University Research Commercialisation Package

The Action Plan outlines key initiatives which will reform Australia’s research commercialisation landscape including Australia’s Economic Accelerator, introduction of a National Industry PhD Program, expanding CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures, and establishment of the Trailblazer Universities Program.

The package of initiatives announced in the University Research Commercialisation Action Plan builds on and strengthens the strategic priorities set out in the National Reconstruction Fund (medical products, food and beverage, recycling and clean energy, resources technology and critical minerals processing, defence, and space), ensuring Government research investment is being focused in sectors where Australian research can build scale and have real-world impact.

This package will see universities, industry, and Government partner together on effective research. It will align and prioritise investment across sectors and boost collaboration between universities and industry, driving commercial returns.

An expert panel of university and industry leaders, chaired by Mr Jeff Connolly, Chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia and New Zealand, was established to guide this work, and provide ways to bolster Australia’s research outputs. The group provided advice informed by real world experience of what works and doesn’t, and where critical change is needed in the sector.

In February 2021, we asked you how to improve the translation and commercialisation of Australian university research in a public consultation process. We received 171 submissions from universities, businesses, researchers, and government agencies through this process. This was supported by over 80 roundtable discussions with domestic and international bodies.

Through this extensive process, there was cross sector support for new initiatives and reforms to uplift Australia’s commercialisation ecosystem and improve research commercialisation outcomes.

Specifically, you emphasised the importance of national priorities driving a focus on research commercialisation, of improving university-industry collaboration, with university researcher incentives and Intellectual Property suggested as key areas for improvement. You also endorsed a stage-gated approach to funding project along the technology readiness level (TRL) scale.

The University Research Commercialisation Action Plan reflects key principles heard through the consultation process and analysis of successful international programs, providing lessons about success factors upon which to design reforms which can increase commercialisation and deliver positive economic outcomes. These five success factors are:

Infographic showing success factors:

• At scale investments: government funding is at scale and sustained over longer-term horizon.
• Focused on specific priorities: commercialisation investments typically directed national priorities, where industry demand and research capability area strong.
• Industry led: entrepreneurs and companies pull ideas through the innovation pipeline rather than relying on academics pushing ideas out.
• Well-established connection between universities and industry:
• Collaboration between universities and industry that is synergistic and includes workforce mobility.
• Engaged research institutions: Research institutions are open and engaged with industry.

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Australia’s Economic Accelerator

A $1.6 billion new stage-gated program dedicated to funding translation and commercialisation in national priority areas. Projects will receive funding dependent on meeting requirements across the applied and experimental stages of the research, with successful projects able to apply for funding through Main Sequence Ventures.

Read more about Australia’s Economic Accelerator

Trailblazer Universities Program

$362.5 million over four years from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 to support select universities to boost prioritised research and development and drive commercialisation outcomes with industry partners. This includes a total of $45 million for participating universities to partner with CSIRO and access specialist equipment to supercharge their commercialisation capabilities.

Read more about the Trailblazer Universities Program

Workforce mobility initiatives – National Industry PhD Program

$296 million to establish a suite of Industry PhD and research fellowship schemes that span the research career pathway under the Increase Workforce Mobility initiative. This includes funding to establish the National Industry PhD Program that will add over 1,300 Industry PhDs over 10 years, fundamentally challenging promotion and reward structures in Australia’s universities and encouraging mobility and collaboration.

Read more about the National Industry PhD Program

Expanding CSIRO’S Main Sequence Ventures

$150 million to expand CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures as the final stage of Australia’s Economic Accelerator to catalyse venture capital investment in Australian R&D to continue the channel for high value opportunities to be taken to market.

Read more about the CSIRO Main Sequence Venture Program expansion

Intellectual Property Framework

A new IP framework for universities will include standardised terms, clauses, and agreements for collaboration on IP licensing, options, and assignment, which will drive greater collaboration by universities and greater uptake of world-class Australian research outputs by Australian industry. Consultation is underway.

Read more about the Higher Education Research Commercialisation IP Framework program

Invest in CSIRO's ON Program

$37.4 million investment in CSIRO's ON Program, based on its proven performance, to build the entrepreneurial and commercialisation skills of university, and other publicly funded researchers. The ON Prime and ON Accelerate programs will improve the ability of researchers to engage with business, and ready them for commercialisation of their research and technologies.

Read more about CSIRO’s ON