Feds, industry team up on science action agenda

The federal government has teamed up with industry group Science Industry Australia (SIA) to create a new action agenda.

The Science Industry Action Agenda (SIAA) was launched in Melbourne yesterday by SIA, the peak industry association for the scientific and laboratory products industry.

SIA president Tony van Staveren said the action agenda would be a unifying factor between the government, industry and the research and innovation community.

"It's the science industry agenda, not the scientific industry agenda," van Staveren said. "It needs to embrace more than just suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and exporters of the scientific products used in laboratories. It also includes researchers and research entities, service providers, capital markets and so on. It's an opportunity to unite the industry."

SIA executive director Alan Lawrenson said it was important that researchers understood they were also part of the science industry.

The commonwealth's action agenda program was set up to allow industry sectors to work with the government to identify and overcome impediments and barriers to industry growth, and realise opportunities for growth.

But it is not simply a government exercise, and requires industry to take ownership of the process, with the federal government providing facilitation at a whole-of-government level. Issues addressed by other action agendas include innovation, investment, market access and development, regional development, education and training, environmentally sustainable development, workplace relations and regulatory reforms.

Action agendas are driven by industry, with government providing a facilitation role in addressing a range of whole-of-government issues, including innovation, investment, market access and development, regional development, education and training, environmentally sustainable development, workplace relations and regulatory reform.

The SIAA is the 33rd action agenda program to be approved by the government since the initiative began. Past action agendas have included the biotechnology industry, which became the National Biotechnology Strategy spearheaded by the formation of Biotechnology Australia, and the pharmaceuticals industry, which is still being rolled out.

Van Staveren said there would be four major review tasks for the SIAA -- R&D and commercialisation; market development and international market access; distribution, technology transfer and services; and education, training and work practices. The outcome, he said, would be a blueprint for long-term, sustainable growth of the industry with opportunities for all.

"We want to see major improvements in commercialisation of Australian research with benefits to the [science] industry," he said. "It's a wonderful opportunity for us to really make a difference to the industry."

"The Australian government, together with scientists and the industry, will use the action agenda to address industry-wide issues and seek their resolution," said federal science minister Peter McGauran, who launched the program. "Greater market share of the US$3.5 billion laboratory instrument market, increased domestic sales and improved collaboration are just some of the goals of Australia's science industry."

McGauran told attendees of the action agenda launch that he wanted to be the champion for the science industry. "I will highlight and parade the agenda, I will take part in discussions and I will take it to cabinet," he said.

SIA acknowledged the contribution of the Victorian state government, which provided strong support and funding to the Action Agenda application. State manufacturing minister Tim Holding said 46 per cent of science-based industries were based in Victoria, and the industry was important to the state as well as the national economy.