Time to focus on problems then solutions Friday, 22 April 2016

Eleven teams of scientists and researchers will take part in the next round of the ON Accelerator program being run by CSIRO — and learning about the factors that contribute to commercial success.

The ON Accelerator aims to boost Australia’s innovation performance by accelerating big science, technology and engineering ideas into commercially-viable innovation opportunities.

It is a competitive process, with teams chosen to advance to the next round of the program based on their ideas, and whether they have the potential to have real positive impact on Australian industry, economy, environment and future.

The 11 winning teams were selected by industry mentors and a judging panel, from a group of 25 teams that participated in a challenging and competitive two-day selection Bootcamp held in April.

The 2016 round is the first time CSIRO has accepted Australian university applications into the program, recognising the gap that currently exists between research  and commercialisation in Australia.

“CSIRO is focussed on helping Australia navigate the changes we face, from digital disruption to environmental impact. We need to translate more of our nation’s excellent science into solutions that build a better future, and the ON Accelerator is the perfect way to teach researchers and teams how to do just that,” said CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall.

There were eight university applications for the program, but two made it to the next round: one by Curtin University, and another from a combined team from Macquarie University, University of Adelaide, and ANU.

The combined application was for a photonics chip that would accelerate data transfer within data centres and telecommunications, boasting speeds three times faster than market technology.

Other winning ideas included a GPS-free collision avoidance sensor, which would allow Remotely PIloted Aerial Systems and drone devices to fly autonomously near infrastructure and in GPS-free environments, and a facial-recognition technology which could provide accurate, real-time pain assessment for health patients that cannot verbally communicate.

The program has provided researchers with insights into the commercialisation process, and the fact that having an interesting technology did not always translate to commercial success..

“Before commencing the program I believed that as university researchers we understand real world needs and can readily identify potential commercial opportunities,” said Professor Michael Withford from the Macquarie University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.

“I can see now that we are frequently guilty of developing a ‘solution’ first and then go in search of a problem. The CSIRO program has enabled us to focus on the problem first and trust that we will find the right solution later. This will involve learning how to better identify potential end-users and ask the right questions.”

From July 2016, the ON Accelerator program will be expanded nationally to include all other publically funded research organisations, as well as Australian universities, as part of the Federal Government's National Innovation and Science Agenda

“With the ON Accelerator program we can focus on finding viable opportunities that will not only create economic impact, but provide real social and environmental benefits for Australia,” Ms Liza Noonan, CSIRO Executive Manager Innovation, said.

The next round of CSIRO’s ON Accelerator program kicks off on April 26 and will last for three months.

 

Judges questioning the teams at the CSIRO Bootcamp. Photo: CSIRO/Karl Schwerdtfeger