Hallmark Editions

R&D INFO, January 29, 2004

SUMMARY
NEWS ALERTS
1. ARC CEO RESIGNS
2. BRAIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR QUEENSLAND
3. NSW SCIENCE REPORT
4. NEC TO SET UP BROADBAND R&D FACILITY IN VICTORIA

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
5. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LEADERS INVITED TO TOP LEVEL GATHERING IN NEW ZEALAND
6. AIRG CONFERENCE 2004
7. PHARMATECH CONFERENCE

SHORT COURSE - COMMERCIALISATION
8. YOU HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY......BUT CAN YOU TAKE IT TO MARKET SUCCESSFULLY?

NEWS ALERTS

1. ARC CEO RESIGNS

The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council, Professor Vicki Sara, has resigned from her position after seven years at the head of the Council.

Professor Sara has overseen the establishment of the ARC as an independent agency, and the introduction of its National Competitive Grants Program. She was appointed the inaugural CEO of the Council in June 2001.

Professor Sara told R&D Info that she will remain in the position until the second stage of Backing Australia's Ability (BAA2) is settled in this year's May budget. She said that she is confident of the future for research in Australia and that she looks forward to a continuing involvement with science and research.

2. BRAIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR QUEENSLAND

A $60 million Queensland Brain Institute is to be established at the University of Queensland , with funding provided equally by the Queensland Government, the University of Queensland and a philanthropic organization. The Institute will house 240 scientists and 60 other staff, and will focus on understanding how the brain works and on finding cures and ways of alleviating brain-related illnesses and disorders. The Institute will be headed by Professor Perry Bartlett. Construction will start in early 2005.

3. NSW SCIENCE REPORT

NSW Parliament's Standing Committee on State Development has completed its inquiry into science and commercialisation in NSW, putting forward a number of recommendations designed to strengthen ties between scientists and the NSW government. The Committee has called for the creation of an office of the Chief Scientist of NSW; a review of science education curriculum and training for teachers; direct government assistance in the protection of intellectual property and commercial brokerage; the creation of direct incentives for public sector scientists if their work is commercialized; and a "NSW Science in Parliament" day.

4. NEC TO SET UP BROADBAND R&D FACILITY IN VICTORIA

NEC Australia has announced that it will establish a $70 million NEC Next Generation Broadband R&D Facility in Victoria, creating 63 new technology jobs. The new facility will be Australia's largest privately owned ICT R &D centre and NEC's largest research operation outside Japan.

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

5. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LEADERS INVITED TO TOP LEVEL GATHERING IN NEW ZEALAND
10 - 11 March 2004

The R&D Leaders' Forum will be a unique event, run in conjunction with the 4th APEC Science Ministers' meeting. The focus will be on making better connections between, scientists, research institutions, politicians and industry leaders.

The Forum will address the challenge of capturing value from science and will provide the unprecedented opportunity to rub shoulders with international business leaders and Science Ministers through discussion forums and informal social events.

The event will have Ministers, business leaders and speakers from some of the biggest economies in the world

Associated free events include site visits to leading edge centres of innovation; an exhibition showcasing world leading technologies; and symposia led by international experts

Speakers include:

* Dr Lee Ki-Won, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics, Korea

* Professor Tom Furness, Director Human Interface Technology Lab, University of Washington, USA and University of Canterbury, New Zealand

* Dr Cristian Samper, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, (Washington, DC)

* Dr Rita Colwell, Director of the US National Science Foundation

* Yoshio Matsumi, Executive Counsellor and General Manager of the Innovative Technology Business Development Office for the Itochu Corporation

* Professor Alan MacDiarmid, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 and

* Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania

For further details and registration for the 5th APEC R&D Leaders Forum, Christchurch, New Zealand, 10 - 11 March, 2004 visit the website http://www.apecscience2004.org.nz

Limited to 200 places so register NOW

6. AIRG CONFERENCE 2004

The Australian Industrial Research Group is holding its annual conference "AIRG Conference 2004" on 22-24 February at Rydges Riverwalk in Richmond, Melbourne. The theme of the conference is "Building and Delivering Value from R&D".

Sessions include,

* Keynote Address: " What Australia Needs to Create a Culture of Innovation within its Industry"

* The Commercial Context:
- Innovation: The Australian Imperative
- Matching your R&D with your Commercial Context
- Value Creation in the Global Explosives Business

* Financing of R&D
- Pre-seed Funding: A Progress Report
- Financing Strategies - Why are Larger Companies Ignoring Government Assistance Programs?

* Project Execution
- Application of Speed to Market
- Growing the Business through Innovation: International Research on More Effective R&D Management

* Measuring the Value of R&D
- New Sources of Value in R&D
- Ideas, Innovation and Intangible Assets

* Managing People and Expectations
- Managing the Expectations of Board, Business Development and Other Stakeholders
- Creating a Highly Motivate Team

* Commercialisation and Implementation
- Commercialisation of Near-mature Technology, and Take to Market Fund
- Technology Implementation and Success in the Wine Industry

For more information contact the AIRG Secretariat at,
Email: airg@zip.com.au
Phone: 07 3378 0248
Fax: 07 3378 0238
Website: http://www.airg.org.au

7. PHARMATECH CONFERENCE

Two-day Conference: 25 & 26 February 2004
Novotel on Darling Harbour, Sydney

Phone: 02 9223 2600
Email: registration@iqpc.com.au
Website: http://www.iqpc.com.au
URL: http://www.iqpc.com.au/AU-F02707

IQPC is proud to present its inaugural PharmaTech conference tailored specifically to the pharmaceutical and health industry.

Hear leading-edge presentations from the industry's most influential and authoritative experts and learn how to develop and IT architecture to ensure the fast and accurate flow of data, embrace electronic data capture for clinical trials, automate business processes to enhance customer service, transform supply chain management to an efficient enterprise-wide process and cease duplicating processes whilst regaining productivity levels.

As well as understanding how to reduce costs through virtual teams and maintain continuity while keeping a firm grip on ROI. By attending PharmaTech you will explore IT revelations from R&D to drug discovery to supply chain management and execution.

SHORT COURSE - COMMERCIALISATION

8. YOU HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY......BUT CAN YOU TAKE IT TO MARKET SUCCESSFULLY?

Melbourne University Private and the Australian Institute for Commercialisation offer a five-day intensive course in Strategic Business Planning. Learn how to commercialise new products and services

* Find out how to secure finance
* Polish your business planning and strategic skills

If you apply your skill to the completion of a commercialisation plan for your business, you can gain an accredited award at the same time.

It's an intensive experience that will challenge your knowledge of the technology commercialisation process, involve you in some hands-on learning and teamwork and give you skills and self-awareness that will apply immediately to your work situation.

Here's what some of the participants have said:

"I liked being able to see a bigger picture and how things link together"
"It puts business frameworks into the technology commercialisation space"
"I would recommend this course absolutely... the content is superb and of immediate relevance"

Next delivery dates are:
* Melbourne: February 16th to 20th 2004
* Perth: May 3rd to 7th 2004
* Sydney: May 24th to 28th 2004

The cost for the intensive program is $3200 + GST
For more information go to http://www.muprivate.edu.au/commercialise or contact Gemma Lane, 03 9810 3174 g.lane@muprivate.edu.au.