CSIRO to open US office

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Arthur Sinodinos have announced plans to open an office for CSIRO in the United States.

CSIRO US will be based in San Francisco, a city described by the Australian Government as a ‘global innovation hotspot’, as part of its Landing Pads program for start-ups. Intended to promote Australian innovation overseas, the office will work closely with research, industry and business partners to bring Australia’s cutting-edge capabilities to the US marketplace.

“To accelerate innovation rates in Australia we need to accelerate international engagement, especially in regions where there is a significant opportunity to return value to Australia,” said CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall. “From this point of view, the US is a no-brainer.

“Our focus is firmly on bringing benefit back to Australia and that philosophy will be applied to everything we do in the US. We’re looking forward to igniting Aussie innovation in such an exciting, dynamic market.”

CSIRO Global General Manager Nigel Warren anticipates CSIRO US will help put Australian breakthroughs at the centre of the world’s research and technology frontier, providing “a gateway to a market with big economic potential”. It will capitalise on the CSIRO’s existing strong relationships with science and industry leaders including NASA, Bayer, Boeing, the Gates Foundation and several Fortune 500 companies.

“CSIRO will support the Australian Government and partner with the research sector and business, playing the role of Australia’s innovation catalyst on a global scale,” said Warren.

“This means we can amplify the impact of CSIRO technology and open the door for other Australian researchers, businesses and start-ups to realise more commercial value from their great innovations by taking them into a bigger market.”

The US office will be the organisation’s second international office, following the opening of CSIRO Chile in 2011. It is expected to open its doors in the first half of 2017.