December 2024

Strategic examination of research and development an opportunity for national growth

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) welcomes the federal government’s strategic examination of Australia’s severely underfunded research and development (R&D) sector. Australia is lagging behind our international competitors. Germany, Japan and the United States all spend more than 3% of their GDP on R&D each year. Australia spends about half that at 1.68%. Australia’s R&D spending has been falling over the last decade, from a peak of 2.2% in 2010. Meanwhile, China’s R&D spend has increased from 1.71% in 2010 – around Australia’s current level – to 2.65% of GDP in 2023. The creation and application of knowledge is the cornerstone of national advancement and Australia cannot afford to stand still. ATSE supports the review’s aims of maximising the value of R&D across all sectors, increasing collaboration and linkages between academia, government and industry, and driving greater R&D investment by industry, and welcomes the announcement the independent panel drawn from diverse innovation sectors and perspectives. A strategic boost to languishing government investment will be imperative to enable more investment from all players, including from industry, philanthropy and the states. ATSE CEO Kylie Walker says a comprehensive review of Australia’s full R&D funding landscape is essential for Australia’s long-term prosperity. “This review of research and development is sorely needed to revive a sector that has been neglected for more than a decade.” “We all know the economic benefits of Australian research, every dollar spent on research and development returns $3.50 to the economy. But what should really concern us is the research that does not happen due to a lack of investment, or the new innovations that stay on the shelf as our business investment in R&D languishes.” “This review offers the nation to set the future for Australian innovation, industry and society. It will make sure […]

Tech Council welcomes Federal Government’s review of Australia’s R&D system

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s strategic review of research and development (R&D) in Australia, which will examine how it can bolster productivity and economic growth. Minister for Industry and Science the Hon Ed Husic MP has announced that Tech Council Board Chair Robyn Denholm will Chair an independent panel that will deliver recommendations to strengthen Australia’s R&D system. Tech Council CEO Damian Kassabgi said the review was an opportunity for Australia to better harness the economic and productivity benefits of R&D. “A strategic approach to R&D will increase competition, attract investment and contribute to a more productive and resilient economy,” he said. “The decline in productivity is one of Australia’s biggest economic challenges. To continue enjoying our standard of living, which is among the highest in the world, Australia needs to focus on improving productivity growth. “Lifting investment in R&D can help us turn this around. To maximise the economic and productivity gains, we need a strong R&D system that encourages innovation and supports companies to transform world-class research into commercial success. “While other countries are consistently increasing their investment in technology, Australia isn’t keeping up and our spending on tech investment is actually forecast to fall if we don’t act,” Mr Kassabgi said. Research released by the Tech Council in November showed that lifting investment in R&D and tech adoption could contribute up to $167 billion in GDP by 2035 in productivity gains. Ms Denholm said she was honoured to be appointed Chair of the review. “On behalf of the Tech Council of Australia (TCA), I commend the Government for initiating this independent review to enhance Australia’s R&D framework,” Ms Denholm said. “A robust and forward-looking R&D ecosystem is vital to driving innovation, fostering economic growth, and establishing Australia as a global […]

Sense and Landis+Gyr partner for flexible energy transition in Australia and New Zealand

Sense, a leader in embedded intelligence that transforms the relationship between people, homes and the grid, and Landis+Gyr, a leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions have announced an Asia Pacific regional partnership. The partnership will initially focus on the fast developing Australian and New Zealand markets to support the energy transition to consumer energy resources (CER) systems. Landis+Gyr will extend Sense’s software into the company’s Grid Edge ready smart meters in Australia and New Zealand, leveraging Landis+Gyr’s proven and leading-edge deployments in North America with Sense to provide unprecedented, real-time analytics by utilising high resolution waveform sensing capabilities for utilities and consumers to manage energy more proactively. “The future of the grid is flexible, decarbonised, integrated, and powered by machine learning. With Australia leading the world in the uptake of rooftop solar and more than 80 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity generated by renewables, our partnership with Sense positions Landis+Gyr well to support distribution networks, retailers, metering services providers, and consumers to unlock more benefits from the future flexible grid with real-time insights,” explains David Maclean, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific, Landis+Gyr. With Sense’s machine learning software integrated in Landis+Gyr’s Grid Edge ready smart meters, utilities will have improved visibility on the grid to identify fault conditions, predict peak demand and provide proactive safety alerts that ultimately support the growth and integration of consumer energy resources – areas where utilities need most visibility in the energy transition. For consumers, this will deliver real-time information through the identification of different household devices while integrating with other smart devices such as solar, batteries and EVs, enabling them to monitor, control, and track their energy usage.