Professor Veena Sahajwalla ARC Laureate FellowDirector, SMaRT@UNSWCentre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology

Dealing with Industry Partners

Industry Collaboration & Innovation

Materials Science and Engineering

Challenges that researchers might face

–Early career researchers may not have worked with industry

–Need to develop skills for proactive engagement with industry

–Understanding the needs of industry and the ‘Big-Picture’ (essential for innovation and collaboration which can deliver benefits to industry and humanity)

Materials Science and Engineering

Understand the ‘Big-Picture’ - Why Innovate?

–New opportunities for business through innovation

–Recognise and identify future challenges, for example environment, resources, social issues etc.

–Economic benefits and value for business

Materials Science and Engineering

Collaboration & Innovation

Industry is looking for ideas that are often unexpectedthat are generated from diversity of thinking

Materials Science and Engineering

Collaboration & Innovation

Collaboration increases the human capital contributing to the generation and development of new ideas to improve and grow a business

Materials Science and Engineering

Collaboration & Intellectual Capital

–Regular engagement with a broad range of partners to continually generate ideas and encourage feedback

–Innovation framework needs to go beyond isolated ideas and discoveries

–To progress rapidly beyond ideas and discoveries, we need to develop research and technological partnerships

Materials Science and Engineering

Partnerships

–Industry and academic partnerships have a significant influence on enhancing and promoting innovation

–Research and development plays an important role in fostering these connections, facilitating innovation and developing technology

Materials Science and Engineering

What is innovation?

–Innovation can be anything that improves people’s lives

–This ranges from ideas that lead to improved safety, health, greater efficiency, user-friendly and cost-effective solutions

–It leads to advances in technology

–It provides competitive advantages for business

Materials Science and Engineering

Innovation

Innovation can come in many forms

It can be used for more than the development of new technologies, it can also improve on traditional products and practice

–Transforming knowledge into improved outcomes – micro innovation

–Innovation can also create radical transformations – macro innovation (game-changing solutions)

Our journey of long-term partnerships with industry

–Moving from ‘idea’ to ‘impact’ – resulting in technological advances in Australia and exporting these advances to the world

–The collaboration between the research knowledge of academia and the practical skills of industry has led to win - win outcomes for both

–Moving beyond the first success to further successes for bothindustry and academia (eg ARC Hub)

Materials Science and Engineering

What the Research Office could do to facilitate collaboration

Establish an Advisory Group, with complementary skills,to advise researchers well in advance of starting new collaborations with industry and enhancing existing collaborations – advising on, for example:

–Engagement strategy development (short term) and encourage ‘big-picture understanding’–Opportunities for seed funding–Terms of engagement and potential for developinglong-term collaboration, enhancing intellectual capital–Develop networks with SMEs and local councils–Encourage strategic thinking

Thank you

Australian Research Council–Industrial Transformation Research Hub Laureate FellowshipLinkage ProjectsDiscovery Projects

Industry Partners–OneSteel, Arrium Mining ConsumablesBrickworks Building Projects, TES-AMM AustraliaJaylon Industries,Tersum Energy, Hyundai Steel