Australia trailing on innovation

The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, released recently, shows that Australia has slipped from 16th to 19th in the Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index – lagging behind comparable economies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and France.

Australia remains well behind other countries in rankings for infrastructure, innovation and the regulatory burden on business.

On innovation, Australia’s trails our major regional competitors, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Australia’s ranking on innovation came in at 22nd place overall – behind Iceland and Malaysia and only slightly ahead of New Zealand and Tunisia .

Areas identified as “notable competitive disadvantages” for Australia included:

• University/ industry research collaboration (22nd).
• Company spending on research and development (25th).
• Government procurement of technology products based on technical performance and innovativeness rather than simply price (28th).
• Capacity for innovation, or the degree to which companies conduct formal research or pioneer new products and processes (30th).
• Availability of scientists and engineers (34th).

The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report can be downloaded at http://www.weforum.org

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OPAL sut down to continue into new year

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has confirmed that the OPAL research reactor will continue to be shut down until early in the New Year. The reactor, which was officially opened in April this year, was shut down on 27 July due to faults in the fuel assemblies.

According to a statement released by ANSTO, analysis and testing of fuel assemblies are continuing and should be completed in early November.

A submission seeking approval from the independent nuclear regulator ARPANSA, to restart the reactor is being prepared. The submission will detail the reason for the fuel plate movements, fuel design changes to prevent a recurrence, and tests undertaken to validate the design. ANSTO anticipates that the necessary adjustments will be completed and OPAL will be operational in the first few weeks of 2008.

Following the release of ANSTO’s statement Federal Labor demanded an explanation of the continuing closure from the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Julie Bishop, pointing out that it represented the ‘worst case scenario’ outlined by ANSTO chief, Dr Ian Smith, at the time of the closure.

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Director of Atlas of Living Australia appointed

The Deputy Director for Informatics at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in Copenhagen, Donald Hobern, has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) – a web-based encyclopaedia of Australian life.

The ALA is a national initiative involving more than 60 biological collections from State Museums and Herbaria, State Departments, Universities and microbial collections. It has been awarded funding of $7.5 million over the next five years through the Federal government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

Chair of the ALA Management Committee and Group Executive CSIRO, Dr Joanne Daly, said that Mr Hobern will take up his position early next year. After working in software development at IBM for 16 years, Mr Hobern has been responsible for GBIF’s software architecture and approach to data sharing, and developing its data portal. He has also been a member of working groups on standards and protocols for exchanging biodiversity information and will soon take on the role of Chair of the executive committee of the Biodiversity Information Standards group, (formerly the Taxonomic Database Working Group).

Dr Daly said the ALA will pull together the information held in biological collections around Australia.

“This single portal access to biological information will support decision making on issues such as biosecurity, global change management and conservation, and underpin research in these areas. We now have the tools to build an interesting and flexible online encyclopaedia of biodiversity and I believe that Australia is uniquely positioned to make this a reality and to benefit from the wealth of its past investment in this area.”

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Labor promises desalination centre of excellence for WA

The ALP has announced that a Labor federal government will invest $20 million over five years to establish a National Centre of Excellence in Water Desalination to help secure Australia's permanent drinking water supply.

The centre, to be located in Perth, would develop and commercialise desalination technology with funding from the $1 billion National Urban Water And Desalination Plan announced last week.

According to the ALP statement, Western Australia’s existing desalination skill and technology means that Perth is the most logical place to locate the centre.
Under the plan, government agencies and other interested stakeholders will be asked to develop collaborative bids to bid competitively for the opportunity to be part of the Centre.

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WA Inventor of the Year Award

WA company, Scanalyse, has been awarded the WA Inventor of the Year Award for its device, the MillMapper, that maps the workings of a grinding mill on a mine site, helping to increase safety and saving time and money for the resources industry.

Scanalyse’s MillMapper uses a specially calibrated 3D laser scanner to collect data on grinding mill liners. Liners have a relatively short life span and there is currently no way of monitoring their deterioration without shutting a mill down for extended periods.

The new technology will allow the capture of real-time data, which will help increase throughput levels and improve the knowledge of wear liner shapes.

For more information on this year’s winners and runners up, visit http://www.doir.wa.gov.au/inventor

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WA Science Awards

The 2007 Western Australian Premier’s $100,000 Scientist of the Year Award has been won by Professor David Blair, Professor of Physics at The University of Western Australia.

Announcing the award, the Premier, Alan Carpenter, said that Professor Blair had been instrumental in creating the Gravitational Wave Observatory, a prototype for a detector that can identify gravitational waves.

“WA has been identified as the best location on earth to house the observatory and Professor Blair is collaborating with specialists from around the world.”

Other winners of the Premier’s Science Awards are:

• Western Australian Young Scientist of the Year - $50,000
Dr Kristen Nowak - Research Fellow for the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research. Dr Nowak researches rare muscle disorders, and is aiming to find a therapy for patients with actin-caused muscle diseases.
• Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Science Communication Outside the Classroom - $50,000
Mr Roger Harris - Centre Manager at Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre.
• Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching: Tertiary - $50,000
Professor Paul McMenamin - Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences and School of Anatomy and Human Biology at The University of Western Australia.
• Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching: Secondary - $50,000
Mr Warwick Mathews - Teacher at Shenton College.
• Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching: Primary - $50,000
Mr Allan Whittome - Teacher at Badgingarra Primary School.


Mr Carpenter also announced Scitech and Nobel Prize winners Professor Barry Marshall and Dr Robin Warren as the inaugural inductees to the Western Australian Science Hall of Fame.

“The Premier’s Science Awards are the richest State-based science awards in the country and recognise the outstanding science talent the State has to offer,” Mr Carpenter said.

More information about the awards is at the Science Network WA website http://www.sciencewa.net.au

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Chair in Water Recycling for UQ

A French water infrastructure company, Veolia Water France, will fund a $2.5 million Chair in Water Recycling at The University of Queensland.

The new professor based at UQ's Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), directed by Professor Jurg Keller, will be joined by a team of up to seven researchers by early next year.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor David Siddle, has signed an agreement establishing the chair with Western Corridor Recycled Water Pty Ltd Scheme Operator Project Director, Jean-Michel Seillier.

Professor Siddle said the professorship, initially funded for five years, was believed to be the first of its kind in Australia and indicated the importance placed on research finding solutions to the continent's dwindling water supplies.

He thanked Veolia Water Australia, a subsidiary of Veolia Water and scheme operator of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, for its foresight in partnering with UQ on the initiative.

Professor Siddle said the University, through centres such as the AWMC, was ideally positioned to benefit from increased recognition of the importance of water and water conservation by society. He said the new team would also provide a new focus for postgraduate studies.

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New centre for coasts and climate for Victoria

The University of Melbourne has signed agreements with the Commonwealth Government and the Point Nepean Community Trust to establish a Centre for Coasts and Climate at Point Nepean in Victoria.

The Commonwealth will provide 110 fully-funded student places for programs aligned with the aims of the Centre, and $2.1 million to provide facilities at Point Nepean to the University rent-free for seven years.

The Trust will provide at least $7 million to develop high-quality laboratory, teaching and accommodation facilities on the site.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, says the Centre has potential to bring together University stakeholders with wide ranging research and education interests from Science (Botany, Environmental Science and Zoology), Engineering and Arts (Anthropology, Australian Indigenous Studies, Archaeology, History and Geography).

“It will be a focal point of excellence for a broad range of communities – local, national and international, Indigenous, scientific, educational and business,” he says.

The Centre will incorporate undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and postgraduate research programs and offer specialist research and training for postgraduate and late-stage undergraduate students with external scientific laboratories and industry partners.

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2007/08 DuPont Innovation Awards - Enter Now

The 2007/08 DuPont Australia & New Zealand Innovation Awards are now open for entry.

Launched in 2004, the biennial awards program is an independently judged competition that recognizes and rewards the introduction of a new and innovative technology, application, product or service.

The Awards are free to enter, and are open to individuals, companies or tertiary students.

The program is an official event of the National Innovation Festival, with each of the seven categories supported by leaders in the fields of science, industry and environmental sustainability.

Winners of these prestigious awards will be announced at the DuPont Innovation Awards presentation in Sydney in May 2008 and gain opportunities to further develop designs and ideas through access to industry and government networks.

2007/08 AWARD CATEGORIES
1. Building Innovation - sponsored by Fletcher Building Limited
2. Medical & Healthcare - sponsored by Invetech
3. Sustainable Energy - sponsored by BHP Billiton
4. Sustainable Services - sponsored by Worley Parsons
5. Agriculture & Food Production - sponsored by Cargill Australia Limited
6. Performance Materials - sponsored by Plantic
7. Tertiary Student Award - sponsored by ABB

KEY DATES
May 1, 2007 - Call for Entry Opens
November 30, 2007 - Call for Entry Closes
March 2008 - Finalists Announced
May 2008 - Award Presentation in Sydney

Find out more and download an entry form here.  

Or contact:

DuPont Innovation Awards, c/- Two de Force, Suite 5 / 50 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Awards Hotline - Tel: +61 2 9923 6144
Email - innovation@aus.dupont.com  

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International IP Management Events

In Melbourne and Sydney Next Week

Sponsored by:

Building the Case for Strategic IP Management

Following his KCA presentation - Peter Ackerman, CEO, Innovation Asset Group

We are seeing an evolution – perhaps revolution - not just in terms of the recognition of IP as the fundamental core asset for businesses today; but also in terms of the way in which IP is managed.

Initially, IP is managed out of the legal department in a non-strategic mindset and often equates merely to docketing.

As companies embrace the strategic importance of IP and understand the need to move beyond docketing, there is an evolution of the role of the legal department. Much the way IT departments have evolved from a cost center and service provider to a strategic enabler of the business in the past couple of decades, legal departments are making a similar evolution today.

The Intellectual Asset Group, has worked with leading organisations who are embracing innovative techniques to leverage substantial value from their intellectual assets. Following a discussion and framework for better managing intellectual assets, we will explore case studies of how leading organisations such as Nike are embracing Intellectual Asset management and the business case that supports this focus.

There is no charge for this event series however numbers are limited

Sydney Event
WHERE
The Boardroom, Level 5,The Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo
WHEN
Thursday 15 November 2007, Lunch and Seminar,12.30 - 2.30 pm
RSVP
Monday 12 November 2007, to Pauline Delaney, 029888 6600, rsvp@watermark.com.au  

Melbourne Event
WHERE
Westin Tower Suites, Sofitel Melbourne, 25 Collins St Melbourne
WHEN
Friday 16th November 2007, Breakfast and Seminar, 7:15am – 9:30am
RSVP
Tuesday 13 November 2007, to Marisa Bertoldo, 03 9819 1664, rsvp@watermark.com.au  

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Seminar: IT Patents - Current Position in Europe, USA and Australia - International Speakers

Melbourne, Thursday 22 November

Software and Internet Business Process Systems. Are they patentable? When does one infringe the patent? Is the situation different in Europe and USA from the position in Australia?

Patent protection for information technology developments, particularly software, has attracted controversy and has evolved over the years to a situation where different approaches are being taken in Europe, the USA and Australia. The differences and current state of the evolution will be explained at this half day seminar by experts from UK, USA and Australia, with reference to examples.

The seminar is endorsed by Australian Information Industry Association, Australian Computer Society and Victorian Society for Computers and the Law. The seminar has been arranged by Tech IP Professional Development.

The seminar is to take place on:

Thursday 22 November 2007 from 8.30am to 1.00pm (Registration from 8.10am)

at

Monash University Law Chambers
472 Bourke St
Melbourne

Program Brochure, Speakers' Profiles and Registration Form: available at www.techip.com.au/itpatents   

Inquiries:
P: 03 9523 7207
E: information@techip.com.au  

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Applied Analysis of Clinical Trials

This course focuses on the major biostatistical techniques used in Clinical Research, with an emphasis on clinical trials. Real data sets will be analysed in a workshop environment, so that both the challenges and the outcomes are experienced. The use of multiple presenters will enable various viewpoints of analytic problems to be explored and discussed.

At the end of this subject, Clinicians should be able to:
• Understand the major statistical methods used in analysing data from clinical trials
• Perform analysis on such data within limitations, using an appropriate statistical package.
• Understand the limitations and assumptions of such analyses
• Be familiar with the statistical terms used in the literature
• Interpret and explain to others in clear language the relevant information from such analyses
• Understand the advantages and weaknesses of repeated measures, crossover designs, factorial and blocked designs from a statistical perspective.

This subject is one half of the Specialist Certificate in Clinical Research (Informatics & Analysis). To lean more about this award, visit our website www.soe.unimelb.edu.au/informatics  

Dates: November 26, 27, 29 & 30 2007
Cost: $2,000 per person

For further details contact Elise Strande on (03) 9810 3136 or email e.strande@soe.unimelb.edu.au  

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Graduate Diploma in Drug Evaluation & Pharmaceutical Sciences: 2008

University of Melbourne, Australia

Today’s potent drugs, combined with the complex issues of their production and use has created a growing need for evaluation of their safety and efficacy.

For such evaluation, wide ranging expertise is required in the areas of Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Legal and Ethical Considerations.

This diploma course gives a systematic overview of these areas and how they affect the very practical issues of drug evaluation and is aimed at Pharmacists, Research Nurses, Scientists, Medical Practitioners and others involved in regulatory affairs.

For more information please contact Mrs Nicola Cash Ph: +61 3 9496 3420, Fax: +61 3 9459 3510 or Email: njcash@unimelb.edu.au  

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