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ARTICLE
PATHS TO COMMERCIALISATION:
Current Investment Opportunities
CSIRO is committed to seeing science pay off for Australians and industry. Central to this is the successful transfer of new technologies into the market.
Highlighted below are some examples of CSIRO’s most promising technologies seeking partners in order to progress development. They demonstrate the wide variety of technology-transfer methods available and include opportunities for licensing and involvement in the creation of a new company, as well as opportunities in companies already working to transfer CSIRO technology into the marketplace.
Novel Biopolymer Technologies
- Creating prostheses or regenerating damaged human tissue and/or organs has created considerable commercial interest in the area of biocompatible polymers.
- There is a strong need to develop new materials, as existing biopolymers and synthetics generally lack the full range of desired properties.
- Novel CSIRO-developed cross-linking technology enables the preparation and use of biocompatible materials that can be tailored for specific clinical needs.
- One recombinant protein showing promise is resilin, as its extraordinary resilience and durability mean it could have applications in spinal disc implants and tissue-engineering.
- CSIRO is seeking industry and venture partners to progress its technology through clinical development to medical applications.
Betabiotics
- The global antibiotic sector, valued in 2004 at US$27 billion, needs new products to address the burgeoning problem of antimicrobial resistance.
- In the hospital setting, superior antimicrobial therapies offer particularly attractive financial returns as new drugs continue to experience reduced product life cycles.
- Incorporated in 2003, CSIRO spin-off company Betabiotics Pty Ltd focuses on delivering antibiotics for treating antibiotic-resistant diseases through the discovery, development and commercialisation of new classes of anti-infectives based on a novel drug target.
- Betabiotics has developed assays that identify molecules that interfere with the normal function of Beta, a component critical for bacterial DNA replication.
- Betabiotics is seeking commercial partners to exploit its proprietary assays with a view to extending and optimising its internal pipeline of compounds and identifying new drug candidates.
BARLEYmax™
- Consumers are looking for new foods that will improve their health.
- BARLEYmax™ is a nutritionally enhanced barley developed by CSIRO using conventional breeding technology.
- BARLEYmax™ has clinically substantiated benefits for bowel and digestive health, including low glycaemic impact, due to its dietary fibre and resistant starch content, and wholegrain foods made with BARLEYmax™ also taste good.
- The BARLEYmax™ joint venture, formed between CSIRO and venture capital group Australian Capital Ventures Ltd, is seeking a partner to engage in the commercial production of BARLEYmax™.
Carbon Energy Pty Ltd
- Underground coal gasification (UCG) efficiently converts coal to gas (Syngas) underground, releasing the energy for low-cost, low-emission power generation, and producing liquid synfuels and chemicals with reduced environmental impact.
- Carbon Energy Pty Ltd, a joint venture between CSIRO and mining company Metex Resources Ltd, has created software that uses data from global UCG projects to create modelling and design programs for developing commercial customised UCG operations.
- The technology optimises energy production, maximising returns from deposits that would be uneconomical to mine conventionally.
- Carbon Energy is seeking partners and projects to continue commercialising technology to produce low-cost green energy from underground coal deposits, for use in power generation and petrochemical production.
HySSIL
- The amount spent worldwide each year on manufacturing wall products for the building and construction industry is estimated at US$125 billion.
- CSIRO has collaboratively developed HySSIL, a high-strength, lightweight concrete building material that can be precast into large panels.
- Panels demonstrate unique strength-to-weight characteristics with superior thermal and soundproofing properties against competing products.
- HySSIL Pty Ltd, formed in 2003, has exclusive worldwide rights to HySSIL and is seeking commercial partners to manufacture and market the technology globally.
- There are strong opportunities in the housing and commercial construction industries in Australia, the US, China, the Middle East and South-East Asia.
For further information contact:
CSIRO Enquiries
Email: Solve@csiro.au Web: www.csiro.au
Freecall: 1300 363 400 International: +61 3 9545 2176
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