Australian Innovation System Report 2012 Compendium of Program Updates
Acknowledgements
The Department wishes to acknowledge the contributions received from Australian, State and Territory government departments, businesses and other private organisations, universities and publicly funded research organisations.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2012
ISBN: 978-1-922125-63-7
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the copyright act 1968, no part may be reproduced or altered by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601 or by emailing .
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this document was current at the time it was provided by departments and agencies and highlights updates on existing programs as well as new programs. It should be read in conjunction with the Australian Innovation System Report 2012.
Further Information
For further information about any of these initiatives, please follow the web links provided, or make contact directly with the relevant department or agency. This information is not a comprehensive overview of all government initiatives that support innovation. For a more complete view, the reader is encouraged to visit the Australian Government’s www.business.gov.au; www.arc.gov.au and www.grantslink.gov.au websites.
Acknowledgements 2
Further Information 2
NEW PROGRAMS AND POLICY UPDATES FOR 2012 8
Research and skills 9
Business innovation 11
Links and collaboration 12
Public sector and social innovation 13
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE (AIMS) 15
Arafura Timor Research Facility (ATRF) 15
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies 15
Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) 16
NERP Tropical Ecosystems (NERP TE) Hub 16
The Integrated Marine Observing System 16
Western Australia Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) 17
AIMS@JCU 17
AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION (ANSTO) 18
ANSTOs Graduate Development Program 18
Australian Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Centre 18
A new era for Australian biomedical research and imaging: The National Imaging Facility Research Cyclotron 19
BioGill 19
ANSTO Minerals and Rare Earths 20
Neutron research facilities 20
Research networks 20
Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering 21
Memoranda of Understanding 21
REVIEWS AND/OR EVALUATIONS 23
AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL (ARC) 24
Special Research Initiative for a Science of Learning Research Centre 24
Special research initiative for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researchers’ Network 24
Discovery Indigenous 24
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 25
Excellence in Research for Australia 25
Industrial Transformation Training Centres 27
Industrial Transformation Research Program 28
Special Research Initiative in Synchrotron Science 28
AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE AND PRODUCTIVITY AGENCY 29
The National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF) 29
COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION (CSIRO) 30
Flagship Collaboration Fund 30
CSIRO science outreach 31
Small to Medium Enterprise – Engagement Centre 31
Australian Growth Partnerships 32
Precincts 32
CSIRO Chile Centre of Excellence 33
Human Services Delivery Research Alliance 33
IP AUSTRALIA 35
Wallace and Gromit’s World of Invention Exhibition 35
Vocational Education and Training (VET) 35
Accountants 36
Improving the IP system 36
REVIEWS AND/OR EVALUATIONS 38
Collaborations between the Public and Private Sectors: The Role of Intellectual Property 38
Review of the Innovation Patent System 38
Review of the Designs System 39
AUSTRADE 40
Austrade’s work in innovation 40
NATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (NHMRC) 42
NHMRC Partnerships for Better Health – Partnership Centres 42
Urgent call for research (UCR) - Hendra Virus 42
NHMRC – California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Collaborative Research Grants 43
NHMRC A*STAR joint call for research 44
Tripartite agreement with Canadian Institute of Health Research and Health Research Council of New Zealand 44
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) / Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) - Request for applications on Hypertension in Low and Middle Income Countries 45
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND FORESTRY (DAFF) 46
Securing a Clean Energy Future 46
DEPARTMENT OF BROADBAND, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY (DBCDE) 47
ICT Centre of Excellence Program 47
Business innovation 47
Links and collaboration 48
Public sector and social innovation 49
DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT 50
Smart Infrastructure Awards 50
An agreed national policy framework for intelligent transport systems in Australia 51
National Smart Managed Motorways Program 51
Liveable Cities program 52
DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY 53
Climate change science in Australia 53
Clean Energy Future plan 53
DEPARTMENT OF SUSTAINABILITY, ENVIRONMENT, WATER, POPULATION AND COMMUNITIES (DSEWPaC) 55
Reef Rescue 55
Mobile apps for environmental information 56
Social media integration in stakeholder engagement for the Caring for our Country review 56
Working on Country and Indigenous Protected Areas National Cybertracker Project 57
Strategic assessments 58
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION, SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND TERTIARY EDUCATION (DIISRTE) 59
Australian Space Research Program 59
Automotive Transformation Scheme 59
Business Online Services 59
Business.gov.au 60
Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program 60
Clean Technology Innovation Program 61
Clean Technology Investment Program 61
Clean Technology Program 61
Clothing and Household Textile (Building Innovative Capability) scheme 62
Collaborative Research Networks (CRN) program 62
Commercialisation Australia 62
Cooperative Research Centres Impact Study 63
Cooperative Research Centres program 65
CRC Star Award 2012 66
Early Stage Venture Capital Limited Partnership Program 66
Focusing Australia’s Publicly Funded Research Review 66
Green Car Innovation Fund 67
IBM Research and Development Laboratory 67
Industry Innovation Councils 68
Innovation Investment Follow-on Fund 68
Innovation Investment Fund 69
Joint Research Engagement Grant – Engineering Cadetships 69
Mission-based compacts 70
New Air Combat Capability-Industry Support Program 71
Policy development on Australia’s use of satellites 71
Pooled Development Funds Program 71
Pre-seed Fund 72
R&D Tax Incentive 72
Sustainable Research Excellence 72
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Strategic Capability Program 73
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Small Business Program 73
The Research Workforce Strategy 73
The Steel Transformation Plan 74
Venture Capital Limited Partnership Program 75
Workforce Innovation Program 75
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY GOVERNMENT 76
Entrepreneur Development Fund 76
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT 77
Skills and research capacity 77
Business innovation: The Queensland Business Innovation Survey 2011 77
NEW SOUTH WALES GOVERNMENT 78
Research Attraction and Acceleration Program 78
Establishing new capabilities: Centre for International Finance and Regulation 78
Establishing New Capabilities: Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation 79
NSW Social Benefit Bonds 79
Industry Action Plans 79
Collaborative Solutions Program Round 2 80
International technology connections 80
NSW TechVouchers Program 80
Environmental sustainability & social housing 81
Cross-portfolio innovation 81
REVIEWS AND/OR EVALUATIONS 83
NSW Health and Medical Research Strategic Review 83
Review of the NSW Government Procurement system 83
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT 84
Victorian eResearch Strategic Initiative 84
Victoria’s Technology Plan for the Future 84
Health Market Validation Program 85
Small Technologies Industry Uptake Program 86
Victorian Technology Trade and International Partnering program 87
Digital Futures Fund 87
Broadband Enabled Innovation Program 88
Investing in Manufacturing Technology 88
Collaborative Networks Pilot Program 89
Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing 89
Industry Innovation Program - Supporting innovation links and collaboration 90
Public sector innovation 90
TASMANIA GOVERNMENT 92
The CSIRO’s Intelligent Sensing and Systems Laboratory and University of Tasmania’s Human Interface Technology Lab (update) 92
Business Ready (new) 93
Business Tasmania Online (new) 93
The National Broadband Network (update) 94
Collaboration Agreement between the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts and the University of Tasmania’s Australian Innovation Research Centre (update) 94
Tasmanian Government and University of Tasmania Partnership Agreement 95
Cultural Tourism - Arts Tourism Strategy (update) 95
Tasmanian Government Approach to Collaboration 95
Tasmanian Government Science Research Strategy – ‘Reaching Our Potential, Developing Tasmania’s Science Research Capability’ 96
Digital Futures (update) 96
Digital Epicentre (new) 96
Community Services Hubs 97
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT 98
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute 98
The South Australian Aquatic Biosecurity Centre 99
Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing 99
Flinders University Tonsley Park expansion 99
Sustainable Industries Education Centre 99
Mining and Engineering Centre 100
Skills for All 100
MEGA 101
The Trans Tasman Commercialisation Fund 101
Materials and Minerals Science Learning and Research Hub 101
Medical Device Partnering Program 102
Bio Innovation SA (BioSA) 102
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT 104
Rare Disease Strategy (Public Health) 104
Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information 104
Fitzroy Communities Housing 104
Collie Hub Project 105
Western Australian Innovator of the Year Awards 2011 106
Innovation Vouchers Program 106
Ignition program 107
RD-CONNECT (Public Health) 107
RARE-Bestpractice (Public Health) 108
Landgate Joint Venture – Earthmine Australia 108
GeoMap.WA Software 109
Global Rare Disease Networks (Public Health) 110
Landgate Spatial Sciences Studio 110
Western Australian Public Sector Innovation Working Group 111
Aboriginal Heritage Electronic Lodgements Program 111
WA Health Quality Incentive Program (Performance Activity & Quality) 112
HealthTracks (Public Health) 112
Landgate Innovation Program and Innovation out of a Box 112
Local Government Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework 113
Human Resources Capability Framework for the WA Public Sector 114
Foundations in Government Human Resources 114
Remote Areas Licensing Program 114
Aboriginal innovation schools 115
Independent publics schools 116
AFS Logicwall 116
Structural Insulated Panel System pilot projects 117
2012 Property Council of Australia Awards for Innovation & Excellence 117
Approvals reform for the Resources Sector 119
The Partnership Forum 119
Social Innovation Grants Program 120
Funding and contracting reforms 121
My Life, My Way’ – Self Directed Services Design 121
NEW PROGRAMS AND POLICY UPDATES FOR 2012
This compendium is an outline of new or significant developments in government initiatives that foster innovation. It has been compiled based on updates received from various government departments and agencies for the Australian Innovation System Report 2012. It includes more than two hundred initiatives or activities. The Australian Government share of these initiatives in terms of numbers is around 40%.
This compendium is not a comprehensive overview of all government initiatives that support innovation. For a more complete view, the reader is encouraged to visit the Australian Government’s www.business.gov.au; www.arc.gov.au and www.grantslink.gov.au websites.
In 2009, in Powering Ideas; an Innovation Agenda for the 21st Century, the Australian Government committed itself to a ten-year horizon with the objective to build a stronger national innovation system. This undertaking involved the setting of seven national priorities on improving skills and expanding research capacity; increasing innovation in business, government and the community sector; and boosting domestic and international collaboration for the purpose of innovation and the on the production, diffusion and application of new knowledge.
The National Innovation Priorities were to complement Australia’s National Research Priorities, which were focused on public sector research. For six of the seven National Innovation Priorities, specific targets were set and progress against these targets has been reported in each of the successive Australian Innovation System Reports.
The Australian Government’s National Innovation Priorities
(announced in Powering Ideas in May 2009)
Priority 1: Public research funding supports high-quality research that addresses national challenges and opens up new opportunities.
Target: The Australian Government’s ambition is to increase the number of research groups performing at world-class levels, as measured by international performance benchmarks.
Priority 2: Australia has a strong base of skilled researchers to support the national research effort in both the public and private sectors.
Target: The Australian Government’s objective is to significantly increase the number of students completing higher degrees by research over the next decade.
Priority 3: The innovation system fosters industries of the future, securing value from the commercialisation of Australian research and development.
Target: The Australian Government aims to see a continuing increase in the number of businesses investing in R&D.
Priority 4: More effective dissemination of new technologies, processes, and ideas increases innovation across the economy, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
Target: The Australian Government’s goal is to achieve a 25 per cent increase in the proportion of businesses engaging in innovation over the next decade.
Priority 5: The innovation system encourages a culture of collaboration within the research sector and between researchers and industry.
Target: The Australian Government’s ambition is to double the level of collaboration between Australian businesses, universities and publicly-funded research agencies over the next decade.
Priority 6: Australian researchers and businesses are involved in more international collaborations on research and development.
Target: The Australian Government has adopted the long-term aim of increasing international collaboration in research by Australian universities.
Priority 7: The public and community sectors work with others in the innovation system to improve policy development and service delivery.
To make progress towards achieving these targets, the Australian Government has implemented a number of programs and initiatives. State and Territory Governments also implement a number of innovation focused initiatives and programs. Many of these are complementary to those delivered by the Australian Government and there are significant efforts to maintain a high level of coordination both within the Australian Government, through the Coordinating Committee on Innovation, and across governments, through the Commonwealth, State and Territory Advisory Council on Innovation. While Australian Government programs have a national focus, the programs of the state and territory governments respond more to regional issues. As the large number of new programs and policy updates suggest, there is a considerable level of activity in the area of government support for innovation. Areas of common activity include supporting innovation through:
· Business management and other skills development;
· Health and health related issues and services;
· Environmental issues such as clean technology;
· Technology and trade;
· Partnerships and collaborations; and
· Network and precinct creation and building.
Government programs aim to facilitate access to seed finance; provide incentives for direct business investment in R&D and innovation; support workforce development; and develop fairer, more productive and innovative workplaces. Governments are also helping firms become more capable and self sufficient including through providing support for businesses and individuals to build capability through innovation, science, skills acquisition, research and collaboration.