Boost for University Business Partnerships

The Innovation Centre is increasingly focused on supporting research collaborations between client companies with areas of emerging research strength at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), for their mutual benefit.

Recognised for its research strengths in the areas of sustainability and regional engagement, USC collaborative research achievements have included a world-leading project on breeding tuna in captivity and a project on climate change adaptation which was awarded a prestigious national Eureka science prize.

Typically, the businesses best positioned to develop research partnerships are beyond the immediate start-up phase with the resources to invest in strategic research programs and with a fit with USC emerging research strengths. For these businesses, the benefits are significant and include the potential to:

• Tap into specialist scientific talent and networks
• Access and share specialist equipment and labs
• Leverage funding, for example through a Australian Research Council grant
• Manage costs

The Innovation Centre’s role is to understand – and often to help develop - the client company’s broad business and investment strategy and how the R&D plan contributes to that plan. The IC then identifies and introduces the business to the most relevant USC staff for the research projects.

The recent appointment of Prof Roland De Marco as the inaugural PVC Research reflects the University’s commitment to fast tracking the development of its research base, this also presents opportunities for new industry research partnerships.

Innovation Centre client companies’ maximising opportunities to collaborate on research projects with USC in areas of mutual benefit include Phoenix Eagle, Auzion, Macrohealth and Nano-Nouvelle.

Mark Richardson, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Phoenix Eagle said “as a result of our relationship with the Innovation Centre, we have been able to attract the interest of a number of scientists at USC”

“The University has been instrumental in developing the OPAL Products for use in ongoing scientific and clinical studies and is preparing to manufacture the OPAL A Filtrate and Cream to be used in the clinical trial” Mark Richardson said.

For more information on USC research visit www.usc.edu.au/University/Research

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