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ARTICLE
STRATEGIC CHANGE:
Change Needs a Scientific Response
By Dr Geoff Garrett
The chief executive of CSIRO, Dr Geoff Garrett, explains how a changing economic and business landscape, and the fluid nature of science itself, are influencing CSIRO’s approach to research and development
 While it may be a well-worn cliché to observe that we live in a fast-changing world, it nonetheless remains a valid pointer to the challenge and role of science. For a major research organisation such as CSIRO, a central element of our work is to anticipate change; to meet effectively the evolving needs of the Australian community, its industries and its environment.
To do this, neither the science nor the organisation can afford to rest on its laurels. We must continually strive to lead both in research and in the effective application of that research – creating jobs, wealth for the nation and improvements in quality of life. However, unlike the post-war era in which the organisation was established – and the period of its predecessor, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – CSIRO is no longer the only player in town. While it is still the principal national research agency, it is now responsible for less than 15 per cent of publicly funded R&D in Australia.
And like any business – ours being the business of discovery and delivery – we have had to clarify our market differentiation; our uniqueness. A research agenda considered by many to have been ‘a mile wide, but only a centimetre thick’ is no longer adequate for meeting national challenges or for maximising opportunities.
Consequently CSIRO has had to refocus, and to recognise that some of the more challenging technological advances – industrial, environmental and social – will be far more effectively achieved through building ever-closer research partnerships; with other science providers, such as our universities, and with industry, in helping define the research agenda and in ensuring effective take-up.
The case studies regularly profiled in SOLVE reflect the way CSIRO is working more closely with industry and other agencies to help ensure Australian enterprise remains internationally competitive. This collaborative approach is at the core of our Flagships initiative: the creation of large, multidisciplinary teams capable of addressing some of the biggest and most challenging issues facing the nation.
The Flagships embody vibrant partnerships that are already making a difference in crucial areas such as water resource management, sustainable energy, human health and nutrition, manufacturing, and in the utilisation and management of Australia’s vast ocean territory.
Some of these Flagship initiatives are already the genesis of new industries – new ‘functional’ foods, for example, and emerging manufacturing industries based on light metals like magnesium and titanium.
If 20th century science was more discrete, perhaps defined by the atom, the gene and the chip, science and technology in our 21st century are increasingly converging – as the bio and the nano revolutions clearly illustrate. The boundaries between once-demarcated scientific disciplines are rapidly breaking down, demanding much more ‘boundaryless’ organisations and scientists comfortable with operating across diverse fields; because many of the exciting innovations of today and tomorrow will happen at these interfaces.
These trends must be reflected in the modern CSIRO to establish a new, heightened capability based on harnessing the ‘muscle’ of the organisation’s breadth and depth and disparate fields of expertise – such as our molecular biologists working with our materials scientists on new-generation elastomers replicating natural materials, or our soil chemists and botanists working with our exploration engineers in developing novel techniques for identifying new close-to-surface mineral deposits.
It is this sort of creativity, focus and partnering that will help maintain, and grow, Australia’s reputation as a global innovator.
80 Years of Supporting the Nation
CSIRO is celebrating eight decades of research support for Australian industry. As it develops vital scientific capability for new industries in a new century, the following examples cover some of the research collaborations of the past and present.
Manufacturing
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HySSIL is a breakthrough in advanced construction materials. With half the weight of normal concrete and the same strength it is poised to penetrate the US$120 billion market.
- Advanced new polymers whose uses are rapidly expanding, from banknotes to adhesives, inks, ‘breathable’ membranes, water purification flocculants, high-performance tyres, high-strength airframes and biomedical applications.
- Within the furniture industry CSIRO has applied a state-of-the-art production management system to increase efficiencies and eliminate costs.
- CSIRO’s relationship with Orica began in the 1970s, with projects such as the development of the MIEX Resin (Magnetic Ion Exchange Resin) for treating drinking water. CSIRO and Orica have partnered on projects spanning many domains, including the development of automated emulsion delivery systems for explosives manufacturing through to enzyme discovery.
- In conjunction with a US collaborator, CSIRO is leading the world in the creation of ‘dry-formed’ carbon nanotube structures (webs, yarns and fabrics). These new materials will enable a wide range of new-generation products, including light and strong composites for aerospace, satellite tethers, antiballistic clothing, flexible electronic devices including energy-storage and energy-generation fabrics, tissue engineering scaffolds, artificial muscles, filaments for high intensity X-ray and light sources, gas separation membranes and chemical/biochemical sensors.
- Electrostatic wool filters with superior performance for filtering soot from diesel fumes and other air filtration applications are being commercialised by an Australian company, targeting the Australian and US markets.
Biomedical
- CSIRO’s expertise in polymer chemistry led to 30-day extended-wear, soft contact lenses (Focus Night & Day™) marketed globally by CIBA Vision.
- Elast-Eon® is a family of flexible, long-lasting materials used in biomedical devices such as heart valves, implantable electrodes and in orthopaedic applications, commercialised through AorTech. The FDA granted approval for the first application in 2005.
- NovoSorb™ is a platform of biodegradable polymers commercialised through a partly owned CSIRO company, PolyNovo. NovoSorb™ is used to promote tissue regeneration in applications such as bone healing, cardiovascular stents and drug delivery. The company announced a major deal with major US licensee, Medtronic, in January 2006.
- The world’s first influenza drug, Relenza™, developed using CSIRO expertise in structural biology, provided the foundation for biotech company Biota.
Mining and minerals
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CSIRO research has created new exploration and minerals processing technologies. Most big new deposits since the early 1990s have been found with CSIRO help. Minerals and energy exports now exceed $84 billion a year.
- Working with mining equipment giant Caterpillar, CSIRO has licensed automation technology for the steering, dumping and speed control of mine hauling equipment in hazardous underground applications.
- Rope shovels are expensive mining assets that play a significant role in uncovering and removing coal in open-cut mines. Working with the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) CSIRO shovel automation technology improves productivity by at least 10 per cent.
- CSIRO has established ComEnergy with a local company to commercialise a hybrid coal gas and waste material system.
- Utilisation of specific regolith geoscience procedures developed by CSIRO (in partnership with CRC Landscape Environments and Minerals Exploration) has led to higher gold exploration activity. Discoveries based on this technology include the Challenger and Tunkillia deposits.
- Process performance and water recovery has been significantly improved at more than 40 mineral operations around the world by the application of CSIRO enhancements to the design and operation of gravity thickeners.
ICT
- Funnelback, a company based on CSIRO’s Panoptic search engine technology, was spun out in December 2005. Panoptic is a high-performance enterprise search engine developed by CSIRO and the Australian National University, which improves the effectiveness of information retrieval for an organisation’s customers and staff. Panoptic is used by the Australian Government, ninemsn, Westpac, the ABC and many other organisations.
- CSIRO software is being used to find new treatments for neurological disorders by measuring nerve cell changes faster and more thoroughly than other commercially available software. Thousands of samples can be screened in a day in the search for potential new drugs for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s.
- CSIRO Hyperspectral imaging software can be used by pharmaceutical companies for quality assurance during the manufacturing of tablets.
- CSIRO-developed ViCCU™ (Virtual Critical Care Unit) technology has been commercialised in conjunction with Telstra. The technology has the capacity to revolutionise the way intensive health services are delivered.
Energy
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CSIRO is leading research into establishing a cleaner, more sophisticated coal industry, and in developing future energy technologies such as the hybrid solar/fossil generator now at pilot-plant stage.
- CSIRO is a world leader in supercapacitor research and technology with a range of high-energy applications including hybrid vehicles, digital cameras, notebook computers and mobile phones.
- CSIRO has developed a solid-state electrolyser based on polymer electrolyte membranes for on-demand hydrogen production for use in fuel cells.
- The UltraBattery – a breakthrough device in power storage – combines conventional battery electrodes with supercapacitor electrodes in one package creating high storage capacity with rapid energy transfer.
- The National Solar Centre – a unique solar thermal research facility – has been built and recognised by the International Partnership for Hydrogen Economy as one of the world’s top 10 demonstration projects.
- CSIRO, in partnership with power transmitter TransGrid, has developed a technically simple and economically viable process that regenerates the electrical properties of transformer oils and destroys toxic PCB compounds.
Agriculture
- The $1.3 billion Australian cotton industry is built on CSIRO’s germplasm development and breeding program that represented more than 90% of the 2005–06 crop.
- New drought-tolerant wheats yield 10–15 per cent more under dry conditions than conventional varieties.
- The GrazFeed family of decision-support systems for improved sheep-pasture management is estimated to have contributed more than $500 million to mixed farming operations.
- Partial root zone drying, developed by CSIRO, is an irrigation system that saves water, especially in vineyards. It was recognised as one of the top 100 inventions of the 20th century by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering and the Powerhouse Museum.
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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