The Turnbull Government will invest $3.2 million, under the National Innovation and Science Agenda, to help Australian researchers and businesses collaborate with their counterparts in Asia-Pacific to develop new products and solutions.
Research organisations, universities and R&D intensive businesses working with Asia-Pacific partners are encouraged to apply for the first funding round of the Regional Collaborations Programme.
The programme will fund activities that facilitate greater collaboration in science, research and innovation to address regionally and nationally significant issues.
These can include shared regional challenges like food and energy security, aging populations, biosecurity, disaster resilience, and environmental threats.
Engagement between Australian industry and researchers and leaders in the Asia-Pacific region will help improve the skill set of local workers and the capabilities of Australian businesses, presenting new opportunities for investment and growth.
It will also help businesses establish new networks into important economies in Asia-Pacific.
The Regional Collaborations Programme is administered by the Australian Academy of Science and is one of four funded initiatives under the National Innovation and Science Agenda’s Global Innovation Strategy.
The Turnbull Government will invest $36 million under the strategy to help Australian businesses and researchers access innovation opportunities through international collaborations and start-up support.
The strategy is a whole-of-government framework for international engagement and collaboration in science, research and innovation, encouraging other countries to partner with Australia and strengthen research and industry links to create jobs and investment.
The other initiatives under the Global Innovation Strategy are:
• Landing pads in innovation hotspots worldwide for Australian market-ready start-ups
• The Global Innovation Linkages programme, helping Australian industry and research organisations to undertake research and development projects with international partners in key economies, and
• The Global Connections Fund, providing seed funding for Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to link with international researchers, and for Australian researchers to link with international SMEs, to seize opportunities and explore collaborative projects.
More information about the Regional Collaborations Programme is available at: science.org.au/regional-collaborations-programme
More information about the Global Innovation Strategy is available at: www.industry.gov.au/innovation/Global-Innovation-Strategy
(ENDS)