Australian Innovation

Geocycle has recently trialled a new resource recovery project that allows previously unprocessable waste to be recycled.
 
The Megablender, a huge-scale metal blender the size of a large water tank, has five hardened-alloy cutting blades that rotate up to 500 rpm in both directions.
 
It is able to shred entire steel drums containing solid and semi-solid hazardous [...]

We asked one Australian CEO, Fujitsu’s Rod Vawdrey, how sustainability fits with his business.
Q: What does environmental sustainability mean to you?
Rod Vawdrey (RV): To me, it’s a pretty simple proposition. Our resources are finite and we all have a duty of care to sustain the environment for future generations. Whether you’re a climate change convert [...]

What does the global financial crisis mean for innovation in Australia’s manufacturing sector? CAST CEO George Collins reflects on the future for R&D in the highly competitive area of metals manufacturing.
CAST is a Cooperative Research Centre that conducts industrydriven research in metals technology. Its expertise includes the processing of metals in the liquid state, alloying [...]

If Australia is truly to become a ‘clever country’, it must first address inequity in access to education across all socioeconomic sectors of the community, writes 2008 Fulbright Scholar Professor Brenda Cherednichenko.
The Australian spirit of generosity is clearly alive and well. As a nation, we are known for our willingness to respond en masse in [...]

The Western Australian Government is developing a culture of innovation through programs actively encouraging and engaging innovative thinkers at all levels.

Western Australia’s traditional strengths in mining and agriculture have provided a strong and sophisticated foundation for significant advances in research and development (R&D), sparking a wealth of activity in many new industries. Some of these [...]

The power of two: Public and private sectors combine forces to support the innovative growth of technology firms in Queensland at Brisbane Technology Park.
For over seven years developer Graystone and science park management fi rm Zernike Australia have worked with the Queensland Government to support the growth of technology companies at Brisbane Technology Park (BTP). [...]

Dr Dean Alle argues the case for outsourcing some of your IP management requirements.
The term CIPO (Chief Intellectual Property Officer) is gaining traction. Who is this person, what is their role and what difference could they make to innovation in Australia? The role has evolved because of the increasing attention to IP in the business [...]

Established seven years ago, NICTA is Australia’s ICT Research Centre of Excellence. It aims to become one of the world’s top ten ICT research centres by 2020. With a focus on ‘use-inspired research’, NICTA is already turning cutting-edge ideas into commercial success stories.
Getting great ideas out of the laboratory and turning them into commercial success [...]

Pressure to kick-start new national infrastructure developments should not overshadow the huge task of maintaining current projects, says CIEAM.
As they battle to keep their economies moving, governments around the world have put investment in infrastructure development high on the agenda as a nation building and job creation exercise. Plans call for the injection of massive [...]

While an apology from our Prime Minister has made a start, the vexed issue of justice for Indigenous Australians will require creative effort across multiple disciplines of social and political thought if our nation is truly to make amends, writes Paul Patton.
The condition of Australia’s Indigenous population poses some of the most difficult public policy [...]