PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP
RECEPTION FOR DIRECTORS OF COOPERATIVE RESEARCH CENTRES
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, 19 APRIL 1994
This exhibition, which is being mounted in conjunction with the 1994 QRC
Directors' meeting, gives me the opportunity to underline my continuing
support and that of the government for the work of the scientific community,
and in particular for the Cooperative Research Centres program.
Over the past few months, the government has been considering the central
role industry policy must play in shaping our future as a nation.
A vital thread in this is the importance of innovation, which will provide the
only sustainable growth available. Innovation in technology, science and
engineering are central to this process.
Australia comes out well in any international comparison on government
investment in science. Past investment has provided a rich human and
institutional resource base for us to build on.
The creation of my Science and Engineering Council indicates my own
commitment to the development of Australia's science and technology. A
further indication has been my recent decision to include science and
technology in Peter C ook~' s Cabinet portfolio.
The main problem we face is under investment in R& D by the private sector.
Although we have in the past d-ecadehh ad the highest di owth rate -int he
OECD in business funding of R& D, there is still a way to go to match our
main competitors. Government programs for science and innovation, such as
tax concessions for R& D, are supporting the move by the business
community to meet this challenge.
But we must remember that our competitors do not stand still. Our innovation
support programs will continue to be monitored and fine-tuned to maintain
their effectiveness. Most recently, we have been giving increased attention
to the ways in which we can encourage innovation in small to medium sized
enterprises. But there is no reason for large companies to rest on their
laurels. We must also capitalise on the very considerable investment and expertise
that lies within our public sector research institutes by linking them -more
closely with those of industry and attuning them to the market place.
The Cooperative Research Centres program is an important part of our plans
to improve the commercial isation of research results.
The government is expecting that the Australian Technology Group
established late last year will also enable us to make significant steps forward
in this area. I know that the CRCs will be looking to forge strong links with
the ATP and will take advantage of its areas of specialist expertise.
We need to consider whether we are making best use of all the resources
available in our research labs. Women with science skills are a particularly
underused resource. If we cannot involve women in the national pursuit of
innovation and competitiveness, we are not managing our human resources
efficiently. There is room for improvement in both public and private sectors.
As directors of CRCs, those present today may be in a unique position to
develop and promote science skill development, irrespective of history and
gender. I hope you can also promote an increased role for women in industry
research, which has been very much a male preserve.
The pioneering CRCs are now in their third year. Tonight's exhibition gives
just a glimpse of some of the many achievements which they are beginning to
record in fields as diverse as aerospace structures, photonics, and tropical
plant pathology. These achievements have also been demonstrated in the
presentations made by CRCs to my Science and Engineering Council.
As I have stressed, innovation is essential to Australia's future. So the
linkages being developed by the CRC program between public and private
sector research are essential. CRCs have introduced a new kind of multicultural
approach to research, linking industry, academia and the public
sector. CRC participants include business enterprises, universities, and government
agencies including the OSIRO. These participants have agreed to contribute
more than $ 1 ,500 million over the expected life of the existing 51 centres.
This amount includes nearly $ 350 million from business enterprises. Their
total contributions are equivalent to approximately $ 2 for every $ 1 of
Commonwealth funds. Over 200 companies are associated with CRCs in
various ways, many of them as formal participants. The success of the
program depends on the participation of both institutional participants and
individual participants, particularly those who serve as Chairs of CRC boards
or board members.
The next two years will see the CRCs progressing further down the track from
bright ideas to products and services which can generate new industries and
reinvigorate old ones. As the third and fourth round centres come to full
operation, and the program reaches maturity, we shall see more and more
evidence of the economic benefits it will bring to Australia. The CRCs will
help to build Australia's reputation as a nation with leading edge research
capabilities that underpin a dynamic world class economy.
As Australia pursues full and successful membership of the global community
we need improvement and maintenance of our innovative capacity. We need
stronger alliances between business and the public sector, to exploit more
effectively our investments in people, processes and production.
Knowledge, expertise, creativity and technology these are our passports to
a healthy and prosperous future. For the part which the scientific community
in general, and the CRCs in particular, are playing in pursuing these goals, I
should like to convey the thanks of the nation, and the firm commitment of the
government.