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INDUSTRY & RESEARCH our businesses – if the growth centres work that way with the industry leadership – it can be a very valuable thing.
It appears they will be led by industry rather than research institutions – is this also a positive move? CD: I think so. I think if we are going to get the desired outcomes for the Australian economy the driving forces need to come from the industry side of things, obviously through dialogue with universities. They need to understand what capabilities are available. I think you are more likely to have a successful outcome in this type of area which is generally about wealth creating or maintenance of wealth generation it really needs to be informed by industry to maximise potential of gaining valuable impact from the activity.
Will it improve on the CRC model? GW: Clearly, to continue doing the same thing we’ ve been doing in connecting research and industry organisations isn’ t a good idea because by any reasonable metric the way research organisations and industry are connecting in this country is well below par.
Whether it’ s a fault of the CRC model I’ m not sure. I guess the CRC model has been trying to do its bit and I don’ t think anyone wants to destroy that model. Perhaps it will continue, but adding to this space with the new growth centres, I think, can only help what is at the moment a significant problem.
CD: I don’ t necessarily see it as an improvement; it’ s something that complements the CRC program. The CRC program is an incredibly important one for Australia and I understand it is being reviewed at the moment. I’ d be surprised if that review doesn’ t come back with the finding that it’ s provided immense value across a range of areas.
The CRC program tends to be [ for the ] mid to long term, whereas these [ new grants ] are probably looking more at the short to mid term. They are both necessary and complementary.
How important is the decision by government to take an active role in fostering these links? GW: I don’ t think the government is so much stepping in and [ dictating things ]. I’ m seeing this as helpful. Clearly industry, universities and all the research organisations in this country and government need to get on the same page in the way we are working together around STEM for the future of this country.
I think we need to accept that there are a number of parallel approaches to … linking research and industry. I don’ t think it’ s helpful to say that the university sector has failed or industry’ s failed or the government has failed. It’ s more important to say there are things all three arms can be doing and should be doing – so why don’ t we just get on and do it? ■
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