Australian Innovation System Report 2012 Compendium of Program Updates

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND FORESTRY (DAFF)

Securing a Clean Energy Future

In July 2011, the Australian Government released its Securing a Clean Energy Future plan. The Plan contains four elements – carbon price, innovation in renewable energy, energy efficiency and action on the land (Land Sector Package).

The Plan’s $1.7 billion Land Sector Package is about creating new opportunities for land managers to enhance productivity, gain economic benefits and help the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon storage can also increase the land sector’s resilience to climate change, protect Australia’s natural environment and improve long term farm productivity.

The Carbon Farming Futures program is a key component of the land sector measures, allocating $429 million in funding over six years to help farmers and other landholders to benefit from carbon farming.

Carbon Farming Futures is comprised of five elements:

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  Filling the Research Gap ($201 million over six years) to fund research into new technologies and practices for land managers to reduce emissions and store soil carbon. National survey to identify common practice. Commenced in 2011/12.
  
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  Action on the Ground ($99 million over six years) to assist industry and farming groups test and apply research outcomes in real farming situations.
  
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  Extension and Outreach ($64 million over six years) to provide information, support and an extension network to help farmers take action on the land.
  
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  Converting research into methodologies ($20 million over six years) to convert research into estimation methodologies for use in the Carbon Farming Initiative. Commences in 2012/13.
  
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  Refundable Tax Offset (RTO) (over three years) to provide 15 percent RTOs for new eligible conservation tillage equipment installed between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2015.
  

Research outcomes will underpin the development of new abatement methodologies that land managers can use to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative – an Australian Government voluntary carbon offsets scheme intended to help farmers, forest growers and land managers earn income from reducing emissions like nitrous oxide and methane through changes to agricultural and land management practices.

Website for further information:

www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/

www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/carbonfarmingfutures

www.daff.gov.au/climatechange/cfi

DEPARTMENT OF BROADBAND, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE DIGITAL ECONOMY (DBCDE)

Digital Economy Services Division/Digital Initiatives Branch/

ICT Centre of Excellence Program

National ICT Australia (NICTA) is Australia’s information and communications technology Centre of Excellence. Established in 2002, it is a major Australian Government investment in Australia’s ICT capabilities (with funding of $564.5 million to NICTA over the period 2002-2015, jointly administered by DBCDE and the Australian Research Council (ARC)).

The Australian Government’s support for NICTA is closely aligned with its priorities relating to the digital economy, innovation, skills and industry development.

NICTA’s mission is to undertake breakthrough, internationally recognised research in partnership with industry, government and researchers to create value for Australia.

NICTA’s research subject area include broadband, health, medical implants, disaster recovery, security, smart grids, supply chains, transport and water management.

In early 2011 NICTA aligned its organisational structure round six research groups and four business beams to achieve its objectives of research excellence and wealth creation. NICTA’s six discipline-focused research groups are:

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  Computer Vision;
  
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  Networks;
  
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  Control and Signal Processing;
  
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  Machine Learning;
  
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  Optimisation; and
  
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  Software Systems.
  

In addition to these six discipline-focused research groups, NICTA has also established two highly specialised research groups: Implant Systems and Optics and Nano-electronics.

NICTA maintains a strong focus on education through its enhanced PhD program with scholarship opportunities and exposure to world class advanced research and specialist coursework. As at 31 March 2012, NICTA had 262 PhD students and will continue to offer enhanced PhD training to its seven existing member and partner universities in 2012. Since its inception, 300 PhD students have graduated from universities through NICTA-enhanced programs.

Website for further information:

www.nicta.com.au

Business innovation

NICTA’s development of technologies continues to foster business innovation in the ICT field.

NICTA’s four business teams have a clear focus on specific sector and industry driven outcomes. The Business Teams are based around recognised application domains for ICT:

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  Broadband and the Digital Economy;
  
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  Health;
  
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  Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics; and
  
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  Safety and Security.
  

Since its inception in 2002, NICTA has enabled the establishment of eight spin-out companies: Audinate, Open Kernal Labs, 7-ip, Monitoring Division, Interferex, Cohesive Data, Nitero, Scalify and one spin-in venture – Goanna. These spin-out companies have generated 284 Australian jobs (cumulative figure) since 2007, with 66 of those generated in 2011.

In May 2011 NICTA’s spin-out company Nitero received $1.43 million funding from Commercialisation Australia to take its 60GHz gigabit wireless technology to the market.

In May 2012, NICTA announced the official launch of Scalify, a start-up company specialising in peer-to-peer networking technology. The Melbourne based company is supported by a $2 million investment by Starfish Ventures.

NICTA also leads a number of industry clusters. The e-Government (e-Gov) cluster comprising 25 members of both government and industry representation. Through the e-Gov cluster, NICTA is organising a FutureGov conference in which small to medium enterprises (SMEs) will have the opportunity to market their innovations to government. Being a member of the Bio21 Australia Cluster, NICTA is also running the eHealth Cluster which includes health departments, multinational corporations and SMEs.

Links and collaboration

Key to NICTA’s mission is continuing to partner and collaborate with member and partner organisations, and domestic and international ICT industry and science groups.

The Future Logistics Living Laboratory is a key example of the capacity for industry and research to collaborate with a view devising cost effective solutions to industry challenges. Opened in 2011, the laboratory is dedicated to creating ground breaking information technology for the transport and logistics sector. It provides a physical platform for the industry and research to overcome real-world logistical issues such rising fuel costs, road congestion and safety.

Every February NICTA holds its TechFest, an annual showcase of NICTA innovations. During this annual event NICTA holds its international science and business advisory groups (ISAG and IBAG) meeting. The meeting invites the international advisory groups to comment and advise on NICTA’s strategic vision and research activities.

In 2011, NICTA participated in the preparation of four European Union (EU) proposals as well as initiating major research collaboration in the area of privacy with French ICT research institute, INRIA.

Public sector and social innovation

NICTA has recently undertaken an analysis of their current projects to determine public and social benefits and outcomes. NICTA estimates that approximately 40 percent of their projects have a significant direct social or public benefit. For example, it is estimated that one in five Australians will suffer a period of chronic pain in their lifetime. Many others will suffer from neurological disorders - such as Parkinson's Disease - which produce debilitating physical symptoms. NICTA’s Implant Systems team is developing small, sophisticated and inexpensive implantable therapies and is conducting human trials with implantable medical devices which can be directly applied to spinal cord stimulation therapies for the relief of chronic pain.

Further, 20 percent of NICTA’s projects are analysed as having a direct environmental outcome, including the SmartGrid project which aims to significantly reduce energy consumption.