1. Funding for priority energy technologies in White Paper

The Prime Minister's Energy White Paper has committed $500 million to establishing a Low-Emission Technology Fund to demonstrate technologies that can help to reduce greenhouse emissions and a further $100 million ($50 million from the Commercial Ready program and $50 million in new funding) to support development of smaller-scale renewable energy technologies. New funding of $34 million has also been allocated to address barriers to the uptake of renewable technologies, including better wind forecasting capacity, advances in energy storage technologies and strategic development of renewable energy technologies, systems and processes that have strong commercial potential.

The White Paper places high priority on the sustainable exploitation of Australia's coal reserves, and describes new technologies in areas such as brown coal combustions, as well as some other areas where Australian researchers have taken a lead, as in the first of three broad priority categories.

The second category includes those technologies where Australia has a specific interest, but are being advanced internationally, such as black coal power generation. In these areas Australia should be a `fast follower', maintaining engagement in international forums, the capability to select and adapt technology, and a domestic R&D effort to enable participation in international collaborations.

The third category is described as those `reserve' technologies such as hydrogen power in which Australia does not have a clear, near-term strategic interest. The White Paper provides a listing of which technologies fall into each of the three categories.

Specific measures related to research, exploration and technology development announced in the White Paper include:

• $25 million to Geoscience Australia between 2003-04 and 2006-07 for the collection of new seismic data, including in offshore frontier areas, and the preservation of existing data; and a further $36 million to Geoscience Australia to continue with the existing pre-competitive oil exploration program;
• $75.3 million to fund a Solar Cities program, a series of trials to gauge the benefits of the use of solar and energy efficient technologies combined with interval metering.
• $26.9 million over four years to encourage ongoing investment in the development, demonstration and deployment of smaller-scale low emission technologies, and other cost-effective abatement activities.
• $20.4 million for the development of advanced storage systems for electricity from intermittent generation systems.
• Up to $14 million to support the development of a wind forecasting system and software for Australian conditions.

The White Paper, Securing Australia's Energy Future, can be downloaded at http://www.pmc.gov.au/energy_future

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2. PMSEIC meets

The Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) is meeting today. On the agenda are papers on the future of astronomy; science and technology in sport; and growing technology small and medium size enterprises. The Council will also hear a report on the Backing Australia’s Ability – Building our Future through Science and Innovation package, and a presentation by Dr Callum Drummond, a Federation Fellow and Vice-President Research of cap-xx Pty Ltd, an Australian company that designs and manufactures supercapacitors.

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3. Queensland injects funding into research facilities

The Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, has announced a new round of funding under the Smart State Research Facilities Fund, totalling over $34 million. Recipients include:

• the University of Queensland, $8.1M to establish a Queensland Preclinical Drug Development Facility in Brisbane; $9.5M to establish a Centre for Advanced Animal Science at Gatton; $2.2 million to expand the Queensland Hypersonic Testing Facility Centre in Brisbane and Toowoomba;
• the Queensland University of Technology, $3.5M to establish Queensland Crop Development Facilities at Ormiston and QUT's Gardens Point campus in Brisbane; $5M to establish a Medical Engineering Research Facility;
• the Mater Medical Research Institute, $3.0M to support cancer and other disease research;
• the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, $2.52 million to establish a Queensland Viral Testing and Product Characterisation Centre.

Other funding announced by the Premier includes:

• $5 million towards the development of a Queensland Clinical Trials Network
• $4.7 million for a Smart State Health and Medical Research Fund to support and encourage Queensland's health and medical researchers;
• $3 million towards the establishment of a Centre for New Foods

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4. Victoria sets new biotechnology targets

The Victorian Government has released its Biotechnology Strategic Development Plan for 2004, identifying a range of new actions to enhance the state's capacity to benefit from its biomedical and biotechnology strengths.

The plan, which builds on the strategic plan launched in 2001, shifts the focus of the government's efforts to commercialisation of research and strengthenging links between industry and the research community. Amongst new targets set by the plan are that by 2007, corporate biotechnology R&D expenditure will exceed $500 million per annum; venture capital investment in Victorian biotechnology will exceed 40% of the national annual venture biotechnology investment; at least 120 US biotechnology patents will be generated per annum from Victoria's R&D base, and Victoria will be recognised internationally as the leading location for marsupial genomics.

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5. South Australian targets the defence industry

The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, has announced a state plan to double the size of the its defence industry, with the aim of making SA the "high tech defence arsenal of Australia".

Returning from defence talks in Washington DC, Mr Rann said high-tech defence company Raytheon Australia had won a $74 million contract with the Royal Australian Airforce that will have significant South Australian input. He said that Raytheon’s US Vice President, Dan Smith, had made it clear that Raytheon wants its Adelaide division to secure contracts for land, sea and air defence operations. Raytheon’s products include high-tech combat and communication systems. The company is currently involved with the submarine project at Port Adelaide, and will provide new FA-18 Hornet flight simulators for RAAF pilots, to be installed at the two Hornet bases at Tindal in the Northern Territory and at Williamtown in New South Wales.

Mr Rann outlined plans to establish the Osborne Maritime Precinct, near Port Adelaide, expanding the Australian Submarine Corporation site to cater for a range of naval projects, including the building of surface ships. The new Precinct would be in close proximity to a hub of defence and technology related companies located at Mawson Lakes and at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct, as well as the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. South Australia is also supporting bids for the $6b Air Warfare Destroyer contract in which three destroyers will be built and for the $3b Project Overlander which will replace the Army’s fleet of field vehicles, with bids coming from the SA divisions of both General Dynamics and Tenix.

Other projects include the $2b Amphibious Ship and up to $1b for multi-mission unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Global Hawk. General Dynamics has also expressed interest in the Australian Battle Space Communications system worth some $700million which will improve communications between Army and Airforce operations.

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6. Australian Industrial Research Group (AIRG) Dinner and Address

The AIRG (Australian Industrial Research Group) is having an evening talk and dinner on Wednesday, 7 July 2004 at 7.00pm at the Rydges Jamison Hotel, 11 Jamison Street, Sydney.

On this occasion, John Matthews of the Institute of Executive Coaching Australia (IECA) will speak about managing with the human dimension in commercialising R&D efforts. John will focus on strategies for researchers and R&D managers to handle this process in a more effective way. The title of his presentation is,

“Integral Coaching: A Way through the Labyrinth”

John Matthews is the Master Presenter/Director of the coaching program for IECA which is based in Sydney. He has a Masters Degree in Adult Education from Loyola University with majors in adult and action learning. Before settling in Australia in 1996, John had worked as a senior executive for a number of US multinational corporations. He has coached CEO’s and senior executives continuously since his arrival in Australia and has over 10,000 hour’s experience of coaching such key executives.

John has trained executives for the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, AGL and MLC and has worked with IBM in the development of High Performance Teams. Other clients include Fairfax Newspapers, ABN AMRO, Clayton Utz, NRMA, Ernst and Young, Department of Education, Science and Training and NSW Dept of Health. He is a sought-after speaker. Some of his speaking engagements include the Federal Government’s Departmental Secretaries’ Retreat, the University of Sydney, AGSM, AIHRE and the International Coaching Federation.

If you are interested in attending this dinner meeting, please contact Allan Clark on Ph: 61 7 3378 0248, Fx: 61 7 3378 0238, airg@zip.com.au, http://www.airg.org.au.

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7. New Product Development Short Course

For most businesses new product development and service is critical for future growth, yet around 70% of new products and services launched fail in the market place. How much better could your organisation do in the development and delivery of new products and services if it has some systematic processes that it could apply to ensure that what you decide to do has the best chance of success in the marketplace?

If you are serious about improving your organisations new product development and commercialisation capability you should join our advanced program "New Product Development" running in Melbourne July 26th to 30th. If you can make the commitment you will be rewarded with a thorough grounding in the concepts, frameworks and processes available for successful new product development. You will also have the opportunity to apply the skills you try out during the week to a major workplace project to consolidate your learning and apply it in a direct, relevant way to a real product development opportunity in your own workplace.

A course brochure and more details are available from www.muprivate.edu.au/commercialise or you can contact Gemma Lane on 03 9810 3174 or email g.lane@muprivate.edu.au to reserve your place today.

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8. New Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Website

Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick is a leading Australian and New Zealand intellectual property firm. Our attorneys are highly experienced professionals qualified in a diversity of technologies, who specialise in the protection and enforcement of patents, trade marks, designs and domain name rights globally, in association with our extensive network of over 500 international associates.

On 1st June 2004, our interactive and informative website was launched. It covers the entire PO&F Group including Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Lawyers and IP Organisers - our affiliated IP Company, which offers IP research, IP audits and management and commercialisation services.

Information about the patent, trade mark, designs and other IP rights services we offer, is available on the site. To demonstrate the diversity of the work we undertake, each of our core technology practice groups have been profiled, including the professionals who make up these groups. Practice Group brochures can be downloaded from the website.

Comprehensive brochures on Patents, Designs and Trade Marks are free to download from the site. You can also register online to attend any of our free educational seminars and to receive our quarterly newsletter and any news alerts on relevant changes within the IP industry.

Other features of the new site include an online ordering facility for file histories and patent specifications, an online enquiry service for all your IP questions and links to other IP resources.

To access our new site visit: http://www.pof.com.au

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9. Ernst & Young R&D Services

Ernst & Young Australia boasts one of the most experienced and multi-disciplined Innovation & Incentives practices in Australia. Comprising specialists with hands-on expertise in developing technology and leveraging government assistance, Ernst & Young's team is dedicated to helping clients gain maximum value from their R&D investments.

Ernst & Young has extensive experience with the R&D Tax Concession, R&D Tax Offset (cash rebate), R&D Start grants and loans, and grants specific to the Biotechnology sector (BIF) and the Food Industry (FIG). We can also assist companies to access Export Market Development Grants and other State and Commonwealth grants. We help hundreds of Australian companies to access substantial R&D benefits each year.

Ernst & Young can help you to select the type of R&D assistance that best suits your company, considering your circumstances, your industry and your R&D projects. For more information on how Ernst & Young can help, please contact an office near you or visit our website at http://www.ey.com.au

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