Dealing with Industry Partners
Industry Collaboration & Innovation
Professor Veena Sahajwalla
ARC Laureate Fellow
Director, SMaRT@UNSW
Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology
Challenges that researchers might face
–Early career researchers may not have worked
with industry
–Need to develop skills for proactive engagement
with industry
–Understanding the needs of industry and
the ‘Big-Picture’
(essential for innovation and collaboration which can
deliver benefits to industry and humanity)
Materials Science and Engineering
Understand the ‘Big-Picture’ - Why Innovate?
–New opportunities for business through innovation
–Recognise and identify future challenges, for
example environment, resources, social issues etc.
–Economic benefits and value for business
Materials Science and Engineering
Collaboration & Innovation
Industry is looking for ideas that are often
unexpected
that are generated from diversity of thinking
Materials Science and Engineering
Collaboration & Innovation
Collaboration increases the human capital
contributing
to the generation and development of new ideas to
improve and grow a business
Materials Science and Engineering
Collaboration & Intellectual Capital
–Regular engagement with a broad range of partners
to continually generate ideas and encourage feedback
–Innovation framework needs to go beyond isolated
ideas and discoveries
–To progress rapidly beyond ideas and discoveries, we
need to develop research and technological
partnerships
Materials Science and Engineering
Partnerships
–Industry and academic partnerships have a
significant influence on enhancing and promoting
innovation
–Research and development plays an important role
in fostering these connections, facilitating innovation
and developing technology
Materials Science and Engineering
What is innovation?
–Innovation can be anything that improves people’s lives
–This ranges from ideas that lead to improved safety,
health, greater efficiency, user-friendly and cost-effective
solutions
–It leads to advances in technology
–It provides competitive advantages for business
Materials Science and Engineering
Innovation
Innovation can come in many forms
It can be used for more than the development of new
technologies, it can also improve on traditional
products and practice
–Transforming knowledge into improved outcomes –
micro innovation
–Innovation can also create radical transformations –
macro innovation (game-changing solutions)
Materials Science and Engineering
Our journey of long-term partnerships with industry
–Moving from ‘idea’ to ‘impact’ – resulting in technological
advances in Australia and exporting these advances to the world
–The collaboration between the research knowledge of academia
and the practical skills of industry has led to win - win outcomes
for both
–Moving beyond the first success to further successes for both
industry and academia (eg ARC Hub)
What the Research Office could do to facilitate collaboration
Establish an Advisory Group, with complementary skills,
to advise researchers well in advance of starting new
collaborations with industry and enhancing existing collaborations
– advising on, for example:
–Engagement strategy development (short term) and
encourage ‘big-picture understanding’
–Opportunities for seed funding
–Terms of engagement and potential for developing
long-term collaboration, enhancing intellectual capital
–Develop networks with SMEs and local councils
–Encourage strategic thinking
Materials Science and Engineering
Thank you
Australian Research Council–
Industrial Transformation Research Hub
Laureate Fellowship
Linkage Projects
Discovery Projects
Industry Partners–
OneSteel, Arrium Mining Consumables
Brickworks Building Projects, TES-AMM Australia
Jaylon Industries,Tersum Energy, Hyundai Steel