Industry heavyweight calls for better R&D base

Effective R&D policy would include more flexible career opportunities for scientists, according to Vision Systems managing director Dr Jim Fox.

Last week, Fox presented the annual Warren Centre Innovation Lecture, and spoke about what he believed was required to create a sustainable industry-based R&D platform in Australia.

Fox said that Australia's traditionally bad record at commercialising science was not necessarily the result of un-commercial science activities.

"Out of the $4 billion in government outlays in science and technology in the last budget, only 17 per cent was aimed directly at industry, where we have the major problem," he said.

However, "there is a tendency to focus too much on government and on the science end of the process," he said. "Without 'receptors' in industry, commercialisation of science to the benefit of the Australian economy falls back to high risk and isolated start-ups, where those who get through the normal rates of attrition take 10 years plus to be up and going.

"A vibrant economy is not driven by the science base alone."

Fox said that cultural changes that could be made to improve domestic industrial R&D would include:

• Targeting science education programs at schools, and encourage kids into science and engineering,
• Allowing scientists to directly and personally financially benefit from the commercialisation of their work by way of a share of royalties or equity in the venture,
• Setting up flexible employment conditions to allow scientists to be seconded into industry and start-ups with the guarantee of a return to their original posts,
• Establishing a business basics program for scientists - run them in summer as short courses at business schools,
• Introducing engineering and science cadetships for industry,
• Eliminating or substantially reduce HECS fees on science and engineering degrees,
• Accelerating industry-based R&D, and
• Establishing more consistent and long-term policies on industry, science and R&D.