks to a new test created by HEARing Cooperative Research Centre Researcher Imran Dhamani.

The problem emerged as anxious parents reported their children as having difficulty in listening, especially in noisy classrooms. It may affect as many as one child in every classroom.

“Parents have been frustrated by a system that couldn’t tell them why their child was having difficulties. The child was equally frustrated thinking the parents don’t understand. It affects the parent-child relationship, and the child’s social relationships, which can result in low self-esteem,” Mr Dhamani says.

When children were referred to us, the first thing to be ruled out is a hearing problem. Then they were tested for auditory processing, the ability of children to process and make sense of what they hear.

About 30-40 per cent of all referred children passed these tests, with their condition remaining unexplained. They have a normal sense of hearing, they can process the information they hear, but they still have some difficulty in listening.

We then gave them a battery of further tests, to look at their capacity for attention and memory.

“We discovered that almost universally these children had difficulty in ‘attention-switching’,” Mr Dhamani says. “This was a Eureka moment – we’re glad that we may now have some clues now about what may be wrong.”

They found the children can divide and sustain their attention between more than two speakers, they can also selectively attend to a target speaker, but what they can’t do well is to switch their attention rapidly between two or more speakers.

This makes it hard for them to follow a conversation or group discussions which often occur in a classroom.

The next step is to carry out more tests and gather more data, to prove these promising preliminary results. The second stage will be to develop treatment for this difficulty.

“Switching attention is a cognitive ability,” says Imran, “so there is potential for psychologists as well as audiologists to use the tests to diagnose the condition resulting in a better chance of helping the children affected.”

Imran Dhamani will be speaking at the annual conference of the Cooperative Research Centres Association —‘Collaborate | Innovate |2012’—, National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide on 15–17 May.

He will speak at Plenary Session 3 on Wednesday 16 May 8:30–10:30am following addresses by Senator The Hon. Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Simon McKeon , 2011 Australian of the Year.

For interview: Imran Dhamani, m: 0468 932 582, imran.dhamani@mq.edu.au

Media assistance: Jenni Metcalfe, Econnect Communication, m: 0408 551 866, jenni@econnect.com.au

CRCA conference: www.crca.asn.au/conference/

Listening difficulties in kids

Deep collaboration with industry and across sciences has won five innovative research projects an Australian Collaborative Innovation Award for 2012.

Announced this evening [Wednesday 16 May 2012], the awards recognise the impacts of collaboration on advancing Australian technology and knowhow.

Pluto technology, the world’s most commercially successful photovoltaic cell, has increased solar cell efficiency to more than 20 per cent and significantly reduced costs. The technology is a result of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at UNSW teaming up their device knowledge with the manufacturing expertise of the Suntech-Power Co Ltd.

For interview contact, Professor Stuart Wenham, Photovoltaics Centre at UNSW, phone 0411 492 417

The Australian sheep industry is significantly improving rate of genetic gain including meat and wool quality thanks to combining the measurement of traits in 18,000 sheep with DNA analysis. The multidisciplinary research team worked on eight research farms across Australia to collect the information that has made possible this dramatic entry of the Australian sheep industry into the ‘genomic era’ of livestock improvement.

For interview contact, Professor James Rowe, CEO Sheep CRC, phone 0418 810 130

Millions of hearing aid wearers around the world will benefit from technology developed jointly by the HEARing CRC, Siemens and the National Acoustic Laboratories. The technology uses new prescription software to tailor hearing aids to individual needs for sound quality and loudness.

For interview, contact Greg Lawrence, HEARing CRC, phone 0431 426 623

Vaxsafe® PM is a new vaccine to protect chickens against fowl cholera, saving the Australian chicken meat industry an estimated $13M a year. It was developed by the Australian Poultry CRC working with Bioproperties Pty Ltd and The University of Melbourne. Vaxsafe® PM was released in mid 2011, generating sales of over one million doses within the first 5 months.

For interview, contact Professor Mingan Choct, CEO Poultry CRC, phone 0409 606 521

Using recycled rubber tyres and plastics to replace a significant proportion of coke consumed in EAF steel making is now a reality thanks to collaboration between the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology and One Steel Ltd. With approximately 60% of tyres in Australia ending up in landfill or illegally dumped, this technology has resulted in over one million tyres being diverted to make value added ‘green’ steel over the last five years. Polymer Injection Technology is now being sold by OneSteel to EAF steelmakers around the world.

For interview, contact Professor Veena Sahajwalla (UNSW), phone 0400 490 479 or Darren O’Connell (OneSteel), phone 0418 602 921

The Collaborative Innovation Awards are being presented at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide on Wednesday evening, 16 May 2012

For interviews about the awards, contact Dr Tony Peacock, CEO, Cooperative Research Centres Association Inc, phone 0402 036 110

For media assistance, including full releases and photos contact Jenni Metcalfe, phone 0408 551 866, jenni@econnect.com.au

Australian Collaborative Innovation Awards 2012

Australia’s innovation performance compared to other OECD countries is “appalling”, according to Professor Robin Batterham, Kernot Professor at the University of Melbourne and former Australian Chief Scientist.

Professor Batterham, a keynote speaker at the Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) Association conference in Adelaide today (15 May 2012) said Australia had only one third the average number of patents of other OECD countries.

“We are also near the bottom of the list on the OECD table for business and higher education collaboration,” he said. “If we are reliant on innovation then we are not doing so well. There is an argument that Australia needs to get smarter, but innovation does not come easily.”

Professor Batterham said that globally energy costs will continue to rise especially as developing economies mature: “We will all face significantly more costs in energy whether we like it or not. No-one is immune to the mounting cost pressures”.

Professor Batterham said the secret to innovation is collaboration and the secret to collaboration is people. He quoted Harvard neuroscientist Jason Mitchell: “The most dramatic innovation introduced with the roll out of our species is not the prowess of individual minds, but the ability to harness the prowess across many individuals”.

He labelled the way current collaboration is funded through Australian Research Council’s linkages and transformational hub grants as “wrong, wrong, wrong”. This is because successful funders are chosen by academics alone rather than by academics and industry.

Professor Batterham also said CRCs, which have a good collaboration model in place, should be funded in a two-step process so that all the funding for the next seven years does not need to be sorted to the nth degree right from the start.

“We have to see a doubling or trebling of funds going to collaboration as this is our competitive advantage in Australia.”

Professor Batterham’s thoughts were echoed by the Director of GE’s ecoimagination for Australia and New Zealand, Ben Waters, who spoke next at the CRCA conference.

“Innovation today is often led by small companies rather than large and is driven by creativity rather than scientific research,” he said. “Australia has a low level of innovation which is fragmented.”

Mr Waters said ecoimagination would be announcing a $10 million initiative later this year to fund new ideas for low carbon technologies in Australia and New Zealand.

For interview:

Professor Robin Batterham, phone 0417 351 776; robinbatterham@unimelb.edu.au

Ben Waters, phone 0407 465 071, ben.waters@ge.com

For media assistance: Jenni Metcalfe, phone 0408 551 866, jenni@econnect.com.au

Australia lagging behind OECD in innovation stakes

Science agencies need to take more risks in how they communicate with the public, according to US scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson who will be in Adelaide this week.

“We have a crisis here in the US,” says Olson. “The scientists are trying to communicate about climate change but the general public are not buying it. The environmental movement has failed to make any major accomplishments since 1980.

“At the core is a colossal failure to communicate effectively. And at the core of that failure is a marked absence of interest in and support for innovation.

“The major foundations that support science and environmental work are extremely conservative and risk averse. And risk aversion is the enemy of innovation.”

After 15 years as a scientist, earning his PhD in Biology from Harvard University and becoming a tenured professor of marine biology at the University of New Hampshire, Olson took the radical step of moving to Hollywood to explore film as a medium for communicating science.

Drawing from what he learnt at film school about telling stories and acting to reach a broader audience, he wrote and directed documentaries about evolution (“Flock of Dodos”) and climate change (“Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy”), and wrote the book ‘Don’t be such a scientist’.

He now works with organisations such as NASA and large public health organisations to communicate science to the public.

In his first trip to Australia since he studied the crown-of-thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef 24 years ago, Olson promises to enlighten delegates to the annual conference of the Cooperative Research Centre Association—‘Collaborate | Innovate |2012’—with tales of zombies and old war heroes.

The conference is being held at the National Wine Centre of Australia in Adelaide this week, 15–17 May.

“Collaboration and innovation are about the two biggest topics I am pushing these days,” says Olson. “Once upon a time the US environmental movement scored large victories through collaboration of the major organisations, but since they became more competitive they have little to show.”

His next film is about the last surviving officer of the Bataan Death March of WW II—Olson’s 94-year-old father.

Randy Olson will be speaking at Plenary Session 1 on Tuesday 15 May 9:00–10:30am.

More information about the CRCA Conference can be found here: www.crca.asn.au/conference

ENDS

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For media assistance:

Alison Binney, Econnect Communication, Brisbane, Australia

Mobile: +61 (0)428 900 450, Email: alison@econnect.com.au

Media attending the conference can use the Yarrabee Boardroom at the National Wine Centre of Australia. It is just outside the main entrance on the corner of Hackney Road and Botanic Road, Adelaide.

Risk aversion is the enemy of innovation

Dr Rosemary Stanton, Sophie Thomson, Philip Bruem, Andre Ursini, Mark Tester and Rob Lewis debate innovation in our food

Innovation in agriculture, driven by a growing population and increasing climate variability, has lead to ‘fast’ food. Six opinionated panellists will examine if it’s time to slow down.

Almost a third of Australia’s GDP comes from farm products, and our farmers have leapt ahead in many areas of innovation to boost their productivity—but has it gone too far?

A stimulating panel will get their hands dirty debating this question at the annual Cooperative Research Centres Association of Australia conference in Adelaide tomorrow night.

Phillip Bruem, a dairy farmer from Forbes and Chair of the Australian Year of the Farmer board, says innovation is only becoming more critical. “We have a huge opportunity to capitalise on the 2 billion extra people there will be in the world in the next 38 years. We won’t do the job properly if we don’t have intensive and correct cropping and livestock practices,” Bruem says.

“If it wasn’t for innovation, Australia wouldn’t be leading the world now in agricultural practices, we’d be following. Our farmers contribute so much to the economy, and everyone can benefit from that.”

But Sophie Thomson, ABC Television’s Gardening Australia presenter, believes not everyone benefits from increased production values. “Consumers are smart. They want freshness, quality, taste and nutrition. But farmers want different things to consumers—they want a tomato that can fall on the floor and never bruise; a tomato with a long shelf-life,” Thomson says.

Both sides of the debate argue that understanding food production is important, but in different ways.

Sophie Thomson emphasises the environmental and health benefits of simpler food production. “Ideally, we should all get back to having our own vege patch. We may not be able to be self-sufficient, but home-grown will always be better. Plus, the food-miles, carbon footprint and chemical inputs are massively reduced and we can control what we get,” she says.

Fellow panellist Dr Rosemary Stanton, a well-known Australian nutritionist, echoes concerns about food and health issues. Cheap food has led to more obesity in Australia and many other countries worldwide. “At the moment, Australians get 35-40% of their kilojoules from junk foods and drinks. With a population where the majority (60%) of adults and a quarter of children are overweight, that is a problem,” Dr Stanton says.

Dr Stanton believes when growers have little connection with people who process and consume food, they become “divorced from the food chain”. She says that when people understand the source of their food, they value it and its producers more.

The ‘fast food’ panellists will argue that innovation isn’t just about producing more, but about creating smarter and more sustainable methods. As well, public investment in agricultural research in development has slowed down in recent years, which may create a lag if it’s not increased again. ‘For innovation’ speakers:

• Philip Bruem, Chair of the Australian Year of the Farmer board
• Mark Tester, Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Adelaide’s Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics
• Rob Lewis, Science Without Bounds and the University of Adelaide’s Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and the Faculty of Sciences

The speakers for ‘slow food’ contend that innovation in agriculture has led to fewer people producing food, consumers that don’t value or understand food production, and increasing pressure on animal and plant production systems. ‘Slow food’ speakers:

• Dr Rosemary Stanton, Australian nutritionist
• Sophie Thomson, ABC Television’s Gardening Australia
• Andre Ursini, former Masterchef finalist

The public is encouraged to come along to the debate (free entry), which begins at 5pm. To attend, register online: www.debatecrca2012.eventbrite.com

It will be at the National Wine Centre of Australia, on the corner of Botanic and Hackney Roads, Adelaide.

Led by Dr Paul Willis, Director of RiAus, the debate is hosted by the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA) conference, Collaborate | Innovate | 2012, in conjunction with Australian Year of the Farmer.

The debate will be followed by a discussion with scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson.

Register as a delegate for the conference or get more information about the conference online: www.crca.asn.au/conference/

If you can’t get along, feel free to join the discussion on Twitter at #AgChatOz

Conference hashtag: #collab_innovate

 

ENDS

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For interview and/or photos:

Sophie Thomson, Gardening Australia, 08 8391 2827, 0415 841 619 or sophiethomson@aapt.net.au

Philip Bruem, Australian Year of the Farmer, 0400 212 947, media@yearofthefarmer.com.au

For media assistance:

Alison Binney, Econnect Communication, mobile: +61 (0)428 900 450, email alison@econnect.com.au

Media attending the conference can use the Yarrabee Boardroom at the National Wine Centre of Australia. It is just outside the main entrance on the corner of Hackney Road and Botanic Road, Adelaide.

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About Australian Year of the Farmer

Founded as a non-political, not-for-profit organisation, Australian Year of the Farmer 2012 is an education and awareness campaign to celebrate the contribution farmers make to the Australian economy and community.

Australian Year of the Farmer 2012 enjoys the patronage of the Governor-General, as well as the support of Federal, State and Territory Governments. Seed funding for the development of the Year was provided by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The program is supported by Foundation Sponsors Elders, Woolworths and Suncorp Bank, as well as many other sponsors and supporters.

As one of Australia’s leading agribusinesses with more than 360 points of presence in rural and regional locations employing 3,300 personnel in Australia, New Zealand, China and Indonesia, Elders is a proud Foundation Sponsor of Australian Year of the Farmer 2012. Through its national network, Elders offer services tailored to the needs of primary producers, including cropping, livestock, wool, dairy, horticulture and a range of product solutions to support agribusiness such as banking, insurance and real estate. Its international connections also help link Australian farmers with global markets, reinforcing value as a business partner through people, expertise and relationships.

Australian Farmer of the Year 2012 is also made possible by Foundation Sponsor, Woolworths. One hundred per cent of the fresh meat and poultry and 97 per cent of the fruit and vegetables sold in Woolworths supermarkets are sourced from Australian producers and growers.

Foundation Partner Suncorp Bank is Australia’s leading regional bank with 110 years of heritage supporting the growth of rural and regional communities. As Australia’s fifth largest bank, Suncorp provides personal, small business and agribusiness banking services via 240 branches across the country. From trade finance and foreign exchange to deposits and the home mortgage Suncorp Bank offers award-winning products backed by leading customer service. The Bank is part of the Suncorp Group, a top 25 Australian company with 16,000 staff serving nine million customers.

Follow us on twitter @ayof2012

Australian Year of the Farmer Limited

National Office

118 Victoria Road, ROZELLE NSW 2039

www.yearofthefarmer.com.au

Have taste and soul disappeared from modern food?

Professor Ian Chubb to address what Australia needs, along with discussion on what students and industry want

On 17 May, Australia’s Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb will provide a glimpse into the health of Australian science.

He is the key speaker in a plenary session on ‘Enhancing returns: what Australia wants, what students want and what industry want’ at the annual conference of the Cooperative Research Centre of Australia (CRCA) in Adelaide.

Professor Chubb’s insight into what Australian science needs will be well informed. One week after the CRCA conference, he will present the full findings of a national review into the ‘health of Australian science’ at the National Press Club (23 May).

“I will focus my speech at the CRCA conference on agriculture and engineering, as they highlight key areas of concern for Australia’s future prosperity,” Professor Chubb says.

The Chief Scientist’s Health of Australian Science Report, which drew on national and international data and statistics as well as results from three commissioned reports, will detail Australia’s strengths and weaknesses in particular areas.

Key questions that Professor Chubb’s research probed include: whether Australia is vulnerable, on an international scale, in terms of its breadth and quality of science; what disciplines are vulnerable due to training, workforce and funding issues; and how various disciplines compare internationally.

Other recent international reports already highlight that Australia’s strengths lie in its research outputs, but its vulnerabilities lie mainly in the educational foundations and funding structures.

“There are also concerns with STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] student enrolments in high school and universities, gender inequalities and the age profile of academic workforce,” says Professor Chubb.

Since his own early education through to preparing the Health of Australian Science Report, Professor Chubb has observed that funding follows student choices, not necessarily what is required for the benefit of Australia.

“Our funding systems should consider the needs of our nation, not just follow the choices made by students who don’t necessarily, and rightly so, have the national interest at the forefront of their minds when choosing their study options,” Professor Chubb says.

Speaking in the plenary about what students want will be Professor Peter Høj, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of South Australia and soon to be Vice Chancellor or the University of Queensland.

“We need many more of them to want to work in industry,” says Professor Høj, on how students can increase future returns for Australia.

“For industry to turn more innovative and for industry to take advantage of the basic research conducted in our organisations, it is imperative that more of our PhD graduates find jobs in industry and broader business.”

Professor Høj says there are two fundamental levels that Australian science needs addressed: “First, school leavers need to be much more proficient in the basic sciences. Second, we need to augment research funding and have incentive schemes that encourage the flow of ideas from universities to business.”

He says the biggest area for vulnerability in Australia is “the lack of a true and deep innovation drive in industry”.

“Australia wants long-term innovation to underpin long-term financial sustainability—industry does often not take that long-term view,” says Professor Høj.

Kate Carnell AO, Chief Executive Officer of beyondblue and former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, will speak about what industry wants when it comes to increasing returns from Australian science.

More information about the CRCA Conference can be found here: www.crca.asn.au/conference

ENDS

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For interview and/or photos:
Professor Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief Scientist, Australia
Phone: +61 2 6276 1727, Email: chief.scientist@chiefscientist.gov.au

Professor Peter Høj, Vice Chancellor and President, University of South Australia
Phone: +61 8 8302 0502, Email: Peter.Hoj@unisa.edu.au

For media assistance:
Alison Binney, Econnect Communication, Brisbane, Australia
Mobile: +61 (0)428 900 450, Email: alison@econnect.com.au

Fund Australia’s needs, not just students’ choices

Australia’s 2011 defence expenditure may have been only one twenty-ninth that of the US’s $698 billion, but that hasn’t stopped its front-line personnel being among the most well-trained and safest in the world.

To achieve this, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has been collaborating with Australian universities and industry for years.

Collaboration is a key issue for researchers, innovators and R&D businesses in Australia. According to Tony Peacock, Chief Executive for the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA) of Australia, collaboration is “essential to improve the speed and quality of innovation”.

That’s why the CRCA’s annual conference in Adelaide this month, Collaborate | Innovate | 2012, will put collaboration under the microscope.

DSTO’s collaborations will be cited as successful case studies for creating products such as new armour-like fabrics, anti-ship missile defence systems, over-the-horizon radar and unique flight simulators.

However, while many innovations like these have been borne out of successful collaborations, Dr Len Sciacca, DSTO’s Chief Operating Officer and Director of the new Defence Science Institute (DSI) in Victoria, believes that a collaborative approach can be made even more effective—especially where industry engages with academia in the early stages of research.

“The challenge in the transition of research to end users is to get industry engaged in the early stages of the innovation cycle— when the academic is forming the research project and team,” says Dr Sciacca.

“Universities often apply for funding independently of the needs of end users, and industry is continually on the lookout for researchers who best fit their technology requirements. Sometimes the best fit is not always achieved, leaving a sour taste in everyone’s mouths and reduced opportunity for future collaboration.

“There is an opportunity to have a more coordinated approach to building research networks, based on the end user’s technology requirements. The DSTO, with its knowledge of defence technology, is taking a leadership role in forming these networks for defence that will leverage multiple funding sources and get industry hooked into the innovation cycle earlier,” says Dr Sciaccia.

DSTO aims to build collaborative environments between academia, research agencies, industry, and key defence and national security stakeholders, and promote the application of cross-disciplinary research to solve complex long-term challenges in the defence sciences and national security sectors.

Dr Sciacca believes that for such a strategy to work, it is necessary to look at the innovation system from a national perspective and build networks across Australia and, indeed, the world.

Ben Apted, Director of Strategic Project Partners in Melbourne, agrees with Len’s critique and is working closely with universities, government and the public and private sector to make such networks more attainable.

“For collaboration to succeed there needs to be a need, an understanding of what’s required to solve that need, a commitment that lasts beyond business as usual, and capacity and capability to deliver on the outcome,” says Mr Apted.

“We are trying to educate all parties on this so we get more best-fits.”

Dr Sciacca and Mr Apted will talk about the benefits and roadblocks associated with collaborating across sectors at the upcoming CRCA annual conference to be held in Adelaide from 15-17 May.

More information about the CRCA conference registration can be found at: www.crca.asn.au/conference

Collaborate | Innovate | 2012 is in Adelaide, May 15-17, at the National Wine Centre of Australia.

 

ENDS

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For interview and/or photos:

Ben Apted, Director, Strategic Project Partners, Melbourne
Phone: +61 (0)3 9669 6900, Email: ben.apted@sppconsulting.com.au

For media assistance:

Alison Binney, Science communicator, Econnect Communication, Brisbane
Phone: +61 (0)7 3846 7111, Email: alison@econnect.com.au

Defence championing collaboration