News Alerts

Business spending on R&D up 15%

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that Business expenditure on R&D (BERD) in Australia during 2007-08 increased 15% from 2006-07 to $14,380 million. Human resources devoted to R&D in the business sector also increased, rising 6% to 40,114 person years.

The improvement was reflected in figures for BERD as a proportion of GDP, which increased from 1.20% to 1.27% between 2006-07 and 2007-08 . Although Australia's BERD/GDP ratio for 2007-08 remained below the OECD average of 1.59%, its growth from 2006-07 was greater than the OECD average growth. Australia is now ranked 14th amongst 30 OECD countries in terms of its BERD/GDP ratio.

The figures show that over five years to 2007-08, BERD has increased at an average annual rate of 17% in current price terms.

Of all industries, Mining and Manufacturing reported the largest absolute growth from 2006-07, increasing their expenditure on R&D by $510 million (18%) and $469 million (12%) respectively. Other industries to record large increases included Financial and insurance services (up $313 million or 28%) and Professional, scientific and technical services (up $233 million or 12%).

The report, Research and Experimental Development, Businesses, Australia, 2007-08, Cat 8104.0, is available at www.abs.gov.au.

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Consultation paper for R&D Tax Credit released

The Federal Government has released the consultation paper for the new R&D Tax Credit, with submissions due by 26 October.

The R&D Tax Credit, which will replace the R&D Tax Concession from 1 July 2010, will have two core components: a non refundable 40 per cent Standard R&D Tax Credit and a 45 per cent Refundable R&D Tax Credit for companies with a turnover of less than $20 million.

Public consultation sessions are being held in six capital cities over the next three weeks. For more information go to www.ausindustry.gov.au/InnovationandRandD/RandDTaxCredit/Pages/RandDTaxCreditConsultation.aspx

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Cutler appointed Deputy Chair of CSIRO

ICT consultant, Dr Terry Cutler, has been appointed Deputy Chairperson of the CSIRO Board. Dr Cutler has been on the CSIRO Board since 2002. He chaired the Review of the National Innovation System, completed in August last year.

The Deputy Chairperson position became vacant when Professor Suzanne Cory’s term expired on 25 June 2009.

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CSIRO Future Manufacturing Flagship launched

CSIRO’s new $36.2 million National Research Flagship for Future Manufacturing has been officially launched.

The Flagship, headed by director, Clive Davenport, will focus on emerging manufacturing opportunities in flexible electronics, clean technology manufacturing, biomedical manufacturing and nanosafety, and helping the Australian manufacturing sector address major national challenges in energy, health, climate and waste.

More information about the Flagship is at www.csiro.au/org/FutureManufacturingFlagship.html

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Funding for Victorian marine research program

The Victorian Government has announced a $5.5 million Seagrass and Reef research program for Port Phillip Bay, including $3 million in funding for seagrass research and $2.5 million for research into cool temperature reefs.

Funding for the program is being provided by the Port of Melbourne Corporation as part of the conditions of the Channel Deepening Project.

The Seagrass and Reef Program for Port Phillip Bay consists of four initiatives:

• A Victoria-wide Marine Biodiversity Science and Research Strategy to identify research directions, funding priorities and improved co-ordination of research;
• A Victorian Marine Environmental Condition Assessment Framework to trial the monitoring and reporting of Victoria’s marine biodiversity;
• A Seagrass and Reef Marine Assets Framework to enhance management of key marine assets such as seagrass meadows and reefs; and
• The Port Phillip Bay Seagrass and Reef Research Studies to target investment in a range of research projects to increase understanding of these specific communities including their biodiversity and links to other ecosystems.

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New name for Biosciences Research Centre

Victoria’s $230 million Biosciences Research Centre being constructed at LaTrobe University will be known as AgriBio to better reflect the type of research that will be undertaken at the facility. AgriBio is a joint initiative between the Victorian Government, through the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), and La Trobe University.

Work started on the centre late in May this year. Plenary Research, a consortium of the Plenary Group, Grocon and Honeywell Services, is constructing, financing and providing facility management services for the facility for a 25 year period.

Once operational in 2012, AgriBio will provide research for Victoria's agricultural sector to improve productivity, fight disease and reduce environment impacts. It  will accommodate up to 400 staff from DPI and La Trobe.  

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Innovation

Tax concession helps build an innovative company

Aerospace, precision components, bulk handling, erosion control, in-house design and build of specialised machinery, and computer programming – with this list of innovations, Andromeda Industries sounds like a major multinational.

But the company is achieving all these milestones with a staff of just 17 – and just four engineers.

Moreover, Andromeda Industries is achieving these results with employees pulled mainly from its home town in NSW – Moonbi – population 500.

Business Manager Christine Kennedy said research and development was a key to Andromeda Industries’ success.

“We’re always looking at and designing machines,” Christine said.

“We registered for AusIndustry’s R&D Tax Concession about four years ago."

“We’ve found that it gives us money back to use on more R&D work,” Christine said.

“It allows us to keep the number of staff that we have, and it reduces our tax.

“We’re only a small company – and the concession really helped us build our new $2 million R&D section.”

Christine said one thing the company was most proud of was the environment-focussed products coming out of its Reusables Division.

Andromeda Industries has found ways to reuse old rubber conveyor belts from the mining sector.

The belts, which are up to 1800 mm wide, are used to stabilise sand dunes, waterways and paths, for example in national parks. They’re also being used in horse and stock yards, as barriers to contain bamboo roots – and more.

Making these products has meant inventing, designing and contructing a range of machinery in house, such as hydraulic crimping tools, slicers and conveyor belts.

The company recently commissioned a $500,000 Enviro 40 Belt machine, so the belts can now be punched with a wide variety of hole sizes and patterns.

It was designed and built in-house.

"Local councils and national parks and wildlife committees have been asking for a greater variety of belts. Our testing has shown that our new generation of belts are stronger and more durable.

"They've also been designed to ensure that more water will soak into the ground and let more plants grow through the holes," Christine said.

The company’s advanced engineering division is concentrating its manufacturing on the aerospace and defence sectors – with high tech computer programming and precision work at the micron level.

Andromeda’s oldest division, Plaited & Woven, concentrates on machine plaiting “super flex cable” steel which bends as readily as phone or computer cable. It uses the steel to make products such as slings for lifting, and recovery strops for pulling out bogged mining equipment.

The company has been updating its machines to be state of the art computerised systems with user-friendly touch screens.

Christine said several staff have had to learn computer program logic, and the company has an ongoing need for computer-aided manufacturing operators and computer-aided design experts.

Andromeda Industries is working with the NSW Department of Education and Training and the tertiary sector to develop an online training course – to meet this increasing need.

The company has also built up an enviable track record with its apprentices.

One apprentice won a silver medal at the 2008 WorldSkills Olympics, another two have been named regional apprentice of the year, and yet another apprentice has decided to combine his work with external study in mechanical engineering.

For further information please see HERE.

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Positions Vacant

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Chinese Medicinal Products in Diabetes)

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Chinese Medicinal Products in Diabetes)
Faculty of Pharmacy
Reference No. 436/0809

The University of Sydney is Australia's premier University with an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence, and employs over 6,800 permanent staff supporting over 46,000 students.

The Faculty of Pharmacy has an established tradition of advanced herbal medicines research in Australia. The Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre within the Faculty covers a broad spectrum of pharmacological and cell biological sciences and undertakes collaborative research projects in diabetes with groups within the University, other national and international universities and research institutes, the herbal medicines industry and the profession.

The Faculty of Pharmacy is undertaking specialised research in the role of Chinese herbal medicines in diabetes. It is seeking to appoint an outstanding postdoctoral researcher in studies on the pharmacological, cell biological and molecular mechanisms of selected Chinese medicine herbs to identify new drug targets and potential multi-component mechanisms in type 2 diabetes. The position is funded through the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Collaborative Centre in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The successful applicant will be working collaboratively on a NICM funded project involving (1) the selection of suitable herbs (2) pharmacological in vitro cell studies and (3) whole animal molecular mechanism of action experiments. It is intended that the successful applicants will work with established highly-skilled, multidisciplinary teams of the Collaborative Centre and will also contribute to innovative research programs.

The successful applicant must hold a PhD in an area of biology or pharmacology or a related discipline, with interest in developing a career within the natural products sector. The applicant will also have excellent doctoral research experience including expertise in tissue culture, in vitro techniques such as Western blotting, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence microscopy and recombinant DNA technology, while experience in whole animal studies is considered valuable. An early career record of peer-reviewed publications would be highly desirable.

Information about the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre may be obtained from the Faculty and University website: www.pharm.usyd.edu.au

The position is initially full-time fixed term for 12 months, with possible extension up to a further 12 months subject to availability of funding and satisfactory completion of a probation period for new appointees. Membership of a University approved superannuation scheme is a condition of employment for new appointees.

Remuneration package: Up to $79 854 – $85 717 (which includes a base salary Research Level A $67,478-72,432 p.a., leave loading and up to 17% employer’s contribution to superannuation).

All applications must be submitted online. For more information and to apply, visit the following web link: HERE and search by reference No. 436/0809.

Closing Date: 30th September 2009

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