Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government is committed to investing in Australia's critical research infrastructure with reforms to research funding to promote improved collaboration between researchers, industry and businesses, with the objective of facilitating the commercialisation of intellectual property. Accordingly, I wish to report on the success of the Collaborative Research Network in promoting research excellence at Edith Cowan University in my electorate. The project represents a $17.8 million investment, which includes $5.6 million in funding from the Commonwealth between 2011 and 2016 through the Department of Education and Training's Collaborative Research Networks scheme, along with contributions from 10 partner universities.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University have enhanced the quality of their research programs and expanded the scope of their research activities and outputs through a more collaborative approach. At the same time the university adapted its research support services and processes to conduct research beyond the university's physical boundaries. As a result, ECU will be better placed to deliver on Australian research and innovation priorities. I commend the outstanding entrepreneurial leadership and vision of Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor John Finlay-Jones, Office of Research and Innovation Director Professor Margaret Jones and Innovation Development Adviser Neil Butler for their willingness to engage with industry and external stakeholders. It is refreshing that these educational leaders recognise that research does not exist in a vacuum and appreciate the value of applied research within the Australian economy.

Industry engagement has been a defining characteristic of the ethos at ECU, with members of the collaboration and innovation team linking industry with the university. This facilitates access by industry to end-user-driven research programs and intellectual property. Partnerships are developed with industry and government. Six recent research project success stories highlight the range of endeavours in which the university is currently involved: the promotion of mental health and wellbeing in young people, led by Professor Donna Cross; exercise medicine for the prevention and management of chronic disease, led by Professor Rob Newton; integrated health services to enhance community based healthcare, led by Professor Cobie Rudd; the Electron Science Research Institute, led by Professor Kamal Alameh, which studies nanophotonics and nanoelectronics to support national frontier technologies; research into the protection of coastal ecosystems and marine resource management, led by Professor Paul Lavery; and research into advanced technologies for leading teaching and education practice, led by Professor Mark Hackling.

ECU has created a virtual innovation precinct, named THE LINK, in collaboration with the City of Joondalup. The main objective of THE LINK is to act as a catalyst to connect business and academic researchers to develop new innovative ways to solve problems and foster growth, commercialisation and competitiveness to benefit the wider community. The collaboration and innovation team, in partnership with the ECU Office of Legal Services, are available to guide industry partners through the process of identifying and licensing university intellectual property which could benefit business. Dedicated research programs can, in most cases, be developed to suit the needs of the respective industry or business partner and contribute to collaborative success.

In summary, Edith Cowan University has continued to build on its organisational research capacity through the Collaborative Research Network project, as a result of many successful industry partnerships. The future focus is to ensure that the lessons learned and the benefits from collaboration continue to enhance all research areas by encouraging more active research, the development of new collaborations, contributions to publications, and also the preparation and submission of new research grant applications.