Better barramundi breeding, disease resistant bananas, a portable brain scanner for early stroke detection and a process to turn waste plastics into spectacle frames are amongst 15 highly diverse industry-led projects to receive a $33 million investment from the Australian Government. The projects are funded under the fourth round of the CRC Projects (CRC-P) Program, and will leverage an additional $98 million in cash and in-kind contributions from 97 project partners. The Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy, said the funding would support short-term industry-led collaborations. “To date, the Australian Government’s CRC-P program has awarded $133 million in 63 high-quality research projects where businesses, industry and research institutions are working together to solve industry-specific issues and develop new products, technologies or services,” Mr Laundy said. “These projects are delivering tangible outcomes for Australia’s industry sectors like energy, mining and resources, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and transport.”
Mr Laundy said eight of the 15 projects would be supported by an additional $20 million allocated to the CRC-P Program from the $100 million Advanced Manufacturing Fund for larger scale advanced manufacturing research projects, as announced in the 2017 Budget. “This additional funding for the CRC-P program is part of the Government’s commitment to boosting innovation, skills and employment in advanced manufacturing to continue the transition to a new economy,” Mr Laundy said. “These projects are helping Australian manufacturers evolve to high value manufacturing based on smart means of production and higher value adding products.”
Funded projects include:
- a portable, non-invasive brain scanner for early stroke detection and monitoring
- a high performance alternative to the lithium battery for the energy storage market
- a novel manufacturing system that transforms recycled waste plastics into durable,low-cost spectacle frames and potentially other high performance products
- a project to improve Australia’s barramundi breeding stock for sustainable,industrial-scale farming, and
- a next-generation hydrogen energy system that will offer a reliable, cost-effective renewable energy solution for regional and remote communities.
Mr Laundy said the CRC-P program was vital to helping Australian businesses and researchers to collaborate, innovate and succeed. “By facilitating business involvement in collaborative research, the CRC Projects strongly align with the Australian Government’s commitment to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries as a source of new growth and new jobs,” Mr Laundy said.
Projects with Victorian partners were successful in receiving $72,666,453 in funding, including:
| Project title | Total Grant amount | Total Project Value | Participants (first organisation is the lead participant) |
| Enabling Exosome Therapy: Developing an Advanced Manufacturing Process* | $2,179,531 | $4,397,739 | Vivazome Therapeutics Pty Ltd |
| Seerpharma Pty Ltd | |||
| La Trobe University | |||
| Project Vaccinate Driving Innovation in Dairy Goat Vaccines | $97,280 | $283,561 | Nuchev Pty Ltd |
| K.J Coutts & N.J Coutts | |||
| The University of Melbourne | |||
| Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory Foundation Limited | |||
| Australian Dairy Goats Incorporated | |||
| Allogeneic Stem Cell Cancer Immunotherapies | $2,987,000 | $12,627,500 | Cartherics Pty Ltd |
| Mesoblast Limited | |||
| Cell Therapies Pty Ltd | |||
| Hudson Institute of Medical Research | |||
| Monash University | |||
| High performance energy storage alternative to lithium ion batteries* | $1,500,000 | $3,447,500 | First Graphite Limited |
| Swinburne University of Technology | |||
| Flinders University of South Australia | |||
| Kremford (VIC) Pty Ltd | |||
| A scalable detection tool for childhood inattention: TALI Detect | $1,200,125 | $3,909,125 | Novita Healthcare Limited |
| Grey Innovation Australia Pty Ltd | |||
| Torus Games Pty. Ltd. | |||
| Monash University | |||
| WoundVue automated and advanced assessment of chronic wounds | $2,513,000 | $10,991,277 | LBT Innovations Ltd |
| Planet Innovation Pty Ltd | |||
| The University Of Melbourne | |||
| Developing the next generation hydrogen energy system* | $2,783,109 | $8,496,861 | Applied Nano Technologies Pty Ltd |
| Monash University | |||
| Minifab (Aust) Pty Ltd | |||
| Thoughtworks Australia Pty Ltd | |||
| Hargo Engineering Pty. Ltd. | |||
| The industrial application of graphene in high-strength polyethylene* | $1,800,000 | $4,365,500 | Qenos Pty Ltd |
| Deakin University | |||
| Graphene Manufacturing Australia Pty Ltd | |||
| Smart linings for pipe and infrastructure* | $3,000,000 | $24,147,390 | Water Services Association of Australia Limited |
| Coliban Region Water Corporation | |||
| Hunter Water Corporation | |||
| Icon Water Limited | |||
| Melbourne Water Corporation | |||
| Queensland Urban Utilities | |||
| SA Water | |||
| South East Water Corporation | |||
| Sydney Water Corporation | |||
| Northern SEQ Distributor – Retailer Authority | |||
| Water Corporation | |||
| Monash University | |||
| University of Sydney | |||
| University of Technology Sydney | |||
| 3M Australia Pty Ltd | |||
| Bisley & Co Pty Ltd | |||
| Insituform Pacific Pty. Limited | |||
| Kerneos Australia Pty Ltd | |||
| Parchem Construction Supplies Pty Ltd | |||
| Abergeldie Watertech Pty Ltd. | |||
| Interflow Pty Limited | |||
| Ventia Pty Limited | |||
| Metropolitan Restorations Pty. Limited | |||
| ITS Pipetech Pty Limited | |||
| Monadelphous Group Limited | |||
| UKWIR | |||
| Water Research Foundation | |||
| Water Environment and Research Foundation | |||
| Calucem | |||
| Milliken | |||
| Sanexen Environmental Services |
